University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Thursday, March 9
Omaha, Neb.
11:00 am
University of Northern Colorado
7-9
9
at
4
Nebraska-Omaha
1-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northern Colorado
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
6
0
9
16
0
Omaha
0
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
4
10
5
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Watson, Troy (2-1)
L: Hehnke,C (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Pauley, Jack 2 ; Minnick, Brett 2 ; Tapia, Payton 1 ; Yamaguchi, Tyler 1 ; Kiel, Alex 1 ; Leach, Sam 1
SH: Maltese, Cole 1 ; Minnick, Brett 1 ; Tapia, Payton 1 ; Kiel, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lawson, Dean 1 ; Johnson, Evan 2 ; Maltese, Cole 1 ; Pauley, Jack 1 ; Minnick, Brett 1 ; Bracken, Issac 1 ; Yamaguchi, Tyler 2
HBP: Minnick, Brett 1
Batting:
2B: Herold,R 1
RBI: Herold,R 2 ; Cate,R 1 ; Kalina,J 1
SH: Kalina,J 1
SF: Cate,R 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Herold,R 1 ; Hall,A 1 ; Patterson,C 1 ; Thibodeau,C 1
SB: Herold,R 1
HBP: Herold,R 1 ; Ehresman,M 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
6
R
2
H
4
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
UT
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
Photo by: AE Photography
Big Innings Lead to @NCBearsBaseball Sweep of Omaha
3/9/2017 6:18:00 PM | Baseball
Northern Colorado baseball earned a sweep of Omaha on Thursday with a 9-4 win and 7-3
OMAHA— Northern Colorado baseball earned a doubleheader sweep over Omaha on Thursday 9-4 and 7-3, thanks to a big inning in each. The wins bring the Bears within one game of .500 for the year at 8-9 overall.
Game 1
How It Happened
Facing Omaha's starter, Sam Murphy for the second time, the Northern Colorado batters started to get to him. Dean Lawson and Evan Johnson began the second inning by walking and hitting a single up the middle to put a pair on with no outs.
Cole Maltese moved the pair into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Jack Pauley brought home the first run of the game with a single. The Bears scored another run in the inning to go up 2-0 through two and a half.
The Mavericks responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own to make it a 2-1 game.
Northern Colorado continued to get to Murphy in the fourth when Alex Keil and Tyler Yamaguchi began the inning with back-to-back singles. An error loaded the bases for the Bears with no outs. Yamaguchi then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 going to the bottom of the fourth.
Once again Omaha responded in the bottom half of the inning, this time with a pair of runs to tie it up. A trio and hits including one double and a pair of fielder's choices allowed the Mavericks to score their pair or runs.
UNC relieved starter Connor Leedholm to begin the fifth, with Troy Watson taking over on the bump. UNO loaded the bases with two outs, but left them that way, as Cole Thibodeau flied out to center field to end the inning still tied at three.
Northern Colorado proceeded to leave the bases loaded in the top of the sixth after stringing together three hits on the inning.
Omaha took its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the inning with a Ryan Cate sacrifice fly, putting them up 4-3.
The game stayed that way until UNC's offense broke the game open in the eighth. Four of the first Bear's batters singled to begin the inning, scoring two runs to put the team up 5-4. The inning proceeded as Northern Colorado ended up scoring six runs on six hits and one error, leaving the bases loaded. Despite leaving them loaded they still led 9-4.
Omaha threatened to make it a game in the ninth loading the bases, but were unable to push anything across leading to the 9-4 Bears win.
Game Changer
Evan Johnson and Jack Pauley were almost impossible for Omaha to retire in the game, combining to go 8-of-11 in the game with three runs scored and two RBI. They both recorded four hits in the game, while Johnson scored twice and Pauley once, plus adding in a pair of RBI.
Game 2
How It Happened
Northern Colorado starter Aaron Hamilton lost his control some during the second inning hitting a batter and walking two more to load the bases for the Mavericks. Marcus Ethens used a productive out to score the first run of game too.
That lead for UNO didn't last long as UNC put up a five spot in the third. The inning began with back-to-back singles from Tyler Yamaguchi and Alex Kiel, before Dean Lawson loaded the bases for the Bears with one out. Evan Johnson delivered the first blow to Omaha with a double down the left field line to score a pair. Lawson then came home as Cole Maltese singled.
The final two runs for UNC when Brett Minnick sent a ball to left field that the UNO player misplayed allowing a pair to score.
Omaha got a run back in both the third and fourth to make it a two run game at 5-3.
The Bears got both runs back with an RBI single by Jack Pauley in the fifth, and Tyler Yamaguchi scored on a bunt by Kiel in the sixth to make it 7-3.
Northern Colorado's pitching staff would secure the win and sweep of the double header allowing no runs over the final five innings of play.
Game Changer
Back-to-back hits by Evan Johnson and Cole Maltese broke the game open for UNC in the second inning as they went up 3-1. Johnson's double scored the first two Bear runs of the game while Maltese brought in another. By the time the inning ended, Northern Colorado led 5-1 and never looked back.
Notable
- Jack Pauley and Evan Johnson each went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader. Pauley drove in three runs and scored one himself, while teammate Johnson scored four times and drove in another two.
- Outside of Pauley and Johnson, three other Bears hit over .300 for the day. Tyler Yamaguchi led the group with a .444 average followed by Brett Minnick (.375) and Cole Maltese (.444).
- Aaron Hamilton recorded his third straight quality start going six full innings allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking four.
- The Bears bullpen was big on the day going eight innings allowing just one run on one hit. They combined to strike out 10 Mavericks and walk just five.
Quotable
Head Coach Carl Iwasaki
"It was a great day for UNC baseball, picking up the pair of wins to secure our second series win in two weeks. We are focused on finishing the series with a sweep tomorrow before preparing for Wichita State next Tuesday to close out the non-conference season."
What's Next?
The Bears and Mavericks will finish out their series tomorrow afternoon with a 12 pm MT first pitch.
Game 1
How It Happened
Facing Omaha's starter, Sam Murphy for the second time, the Northern Colorado batters started to get to him. Dean Lawson and Evan Johnson began the second inning by walking and hitting a single up the middle to put a pair on with no outs.
Cole Maltese moved the pair into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Jack Pauley brought home the first run of the game with a single. The Bears scored another run in the inning to go up 2-0 through two and a half.
The Mavericks responded in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own to make it a 2-1 game.
Northern Colorado continued to get to Murphy in the fourth when Alex Keil and Tyler Yamaguchi began the inning with back-to-back singles. An error loaded the bases for the Bears with no outs. Yamaguchi then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 going to the bottom of the fourth.
Once again Omaha responded in the bottom half of the inning, this time with a pair of runs to tie it up. A trio and hits including one double and a pair of fielder's choices allowed the Mavericks to score their pair or runs.
UNC relieved starter Connor Leedholm to begin the fifth, with Troy Watson taking over on the bump. UNO loaded the bases with two outs, but left them that way, as Cole Thibodeau flied out to center field to end the inning still tied at three.
Northern Colorado proceeded to leave the bases loaded in the top of the sixth after stringing together three hits on the inning.
Omaha took its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the inning with a Ryan Cate sacrifice fly, putting them up 4-3.
The game stayed that way until UNC's offense broke the game open in the eighth. Four of the first Bear's batters singled to begin the inning, scoring two runs to put the team up 5-4. The inning proceeded as Northern Colorado ended up scoring six runs on six hits and one error, leaving the bases loaded. Despite leaving them loaded they still led 9-4.
Omaha threatened to make it a game in the ninth loading the bases, but were unable to push anything across leading to the 9-4 Bears win.
Game Changer
Evan Johnson and Jack Pauley were almost impossible for Omaha to retire in the game, combining to go 8-of-11 in the game with three runs scored and two RBI. They both recorded four hits in the game, while Johnson scored twice and Pauley once, plus adding in a pair of RBI.
Game 2
How It Happened
Northern Colorado starter Aaron Hamilton lost his control some during the second inning hitting a batter and walking two more to load the bases for the Mavericks. Marcus Ethens used a productive out to score the first run of game too.
That lead for UNO didn't last long as UNC put up a five spot in the third. The inning began with back-to-back singles from Tyler Yamaguchi and Alex Kiel, before Dean Lawson loaded the bases for the Bears with one out. Evan Johnson delivered the first blow to Omaha with a double down the left field line to score a pair. Lawson then came home as Cole Maltese singled.
The final two runs for UNC when Brett Minnick sent a ball to left field that the UNO player misplayed allowing a pair to score.
Omaha got a run back in both the third and fourth to make it a two run game at 5-3.
The Bears got both runs back with an RBI single by Jack Pauley in the fifth, and Tyler Yamaguchi scored on a bunt by Kiel in the sixth to make it 7-3.
Northern Colorado's pitching staff would secure the win and sweep of the double header allowing no runs over the final five innings of play.
Game Changer
Back-to-back hits by Evan Johnson and Cole Maltese broke the game open for UNC in the second inning as they went up 3-1. Johnson's double scored the first two Bear runs of the game while Maltese brought in another. By the time the inning ended, Northern Colorado led 5-1 and never looked back.
Notable
- Jack Pauley and Evan Johnson each went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader. Pauley drove in three runs and scored one himself, while teammate Johnson scored four times and drove in another two.
- Outside of Pauley and Johnson, three other Bears hit over .300 for the day. Tyler Yamaguchi led the group with a .444 average followed by Brett Minnick (.375) and Cole Maltese (.444).
- Aaron Hamilton recorded his third straight quality start going six full innings allowing three runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking four.
- The Bears bullpen was big on the day going eight innings allowing just one run on one hit. They combined to strike out 10 Mavericks and walk just five.
Quotable
Head Coach Carl Iwasaki
"It was a great day for UNC baseball, picking up the pair of wins to secure our second series win in two weeks. We are focused on finishing the series with a sweep tomorrow before preparing for Wichita State next Tuesday to close out the non-conference season."
What's Next?
The Bears and Mavericks will finish out their series tomorrow afternoon with a 12 pm MT first pitch.
Week 3 - Head Coach Lamb Press Conference
Wednesday, September 10
Head Coach Ed Lamb Press Conference 9/3/2025
Wednesday, September 03
Izzi Bennett and Bella LePore Post Game Press Conference vs Colorado State
Wednesday, September 03
Head Coach Lyndsey Oates Post Game Press Conference vs Colorado State
Wednesday, September 03
