Huskers Upset 10th-Ranked Sooners

Norman, Okla. ? The Nebraska softball team pounded out 12 hits, including at least one in every inning, in a 6-4 victory over the 10th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at the OU Softball Complex. With the win, NU improved to 32-17 overall and 8-7 in the Big 12 Conference, marking the first time this season the Huskers have been above .500 in league play.

 

Sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (20-15) earned her 20th victory of the season, allowing four runs on six hits in a complete-game effort, while adding seven strikeouts.

 

Stacy Braddock (7-6) started and took the loss for OU (43-13, 11-6). Braddock allowed four runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings. Kamie Keiter tossed 3.1 innings of relief, allowing two unearned runs on four hits.

 

OU struck first as Heather Scaglione put the Sooners up 1-0 when she led off the bottom of the second with a deep home run to left field.

 

NU answered back with a four-run fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Junior Elizabeth Rock reached on an infield single to start the inning. Following a fly out, junior Trisha Tannahill singled up the middle and Rock advanced to third after OU centerfielder Kristin Vesely bobbled the ball. With runners at the corners, sophomore Jamie Waldecker worked the count to 2-2 before singling to left field to score Rock with the tying run.

 

Junior Katie Linke was then called out on strikes, before sophomore Devin Porter lined a 3-1 pitch into left field to score Tannahill with the go-ahead run. Freshman Cassie Kleinsmith followed with a two-run single that scored Waldecker and Porter to put the Huskers up 4-1.

 

Scaglione made the score 4-2 when she hit her second home run of the game, a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.

 

The Huskers added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh with the help of two key Oklahoma errors. Steffan led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a one-out sacrifice from Rock. On the play, Rock reached first safely on a fielding error by pitcher Kami Keiter. Senior Sheena Lawrick then reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Tannahill quickly made OU pay, singling through the right side on the next pitch to score Steffan and Rock and increase NU’s lead to 6-2.

 

OU did not go quietly in the bottom of the seventh. Scaglione led off with a double to the gap in right-center. NU then recorded a ground out before Jamie Fox cut the lead in half with a two-run home run. Keiter then flew out and Stacia Aleman struck out swinging to end the game.

 

Offensively for Nebraska, Waldecker went a career-high 3-for-4, while Tannahill and Kleinsmith added a pair of RBIs. Steffan finished 3-for-4 as well.

 

Rock recorded her 20th and 21st sacrifices of the season in the first inning to become only the fourth player in school history to reach the 20-sacrifice mark in a season. She is now in second place on the single-season chart and is just one shy of tying Deanne Carr’s school-record 22.

 

Nebraska and Oklahoma wrap up the two-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPNU and can be heard in Lincoln on KKUL and on the internet at Huskers.com.