Ogee, Walker lead Huskers to 6-0 win over New Mexico State

Phoenix, Ariz. -- Sophomore centerfielder Kim Ogee went 2-for-4 with a triple and a double, and senior pitcher Leigh Ann Walker tossed her third complete game shutout in as many days to lead the No. 12 Nebraska softball team to a 6-0 win over New Mexico State Sunday morning at the Fiesta Bowl/ASU Classic.

With the victory, Nebraska finished tournament action at the Rose Mofford Softball Complex with a 4-1 record. The Huskers also upset No. 10 Cal State-Fullerton, 3-2, and defeated UNLV, 1-0, and Wisconsin, 8-0, but lost to No. 2 UCLA, 6-1, in their season-opening weekend. Ogee led the Huskers offensively through their first five games, going 6-for-16 with a double, a triple and four runs scored. Walker led NU on the mound, tossing 21.0 consecutive scoreless innings while striking out 23 and walking just five batters all weekend.

Sunday, Walker (3-0) scattered six hits and struck out seven in dropping New Mexico State to 6-7 on the year. Ryon Adams took the loss, allowing four runs, including three earned, on six hits in 5.0 innings of work.

After two scoreless innings, Nebraska took at 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Right fielder Briana Bates led off the inning and reached on an error by New Mexico State second baseman Tersha Brown, then stole second. Freshman Anne Steffan popped up to second, and Ogee struck out before shortstop Amanda Buchholz laced an RBI single to center, plating Bates. Leigh Suhr struck out to end the inning.

The Huskers kept things going in fourth. Cindy Roethemeyer reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Peaches James followed with a two-out, RBI triple down the left field line to make it 2-0, Nebraska. Bates followed with her first hit of the season, an RBI single that scored James. NU ended the inning with a 3-0 lead after Liz Lawhorn, who was pinch hitting for Steffan, grounded out to short after nearly beating the throw to first.

Nebraska added another run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth. Ogee led off the fifth inning with a double down the left field line, stole third and continued home when New Mexico State catcher Jodi Spino erred on the throw to third. In the bottom of the sixth, Bates reached on a bunt with two outs, stole second and then scored on an RBI single by Lawhorn. Ogee then smacked an RBI triple to center for the 6-0 NU advantage.

Nebraska returns to action Friday, Feb. 16, when it travels to Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2002 UNLV Classic.