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The Nebraska softball team was firing on all cylinders Thursday night as it closed out its homestand with a doubleheader sweep of the Wichita State Shockers in front of a crowd of 392. The Huskers tallied 19 runs and 22 hits in a pair of run-rule wins, while holding the Shockers to no runs and just three hits. Nebraska took game one 11-0 in five innings of play and game two 8-0 also in five innings. NU's season-long win streak improved to 12 games, which is the longest since stringing together a 17-game streak in 1998. The Huskers finish out a grueling week with a 25-15 season record and 7-0 mark during the homestand.
Penny Cope went to the hill for the Huskers in game one and posted one of her finest performances as a Husker. Cope surrendered just one hit, a second-inning single, while striking out six and walking one. The Husker offense, meanwhile, had no problems scoring runs. Nebraska's first run of the evening came in the bottom of the first inning. Kim Ogee scored the first of her six runs on the night when Jamie Fuente knocked her in. Ogee got things going again in the third with a leadoff double to right center. Fellow freshman Amber Burgess singled Ogee in and later scored herself on an error to make it 3-0 Huskers. Nebraska then uncorked the first of two straight four-run innings. Jill Baker led off the fourth with an infield single. After Baker stole second, Ogee singled Baker home. Burgess then singled in Ogee and was followed up by a Fuente walk to load the bases. Amanda Buchholz collected another timely single, this time scoring Taylor from third. Lori Tschannen then grounded out to the second baseman but not before Burgess was able to score to make it 7-0 Huskers. Nebraska ended the game early in the next inning on a single swing of the bat. Fuente slugged the first grand slam of her career and the first of the year for the Huskers with no outs in the fifth. The homer was the fifth of the year for Fuente. Ogee finished the game 4-for-4 with four runs scored and one run batted in. Burgess went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Fuente went 2-for-3 with four runs batted in. Cope improved to 6-5 on the year with the one-hit shutout.
Nebraska scored all the runs it needed in the bottom of the first inning of the second game. The Huskers scored eight runs in the first for the second time in the last four games. Ogee led off the game with her sixth consecutive hit, a double to left center. A single by Taylor was followed by an RBI single by Burgess that scored Ogee. Fuente continued the string with a double to right center that brought Taylor home. After a Jenifer Williams strikeout, Buchholz came up with one runner on and slammed the first homer of her young career. The two-run shot came in just her 39th at bat as a Husker. Buchholz' homer was followed by another Husker first. Tschannen hit the first homer of her collegiate career when she lined a shot over the right center fence. Tschannen's homer came in her 29th career at bat. Nebraska added its final two runs of the inning two batters later when Taylor hit the first triple of the year to clear the bases. The Huskers added just two hits over the next three innings before the eight-run rule kicked in in the top of the fifth. Leigh Ann Walker became Nebraska's first 10-game winner of the season with the three-hit shutout. Walker brought a one-hitter into the fifth, but surrendered a pair of singles to Shocker batters. Walker finished with eight strikeouts and no walks. Taylor and Baker led all Huskers with 2-for-3 performances.
Nebraska has now posted four shutouts in the last five games. The Huskers also increased their home-winning streak to 12 games, dating back to the 1999 season.
The Huskers will continue Big 12 play this weekend in Lubbock, Texas, against 1-1 Texas Tech. The two teams will play at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.