FARGO, N.D. -- Second-seeded Omaha advanced to the program's first #SummitSB Championship title game after knocking off fourth-seeded Kansas City 2-1 in a winner's bracket game Friday at the Ellig Sports Complex. Freshman Izzy Eltze delivered the game-winning hit for the Mavericks in the top of the seventh inning and reliever Sydney Hampton retired the Roos in the order in the bottom half of the inning to secure the victory.
Eltze's game-winning knock came with two outs and scored Lexi Burkhardt, who provided the Mavericks with their first run of the game compliments of a solo blast in the second inning.
The Roos had their chances early in the contest, putting base runners on during each of the first four innings. They were finally able to push a run across in their half of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. Prior to that, their best opportunity came in the second, but after committing an error in right field, Omaha's Taylor Johnson started a successful relay that resulted in Sydney McQuinn being thrown out at the plate.
Kansas City pulled even on a RBI single from Delainey Fenoglio in a fourth inning that saw the Roos strung together three singles in the frame off Omaha starter Kamryn Meyer, but they could only manage to score the game-tying run.
Emily Klosterman led off the fifth for the Mavericks with a walk and made it over to third base, but was left stranded there by Kansas City starter Mia Hoveland to keep the score 1-1.
Hampton relieved Meyer in the circle to start the fifth and she was greeted by a leadoff single from Katherine Karnatz. After a pop out in the infield, Ally Vonfeldt laced a double down the leftfield line to put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out.
That set the stage for cleanup hitter Faith Willis, who after striking out in her first two at-bats. The Roos' four-hole hitter sent a fly ball to right field where Taylor once again showed off her arm to keep the game tied. She fired a strike to the plate that made Karnatz retreat back to third base after going halfway, but she was tagged out before she could get back to the bag.
Burkhardt's solo homer in the second was the last hit off Hoveland before she led off the seventh with a double. She would advance to third before Eltze drove her home with a opposite field shot through the right side of the infield.
Pitcher of Record
Win – Sydney Hampton (6-11): 3.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeouts
Loss – Mia Hoveland (15-14): 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts
Notable Notes
• The three remaining teams have never won the #SummitSB Championship.
• The Mavericks will play in the title game for the first time in program history.
• Izzy Eltze and Lexi Burkhardt each had two hits to combine for four of the team's five hits in the contest.
• Kansas City starter Mia Hoveland tossed her third straight complete game of the tournament.
• Burkhardt's solo home run was her fourth of the season, which tied her for the team lead in that category.
Up Next
Omaha will play in its first #SummitSB Championship title game on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. The Mavericks will face the winner of the tournament's next elimination game between No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 4 Kansas City that is slated to start at 3:30 p.m. CT Friday afternoon.
#SummitSB
