After Pair Of Wins, Huskers Fall To No. 1 Huskies

Columbus, Ga. -- The No. 23 Nebraska softball team fell into the consolation bracket of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Gold Medal Tournament Saturday with a 10-2 loss to No. 1 Washington on a marathon day that began with games at 10 a.m. and ended well into Sunday morning. Nebraska qualified for the Gold Medal Tournament with a 3-0 win over Cal. State-Northridge and 1-0 win over Hofstra earlier in the day. The Huskers, who moved to 7-8 on the season, will play Arizona at 8 a.m. (central) on Sunday in the consolation semifinals.

Lizama slugged a leadoff double to left center to lead off the contest with No. 1 Washington. Three batters later, Burgess hit a sharp grounder to third that was fielded cleanly by Washington but bobbled by the first baseman on the throw, allowing Lizama to score from second for the first run of the game. The Huskies were the next to strike with two runs in the top of the third. UW's Erin Helgeland led off by drawing a walk and Rosie Leutzinger's single put runners at first and second. Kelly Hauxhurst then drew a walk to load the bases for slugger Kim DePaul. DePaul singled over Lizama's head at second base bringing in a pair of Huskies. After a stolen base and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded again with no outs.

Nebraska escaped, however, unscathed thanks to a batter interference, force out at home and ground out. Nebraska answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. Starting pitcher Jenny Voss led off by drawing a lead off walk. Lizama followed it up with her second hit of the game, a scorching single to left, to put runners on first and second. With Ginger Taylor at the plate, Voss was picked off on second for the first out of the inning. Ogee then drew a walk to again put runners at first and second bringing up Burgess. Burgess collected the biggest hit of her young career with a sharp single to left that brought around Lizama to tie the game at 2-2. Penny Cope came on in relief of Voss in the top of the fourth with runners on first and second and collected the final two outs to end the Husky rally. From there on it was all Huskies, however, as Washington scored five runs in the fifth, two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. NU pitcher Lori Tschannen came on in relief of Cope in the top of the fourth and surrendered a three-run homer to Shannon Walsh. Tschannen also gave up homers to Kelly Hauxhurst and Jenny Topping. Cope took the loss to fall to 3-3 on the year. Lizama and Burgess each went 2-for-4.

Nebraska opened the day with a solo homer by leadoff hitter Lizama in the bottom of the first against Cal. State-Northridge. The homer was Lizama's fourth of the year and 38th of her career. Cal. State-Northridge came close to tying it up when the Matador's Chastity Johnson reached first when she was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Amber Grahlman doubled to deep center, but the throw from Jenifer Williams to Leigh Suhr to Burgess nailed Johnson at the plate to preserve the 1-0 Husker lead. Nebraska added two more runs in the bottom half of the second. Williams drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a single to right center by Suhr. Ginger Taylor also singled to load the bases with nobody out. Heather Martin then drew a bases loaded walk to bring in Williams from third to make it a 2-0 game.

Nebraska added its third and final run when Lizama hit an infield chopper that was thrown home for the force out and then past first in the attempted double play allowing pinch runner Jill Baker to score. Northridge never advanced a runner past first until the top of the seventh when pitcher Stacey Farnworth doubled to right and Johnson singled to left putting Farnworth on third. But Farnworth was left stranded when the Matadors hit into a game-ending double play. Cope picked up the second shutout of her career. Lizama finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a triple.

In the continuation of Friday night's rain-delayed game against Hofstra, Nebraska started the game in the top of the third inning with Lizama on third base from a triple on Friday. In the Huskers' first at bat of the day, Kim Ogee grounded out to second, allowing Lizama to score from third to put NU up 1-0. Hofstra loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half of the third inning on a double, a single and a failed fielder's choice before two straight fly outs to end the inning. Hofstra again put its leadoff hitter on third in the next inning, but again left her stranded following two straight groundouts. Nebraska tried to add a security run in the top of the sixth. Ogee reached base to lead off the inning on a catcher's interference call. Burgess then singled Ogee to second on a single to left field. But a strikeout and two groundouts left Ogee and Burgess stranded. Two key defensive plays marked the final two innings for the Huskers. In the bottom of the sixth, Ogee stole a homer from Hofstra's Lisa Ciavardini with a reach over the right field fence. In the bottom of the seventh, Suhr, the shortstop, made a diving snag of a sharp line drive up the middle for the second out of the inning. Leigh Ann Walker picked up her first shutout of the year while allowing just four hits and striking out six. Lizama and Burgess collected NU's only hits.

Nebraska will be back in action on Sunday at 9 a.m. against Arizona State in the consolation division of the Gold bracket. The Huskers fell to ASU, 7-1, earlier this season in Tempe, Ariz.