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Las Vegas, Nev. -- The Nebraska softball team suffered two losses to top-10 teams Saturday at the 2001 Las Vegas Classic. On the second day of play at the Desert Breeze Softball Complex, the No. 12 Huskers (4-4) fell to No. 7 California (5-0), 6-5, in extra innings before losing to No. 1 UCLA (14-0), 1-6, in the night cap.
Leigh Suhr led the Huskers with her best offensive day of the season. The junior second baseman was 3-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, a double (against California) and a solo home run (against UCLA), her
first of 2001.
Nebraska concludes tournament action tomorrow against Cal Poly at 10 a.m..
"This was a disappointing day," NU Coach Rhonda Revelle said. "I didn't feel like we executed to our potential. And even thought we did some things well, we didn't do enough things well to capitalize and come out on top. We're going to work hard to get better."
The Huskers opened the day with a heartbreaking loss to California in extra innings. After leading 5-0 after two, Nebraska saw its advantage dwindle to one run in the third when Candace Harper laced a two-run
homer over the left field fence to score Veronica Nelson. The Bears then tied the score in the sixth. Peaches James walked Pauline Duenas, who then advanced to second on a bunt by Paige Bowie. With two outs and runners on first and second and two outs, NU third baseman Cindy Roethemeyer bobbled a hit by Harper, who reached first safely as Duenas crossed the plate for the tying run.
Both squads went three up, three down, in the seventh to force the international tiebreaker rule in the eighth inning. Nebraska sent Cope to second to pinch run for Jamie Fuente as Burgess came up to the plate.
Burgess singled on a perfect bunt, and Cope advanced to third. But with no outs, the Huskers were unable to score Cope as Suhr popped up to third, Danelle Arnold flied out to center and Amanda Buchholz popped up to second.
In the bottom of the eighth with the tiebreaker rule still in effect, Cal sent Amber Phillips to second. Kristen Morley reached first on an error by Suhr, then Duenas' hit sailed just over James' outstretched hand to score Phillips for the win.
James took the loss for the Huskers, giving up three runs and four hits in five innings after relieving Leigh Ann Walker in the third. Jocelyn Forest picked up the win for Cal, striking out 10 batters but allowing
10 hits in eight innings. Suhr led NU at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
The Huskers' second loss of the day came at the hands of top-ranked UCLA. Amanda Freed picked up the win, allowing just two hits and striking out eight Huskers in seven innings for the Bruins, who combined
to score 35 runs in two games on the first day of the tournament. Freshman Katie Decker (1-1) took the loss for Nebraska, allowing eight hits and four earned runs in seven innings.
NU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Burgess smashed a two-out single to left field, sending Ogee home. Suhr grounded out to third to end the inning. UCLA scored three runs in the first inning, two in the
second and one in the fourth to go up 6-1.
Decker held the Bruins hitless in the fifth and sixth innings, but UCLA's five-run lead proved too much for the Huskers to overcome. After Fuente grounded out to the shortstop and Burgess flew out to centerfield, Suhr smashed an 0-2 pitch over the leftfield fence for her first home run in 2001. But the Bruins' four-point lead proved to be too much for the Huskers to overcome as Arnold struck out to end the seventh.