Nebraska Claims Big 12 Tournament Title With 2-1 Win

Oklahoma City, Okla. -- The No. 18 Nebraska softball team claimed a Big 12 Tournament title, an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament and a new school-record win total Saturday by defeating Texas A&M, 2-1, at Hall of Fame Stadium. The Huskers became the first Big 12 team to claim two Big 12 Tournament titles after also earning the 1998 title. Nebraska reached the finals after defeating No. 4 Oklahoma, 3-1, earlier Saturday behind a 12-strikeout performance from Leigh Ann Walker. The Huskers improved to 49-19 on the year, breaking the win record of 48 set in 1998.

For the first time in the 2000 tournament, the Huskers got on the board in the first inning. Kim Ogee led off with a single up the middle and scored two batters later when Big 12 Tournament MVP Jennifer Lizama doubled to right center. The Huskers doubled that lead with another run in the third inning. Ogee led off the inning by reaching base on a dropped fly by A&M's Tiffany Esters. The run scored on another Lizama hit, a short fly ball that was dropped by A&M's left fielder, allowing Ogee to score from third. Texas A&M cut into Nebraska's lead in the fifth inning. Angie Shetler led off with a single to right and scored three batters later when freshman Selena Collins singled up the middle to make it 2-1. Voss took the lead into the top of the seventh and gave up two singles and an intentional walk to load the bases for Tiffany Esters. Esters took Voss deep into the count and sent a 3-2 pitch back at Voss for the final out of the game. Voss improved to 21-9 with the win after holding the Aggies to five hits. Lizama went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Most of the action in the semifinal game occurred in the third inning. The Huskers scored all three of its runs in the third while Oklahoma added its lone run in the bottom half of the inning. Amanda Buchholz got the Huskers started when she was hit by a pitch from OU starter Lana Moran. Kim Ogee also reached base when OU first baseman Lisa Carey mishandled the throw. After Ginger Taylor sacrificed Buchholz and Ogee into scoring position, Lizama was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jamie Fuente knocked in the first run when she flew out to center, allowing Buchholz to tag and score. A double steal by Ogee and Lizama resulted in another run when OU catcher Ashli Barrett threw the ball high over the third baseman's head, allowing Ogee to come home and make it 2-0. After an Amber Burgess walk that put runners on the corners, Burgess took off for second, allowing Lizama to head home after Barrett made the throw to second. The Huskers' three-run lead was cut into in the bottom half of the inning. A Christy Ring single and Lisa Carey walk put runners on first and second with two out. Andrea Davis put OU's only run on the board with a single to right that brought home Ring. Oklahoma threatened again in the fourth, putting two runners in scoring position, but Walker got Ring to ground out to end the inning. Nebraska also put two runners in scoring position in the next half inning and failed to bring either home when Jenifer Williams grounded out. The Sooners made a final rally in the sixth. Oklahoma put runners on first and second with one out but failed again to bring a run home when Leah Gulla struck out and Jennifer Stump fouled out. Walker surrendered a two-out single in the seventh, but finished off the game by striking out her 12th OU batter of the game.

Nebraska earned the automatic seed with the championship and will now wait until Sunday at 8:30 p.m. to find out what regional the Huskers will be placed in.

Big 12 All-Tournament Team
Stacey Gemeinhardt, MU; Angie Shetler, TAMU; Kim Ogee, NU; Andrea Davis, OU; Dara Throneburg, MU; Lisa Carey, OU; Jennifer Lizama, NU; Lindsay Gardner, UT; Selena Collins, TAMU; Lana Moran, OU; Jenny Voss, NU; Mandy Fulton, OU; MVP: Jennifer Lizama