WICHITA, Kan. — Nebraska-Omaha scored nine runs over the first four innings and they held up in a 9-6 victory over the University of Iowa baseball team Saturday at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan. The Mavericks’ win ends the Hawkeyes’ three-game winning streak.
UNO (3-7) broke the game open with three runs in the third inning and five in the fourth to take control. The Mavericks plated their first run on a Sasha Kuebel wild pitch before Collin Leif delivered a two-run single to make it a 4-1 game.
After the Hawkeyes got one run back in the bottom of the third on senior Dan Sheppard’s RBI single, the Mavericks pushed five runs across the plate to take a 9-1 lead. Ryan Keele, Connor Messinger and Caleb Palensky all had RBIs in the frame.
Iowa (7-7) began clawing its way back into the game, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Sophomore Taylor Kaufman’s RBI fielder’s choice plated the first run, knocking in sophomore Eric Toole. Junior Taylor Zeutenhorst followed with a single through the right side, scoring Goodman to make the score 9-4.
After Iowa worked its way out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the fifth, the Hawkeyes scored a pair of runs to make it a 9-6 game. Sheppard opened the inning with a walk before sophomore Nick Day singled to put a pair of runners on base. Toole then reached on a fielding error, which allowed Sheppard to score on the play.
With two outs, sophomore Jake Yacinich singled to right center field to knock in Day, but the Mavericks got out of the inning when Yacinich was caught stealing to end the inning.
Kuebel (1-4) took the loss, allowing eight runs (six earned) over 3.1 innings. Iowa’s bullpen of Josh Martsching, Andrew Hedrick, Ricky Sandquist and Andrew Hanse — were solid, giving up one run on seven hits in 5.2 innings.
Yacinich had half of Iowa’s six hits, tying a career-high by going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Toole scored two of Iowa’s six runs in his first game back since March 3.
Reliever Kyler Brady (1-0) picked up the victory for UNO, allowing four runs on four hits in two innings. Anthony Falcone and Josh Bullock pitched the final four innings, holding the Hawkeyes hitless.
Game two of the three-game series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT).
