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Lincoln -- Senior All-American Jennifer Lizama continued her late-game heroics, Tuesday, and led the Huskers to a sweep of the Drake Bulldogs at the Husker Softball Complex. In front of 292 fans, the Huskers got their 19th and 20th straight home wins to improve to 39-18 on the year. Lizama's seventh-inning solo homer in game one tied up the game, sending it into the eighth where the Huskers would claim the 5-4 win. Senior All-American Jenny Voss, who was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, threw a three-hit shutout in game two to guide the Huskers to a 2-0 win.
Even though Nebraska needed a come-from-behind effort at the end of the first game, the Huskers held the early lead. Sophomore Leigh Suhr, who just recently returned to the lineup from a serious hip injury, slammed her third homer of the year with one out in the second inning to give Nebraska a 1-0 lead. Amanda Buchholz then singled to right and, after stealing second, scored a play later on an error by Drake's third baseman. The Huskers took the 2-0 lead into the top of the fifth. Nebraska starter Penny Cope loaded the bases in the inning before surrendering a two-run double to Mollie Murphy. Sophomore Leigh Ann Walker came on in relief of Cope and gave up a bases-clearing double to her first batter giving Drake the 4-2 lead. The double would prove to be the only hit Walker would surrender the rest of the game. Despite Walker's dominance, Nebraska needed to put some runs on the board to keep the home win streak intact. The Huskers would get their first run in the bottom of the sixth. Jenifer Williams led off with a single but Amber Burgess hit into a double play to leave the bases empty with two outs. Suhr got things started again, stroking a single to center and advancing to second a play later on an error by Drake's second baseman on Buchholz' hit. Heather Martin then pinch hit for Buchholz and singled home Suhr to pull the Huskers within one. In the seventh, Lizama tied the game up with one swing of the bat, sending Carol Thompson's pitch over the left field fence for her team-leading 10th home run of the season. With her 10th home run, she joined Ali Viola as the only Huskers to hit 10 or more home runs in three different seasons. Drake loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but failed to get a runner across leaving the Huskers with a chance to win it. Voss was placed on second with the international tie-breaker in effect and immediately advanced to third on Burgess' sacrifice bunt. Suhr then hit a chopper to the shortstop who threw home to late to nab a diving Voss at the plate. Walker picked up her 16th win after 3.2 innings of work, in which she struck out seven batters. Lizama and Suhr each went 2-for-4 in the win.
In the second game of the day Nebraska again took the early lead, but this time wouldn't relinquish it. Ginger Taylor hit a one-out single to center to get the Huskers going in the first inning. Lizama then connected on her second double of the day, this one to left, to score Taylor from first and put the Huskers up 1-0. Nebraska's second run wouldn't come until four innings later, when Taylor again came up big with one out. Taylor slammed a solid hit down the right field line and came up with her second triple of the year. Lizama then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that was hit deep enough to allow Taylor to score from third. Voss took it from there, striking out six and walking just one, for her seventh shutout of the year and second straight. She also increased her consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to 23 frames. Taylor led all hitters with a 3-for-4 performance and scored both of the Huskers' runs. Suhr collected two hits again, making her 4-for-6 for the day.
Nebraska will continue its homestand on Wednesday with another doubleheader against Wisconsin. The twinbill will start at 1 p.m. with the second game starting around 3 p.m.