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Columbia, Mo. ----- Despite holding No. 24 Missouri to a total of four hits, the Nebraska softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader, 1-0, Sunday afternoon to close out its doubleheader conference season.
Missouri scored the only run of the first game in the bottom of the seventh and managed just one hit off All-American Jenny Voss. The Tigers scored in the third inning of the second contest to hand the loss to freshman pitcher Leigh Ann Walker. The Huskers remained in fourth place in the league with the losses, a half game ahead of Kansas with one game left to go. Nebraska dropped to 27-18 overall and 9-8 in the league.
Voss took a perfect game into the bottom of the fourth in the first contest before Kim Slover doubled to center field. Missouri failed to advance Slover and the game remained scoreless. Meanwhile, Missouri pitcher Stephanie Falk took a perfect game into the top of the fifth where Leigh Suhr broke it up with a single to left field with one out. The next batter, Heather Martin, lined into a double play, however, to end the inning. Nebraska had its best chance in the top of the sixth. Cindy Roethemeyer led off with a double to left center. Alice Brewer then bunted Roethemeyer to third to bring up Kelly Pinkepank. Pinkepank hit a chopper to the Missouri shortstop who gunned a throw home to catch Roethemeyer at the plate. Pinkepank failed to advance past first and the Husker rally died. In the top of the seventh, Nebraska again put its leadoff batter on when Ginger Taylor singled to left. Jamie Fuente then grounded into a fielder's choice leaving NU with a runner on first and one out. Freshman Jill Baker came in to pinch run for Fuente and she was soon gunned down at second on an attempted steal. Jenifer Williams ended the inning with a strikeout. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Voss walked Missouri's first two batters, Wendy Harrison and Kim Slover, to lead off the inning. With no outs, Linda Swarts sacrifice bunted Slover and Harrison to second and third, respectively. Missouri's next batter, Jamie Lowry, then hit an infield chopper that was thrown home too late and Harrison came in to score the winning run. Voss dropped to 18-8 with the loss despite pitching a complete-game one-hitter.
Missouri sent Falk to the mound again in the second game. She again took a perfect game late into the contest, this time taking it into the fourth. Meanwhile, Missouri put runners on in every inning leading up to the fourth, including the third when they scored the games only run. Harrison led off the third for the Tigers with a single and advanced to second on the play. Slover then drew a walk and the heroes of game one advanced to second and third on a passed ball. The eventual game-winning run came when Swarts hit a long fly to center field allowing Harrison to tag up and come home. Nebraska was able to get out of the inning, however, and remain just one run back. In the top of the fourth Taylor hit an infield single to break up Falk's perfect game. After stealing second, NU's next two batters struck out and grounded out, respectively, to end the inning. No Husker batters reached base in the fifth or sixth but Nebraska made one final effort in the seventh. With two outs, Ellen Middleton singled to right field to keep the Huskers alive. After Baker came in to pinch run for Middleton, Williams hit an infield single that allowed Baker to reach third. With runners on the corners and two outs, Fuente ended the game by grounding out to the third baseman. Walker fell to 7-7 on the season with the three-hit loss.
Nebraska is scheduled to play one final regular-season game before the Big 12 Tournament begins. The Huskers will travel to Ames, Iowa, on Sunday, May 9, to play Iowa State in a single game at 1 p.m. NU needs a victory to lock up the fourth place spot in the league to meet either Kansas or Texas Tech in the first round of the conference tournament.