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Lincoln -- Nebraska sophomore Leigh Ann Walker and senior Jenny Voss continued their pitching dominance Wednesday afternoon with a pair of complete-game shutouts against non-conference foe Wisconsin at the Husker Softball Complex. In front of 253 fans, Walker pitched a two-hitter in game one for a 1-0 Husker win and Voss threw a four-hitter in game two for an 8-0, five-inning win. No. 20 Nebraska extended its school-record home winning streak to 22 games with the sweep and improved to 41-18 on the year.
Wisconsin ace Andrea Kirchberg and Walker, two of the best young pitchers in the nation, squared off in a pitcher's dual in game one. Kirchberg only allowed five hits in the game, but the only important one came in the bottom of the second. With one out, senior Jenifer Williams slugged a home run that barely cleared the right field fence. The homer was the fourth of the year for Williams and seventh of her career. The Huskers got Leigh Suhr to third later in the inning, but failed to bring her home, leaving the Huskers up 1-0. Walker ran into her only trouble in the top of the seventh. With two outs and a one-hitter in the bag, Walker surrendered a walk and single over the right fielder's head to put runners on the corners. But Voss came in and threw one pitch to Lindy Barth before getting her to groundout to end the game. Walker improved to a team-leading 17-5 on the year after and Voss picked up her third save of the year. Walker struck out 11, marking the third time in the last five complete games she has struck out 10 or more. Jennifer Lizama and Suhr each went 2-for-3.
Game two was a one-sided pitcher's dual. Nebraska attacked Badger pitcher Jennifer Cummings early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Kim Ogee led off with a single and two batters later Lizama hit a homer off the top of the Husker scoreboard to put NU up 2-0. The homer was the 11th of her career and 45th of her career which ranks 12th in NCAA history. Nebraska put the game out of reach in the next inning with five runs on just two hits. Voss hit a two-out single and scored two plays later following a walk to Ogee and an error in favor of Ginger Taylor. Lizama then drew a walk to load the bases for Jamie Fuente. Fuente connected on the first pitch from Cummings and sent it over the centerfield fence for her second grand slam in less than a month. Fuente hit her first grand slam on March 30 against Wichita State. The homer was her 10th of the season and 16th of her career and put NU on top 7-0. Nebraska added its final run in the bottom of the fourth. Heather Martin led off with a single to left field and scored two batters later on Amber Burgess' double down the left line. Voss took it from there as she never allowed a Badger runner past second. She finished with five strikeouts and no walks to improve to 16-8 on the year. Ogee went 2-for-2 and was the only Husker with multiple hits.
The Huskers reemerged in the rankings Wednesday, reentering at No. 20 after being out of the rankings since Feb. 27.
Nebraska will try and extend its school-record home-winning streak this weekend when the Texas Longhorns come to town. NU, the Big 12's second-place team, will face Texas, the league's third-place squad, at 5 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Huskers will celebrate 25 years of women's athletics throughout the weekend, with an alumni celebration slated for pregame Saturday.