Huskers Collect Fourth-Straight League Split

Lincoln - Junior transfer Ginger Taylor singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Nebraska softball team a 3-2 win and a series split against Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon at the Husker Softball Complex. Nebraska lost game one 6-5 with all five Husker runs coming in the bottom of the seventh. The Huskers now have splits against all four Big 12 teams they've faced for a 4-4 league record. Nebraska moves to 20-13 overall.

Junior All-American Jenny Voss went to the hill for both games Sunday and struggled early on in both contests. In the first game of the day, Voss and the Huskers gave up three runs in the top of the first by surrendering two hits and committing two errors. The Cowgirls added two more in the second when All-American Jaime Foutch singled in Shelly Graham and later scored on an errant throw by NU's Jennifer Lizama. The Huskers settled down from there, however, giving up just four hits the rest of the way. Three of those hits came in the fifth and secured Oklahoma State another run. Despite its large deficit, the Nebraska had a chance to tie it with a base hit in the seventh. Voss led off the inning by drawing a walk. Lisa Baker, who came into the game to pinch run, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on another wild pitch that was ball four to Cindy Roethemeyer. Taylor loaded the bases on a fielder's choice that left all three runners safe. With no outs, Leigh Suhr slammed a double over a shallow-playing center fielder to score Roethemeyer and Baker. Lizama then drew a walk to re-load the bases. Pinch-hitter Alice Brewer also drew a walk to make the game 6-3 with no outs and the bases still loaded. Nebraska's next two batters, Jamie Fuente and Ellen Middleton, both slugged sacrifice flys to pull the Huskers to within one with two out. But Kelly Pinkepank grounded out to the pitcher to end the comeback effort. OSU pitcher Sheryl Anderson went the distance and allowed only three hits, but walked eight batters.

Oklahoma State started off the second game in the same fashion as the first contest. Foutch hit a 2-2 pitch from Voss over the left center fence with a runner on to put OSU up early 2-0. Nebraska added its only series run that didn't occur in the seventh inning in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, Jenifer Williams drew one of 15 walk on the day by OSU to bring in Nebraska's first run. From there Voss allowed just three Cowgirl hits to keep the Huskers in contention. Nebraska was able to make use of Voss' efforts by tieing the game up in the fourth inning when Fuente also drew a bases-loaded walk. The game remained tied until the bottom half of the seventh when Brewer led off the inning by reaching on a OSU miscue. Pinkepank came in to run for Brewer and was quickly moved to second on a Suhr sacrifice. The next batter, Roethemeyer popped up in foul territory on the first base side allowing Pinkepank to tag up to third. Pinkepank then scored the winning run on a seeing-eyed single by Taylor that bounced between the third baseman and shortstop for the win. Nebraska left 12 runners stranded in the game including three in the second and fourth innings. Lizama went 2-for-4 and was the only Husker to collect multiple hits.

Voss moved to 12-5 on the season following the back-to-back complete games. Voss surrendered 14 hits in 14 innings Sunday, while walking and striking out four.

Nebraska will continue its homestand on Thursday with a doubleheader against Drake at the Husker Softball Complex at 3 and 5 p.m.

QUOTING HEAD COACH RHONDA REVELLE:
--"I was very dissapointed in our first game. I was mostly upset because we didn't come out and defend our turf very well. The offense will come, but with defense you need to be consistent."

--"I thought Jenny Voss got stronger as she went on, especially in the tail end of the second game. And it made me remember last year when we threw her both games all the time."

--ON GAME TWO: "At this time of year it is a must win, and we knew it."

--"As much as (Ginger) Taylor's hit was important to us, so was Kelly's (Pinkepank) tag up. That's senior leadership at its best."