Huskers Solid in 8-0 Victory

Wichita, Kan. ? Freshman right-hander Jordan Keen picked up the first shutout of her career and the first by a Husker pitcher this season as the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team snapped a two-game losing streak with a solid all-around effort in a 8-0 six-inning victory over Valparaiso at the Shocker Invitational in Wichita, Kan., on Friday.

 

Keen (7-1) earned a complete-game victory for the Huskers (13-5). Keen held the Crusaders to just four hits. Kayla Grutz (0-1) took the loss in her first start of the year for Valparaiso (0-10).

 

Nebraska played well in all phases of the game, recording 13 hits, the eighth double-digit hit total for the Huskers this season. NU also added a season-high seven stolen bases and committed no errors in the field while making several great plays.

 

Offensively, the first four hitters in the Husker lineup continued to excel, finishing a combined 9-for-13 with six runs scored and two RBIs. Four Huskers recorded multi-hit games in the win and senior Kira Boerkircher and junior Jessica Yoachim each added a pair of stolen bases. Boerkircher also set a career high with two RBIs in the game.

 

Senior Anne Steffan led off the game with a single that extended her career-high hitting streak to 15 games, just four shy of tying Ali Viola’s school record of 19. Steffan finished 2-for-3 marking her fifth straight multi-hit game and the 11th time in the last 12 games she has recorded more than one hit.

 

NU got on the scoreboard in the top of the third, scoring three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Junior Elizabeth Rock and senior Sheena Lawrick recorded back-to-back singles to start the inning. Junior Trisha Tannahill then reached on a fielder’s choice when Rock was forced out at third on a ground ball to the pitcher. Sophomore Jamie Waldecker was then hit by a pitch to load the bases with only one out.

 

Sophomore Devin Porter fell behind in the count 2-2 and fouled off three pitches before drawing a bases-loaded walk to score Lawrick with the game’s first run. Junior Katie Linke then hit a grounder that seemed destined for right field, but Porter was unable to avoid the ball and was called out for interference. Linke was awarded first base on the play to keep the bases loaded. Boerkircher then singled to center to score Tannahill and Waldecker to push the Huskers’ lead to 3-0.

 

Nebraska added one more run in the fourth. Yoachim led off with an infield single and advanced to second when no one covered second base. Rock lined out to third before Lawrick drew her second four-pitch walk of the game. After a strikeout, Yoachim stole third and two pitches later Lawrick took off for second. The throw from Valparaiso’s catcher Shannon Robinson sailed into center field, allowing Yoachim to score from third.

 

The Huskers plated four more runs in the eighth to put the run-rule into effect. Steffan, Yoachim and Rock led off with consecutive singles to load the bases for Lawrick, who came through with a two-run single to put Nebraska ahead 6-0. Rock scored on an RBI single by Waldecker and Lawrick scored the game’s final run, coming home on an RBI single by Linke.

 

Nebraska plays again today at approximately 5:30 p.m. against host WichitaState. Live stats for the game will be available on Huskers.com, or by clicking on the above link.