Porter Rallies Nebraska Past Oregon State

Las Vegas, Nev. ? Sophomore Devin Porter got the key hit the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team had been searching for all game to lead the Huskers (2-1) to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over 16th-ranked Oregon State on Sunday at the Louisville Slugger UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Trailing by one entering the top of the seventh, junior Jessica Yoachim led off with an infield single on an 0-2 pitch and stole second base after a pop out by senior Sheena Lawrick. With the tying run in scoring position, junior Trisha Tannahill drew a five-pitch walk to bring up sophomore Jamie Waldecker, who advanced the runners to second and third with a ground out to short.

 

Freshman Cassie Kleinsmith was then intentionally walked to load the bases for Porter. Porter sent a 2-0 pitch into right-center field to plate Yoachim with the game-tying run and Tannahill with the game-winning run.

 

Freshman right-hander Jordan Keen (2-0) picked up the win for <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska, pitching a scoreless 3.1 innings of relief. In a great relief effort, Keen did not allow a hit and only allowed one of the 10 hitters she faced to reach base safely.

 

Porter’s timely hit gave the Nebraska offense a big lift on what had been a frustrating day. NU trailed 3-2 entering the seventh inning, despite outhitting the Beavers 10-4. Before Porter’s two-out, bases-loaded single, the Huskers had left failed to produce a run with the bases loaded and only one out in both the first and fourth innings.

 

Things began well for the NU offense when the Huskers scored one run in the top of the first inning. Senior Anne Steffan drew a five-pitch walk to start the game and Yoachim advanced her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Lawrick brought Steffan home with a single up the middle to put NU on top 1-0. Tannahill and Waldecker followed with singles to load the bases with only one out, but a groundout by Kleinsmith and a strikeout by Porter ended the Huskers’ threat.

 

Oregon State answered back in the bottom of the third inning when Cambria Miranda took an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center for a leadoff home run.

 

Nebraska wasted no time in taking the lead back, striking for one run in the fourth inning. Waldecker struck out to end the inning before the Huskers rattled off four consecutive singles. Kleinsmith scored the first run of her career on an RBI single by junior KoKo Tacha.

 

Just as in the first inning, Nebraska had one run in and the bases loaded with only one out, but NU was unable to push another run across the plate following a strikeout by Steffan and a ground out by Yoachim.

 

Oregon State took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out rally. After retiring the first two hitters, DeBuhr lost an eight-pitch at bat with Kelly Petersen, surrending a walk. Adrienne Alo then worked the count full before knocking DeBuhr from the game with a homer run to right field to give the Beavers a 3-2 lead.

 

Nebraska nearly tied the game in the fifth inning when Tannahill sent a drive to deep left center field that bounced off the top of the fence for a one-out double. Consecutive ground outs by Waldecker and Kleinsmith left Tannahill stranded at second.

 

Lawrick, Tannahill and junior Elizabeth Rock each produced two hits for the Huskers.

 

NU was scheduled to play a second game on Sunday, but that game was cancelled due to delayed starting times at the field and the Huskers’ travel plans.

 

The Huskers get back in action on Friday, Feb. 18, when they take on Colorado State in their first game of the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M. First pitch between the Huskers and Rams is set for 2 p.m.

 

Notes: When Lawrick struck out in the fifth inning, it marked the first time in eight at bats that she did not reach base safely.

 

Keen has now retired 15 of her last 16 batters and has allowed only one hit in her last seven innings.