Late Run Moves Iowa into Title Game

Lincoln -- Kylie Murray's sixth-inning RBI double provided the final margin as Iowa defeated Nebraska in an elimination game in front of 521 fans at Bowlin Stadium Saturday at the NCAA Softball Regional at Lincoln.

Iowa advanced to Sunday's championship game at 1 p.m. against the region's top seed Washington. The Hawkeyes, who won two elimination games Saturday, will need to win twice over the Huskies to advance to next weekend's Super Regional round. Nebraska's season is over after compiling a 36-23 record.

The Hawkeyes, who improved to 50-13 with the victory, picked up all the offense they would need in the sixth.

Stacy May walked with one out to start the rally before Kylie Murray laced a two-out line drive to right center to score Mays from first. The blast went nearly to the wall and carromed off the glove of NU center fielder Trisha Tannahill as Murray came into second base standing up. 

Iowa pitcher Ali Arnold held Nebraska in check, going 3.1 innings without allowing a hit before Lizzy Rock singled to center with one out. Tannahill added the Huskers' second hit of the frame one out later but Arnold got catcher Jamie Waldecker to pop up to the circle for the final out.

Rock added another single in the sixth, finishing 2 for 2 as the Huskers were shut out for the 11th time this season.

Pitching her third game in two days, Nebraska sophomore Ashley DeBuhr looked like she could keep Iowa in check as she allowed two singles over the first five innings. DeBuhr finished the game with nine strikeouts against one walk. DeBuhr finished the regional tournament with 37 strikeouts against six walks while allowing seven runs over three games.

Nebraska game notes
**-- Lizzy Rock recorded her 20th multi-hit game of the season as she went 2 for 2 against Iowa. Rock recorded two of Nebraska's three hits on the day.

**-- Jessica Yoachim recorded her 27th stolen base of the season when she picked up the theft in the first inning. Yoachim moved into a tie for fifth place on the Nebraska single-season chart with the steal.

**-- Jamie Waldecker recorded seven putouts and finished the season with 405 becoming the eighth player in school history with at least 400 putout.

**-- Ashley DeBuhr finished with nine strikeouts, just missing her third straight double-figure strikeout mark in the regional DeBuhr finsihed the postseason with 37 strikeouts against just six walks.

Iowa game notes
**-- Iowa is now 11-1 in night games this season and 44-4 when scoring first.

**-- Iowa moved to 9-3 on the season in games decided by one run.

**--The victory marked the third time in school history Iowa has reached 50 wins in a season, all under Coach Gayle Blevins. The Hawkeyes collected a school-record 53 wins in 1991 and had 52 wins in 1997.