Nebraska blanks New Mexico after nearly upsetting No. 2 Oklahoma

Lincoln -- The No. 15 Nebraska softball team bounced back from an extra-inning loss to No. 2 Oklahoma late Saturday night to defeat New Mexico, 3-0, Sunday morning in the NFCA Leadoff Classic Silver Bracket consolation final at South Commons Fields in Columbus, Ga.

Nebraska finished the tournament with a 2-3 record and is now 7-7 on the season.

Sophomore shortstop Amanda Buchholz led the Huskers to victory against New Mexico. Batting in the No. 2 spot in the lineup for just the second time this season, Buchholz gave the Huskers the offensive threat they were looking for, going 3-for-3 (1.000) with the game-winning run.

With no score in the bottom of the fourth, Buchholz singled up the middle, advanced to second on a single by Jamie Fuente and continued to third on an error by the Lobos' first baseman, Elena Cranmer. A sacrifice fly by Amber Burgess scored Buchholz to give NU the 1-0 advantage. Fuente and Leigh Suhr, who got on with a line drive to left field, both scored on New Mexico errors to make it 3-0. Nicole Trimboli grounded out to second, and Cindy Roethemeyer grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.

Leigh Ann Walker (2-3) picked up the win for the Huskers, striking out 10 Lobos in 5.1 innings in the three-hit shutout. Amy Dumas took the loss for New Mexico, allowing five hits and one earned run in 6.0 innings.

In a late game Saturday, the Huskers nearly upset No. 2 Oklahoma before finally falling, 6-5, in extra innings. Trailing 5-1 after the fifth, the Huskers tied it up with a four-run sixth inning that was highlighted by a three-run homer by freshman rightfielder Danelle Arnold.

After neither team scored in the seventh, OU sent Christy Ring to second as the eighth inning tiebreaker rule went into effect. First baseman Lisa Carey came up with a clutch double down the rightfield line to score Ring with no outs. The Sooners' next three batters grounded out, popped up and struck out swinging against Peaches James, who came in the fifth in relief of Katie Decker.

Trailing by one run, with Burgess on second to start the inning, Suhr popped up to second and Arnold grounded out to second, bringing up Trimboli. But Ring saved a homerun by the freshman leftfielder with a catch against the wall for the Sooner win.

James (did not allow a hit or an earned run and struck out four in three innings, but took the loss for Nebraska. Decker started and pitched five innings, allowing six hits and five runs.

Adrianne Ratliff was the winning pitcher for Oklahoma, allowing two hits and no runs in the final 2.2 innings.

Nebraska returns to action Friday, March 2 at the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah.