Nebraska Defeats Texas Tech, 6-2

Lubbock, Texas -- The fourth-ranked Nebraska softball team closed regular-season play with a 6-2 victory over Texas Tech before 308 fans at Rocky Johnson Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Huskers, 42-11 overall, finish the Big 12 Conference season in third place in the league standings with an 11-5 mark.

Offensively, the Huskers were led by freshman right fielder Anne Steffan, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Leadoff hitter Kim Ogee went 1-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI.

Leigh Ann Walker picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits. Walker threw four innings of no-hit ball and did not allow a baserunner until the third inning at Rocky Johnson Stadium. The senior righthander, who improved to 24-4, struck out five Red Raiders in her 19th complete game of the season.

In the top of the first, Ogee smacked a 2-1 pitch over the right-center fence for a leadoff solo homer, and the Huskers led 1-0 after the first. Nebraska added another run in the second, as Leigh Suhr ripped a one-out solo homer to make it 2-0, NU.

The Huskers opened their advantage to 3-0 in the top of the fifth. Steffan led off with a single and then stole second. Texas Tech pitcher Abby Stines walked Ogee, and both runners advanced a base off a sacrifice bunt by Lisa Wangler. After Buchholz fouled out, Steffan scored and Ogee went to third on a passed ball by Tech catcher Jana Baker. Nicole Trimboli grounded out to second to end the first half of the inning.

Nebraska wrapped up the win with a three-run inning in the top of the seventh. A sacrifice bunt by Amanda Buchholz scored Steffan, and Ogee scored on an error by Baker on the play. Trimboli slugged Buchholz in with a sacrifice fly to right for the 6-0 lead.

Maggie Ayres (3-7) took the loss for the Red Raiders, allowing two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings or work. Abby Stines gave up four runs - three earned - on seven hits in 5.2 innings of relief. The Red Raiders finished the regular season with a 13-39 overall record and a 2-16 mark in the Big 12.

Nebraska is off until Friday, May 3, at 11 a.m., when it opens Big 12 Tournament play in Oklahoma City, Okla. NU, which clinched the No. 3 seed in the tournament with its win in the first game of the Texas Tech series Saturday, will face either No. 24 Texas A&M or Oklahoma State in the first round of the tournament. The Huskers swept their series with OSU in Stillwater this season, and NU is 2-1 against the Aggies in 2002. Nebraska will depart for Oklahoma City at 6 a.m. Wednesday.