Huskers Fall in Finale at Missouri

Columbia, Mo. ? On senior day at University Field, Missouri pitcher Erin Kalka shined in her final regular-season home game, tossing her first shutout of the season in the 15th-ranked Tigers’ 1-0 victory over the Nebraska softball team on Sunday.

 

Kalka (7-5) finished the game allowing just three hits and recording 10 strikeouts, while not surrendering a walk. NU sophomore right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (21-17) nearly matched Kalka pitch for pitch. DeBuhr allowed just one run on four hits in a complete-game effort, striking out four.

 

The win improved MU’s record to 38-11 on the season and 10-8 in the Big 12 Conference. Missouri finishes in fifth place in the league standings, while Nebraska (33-19, 9-9) falls to seventh place after Kansas’ 4-2 victory over IowaState.

 

As the seventh-place team, NU will have to participate in a play-in game prior to the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. The Huskers will face 10th-seeded IowaState on Wednesday at 5 p.m. If Nebraska wins, it advances to play Oklahoma in double elimination bracket play. If NU loses, it will be finished for the tournament.

 

Locked in a pitcher’s dual, the game was scoreless after five innings. NU threatened to break the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth. Senior Anne Steffan reached on a one-out error and junior Jessica Yoachim followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Junior Elizabeth Rock then popped out to the third base and senior Sheena Lawrick struck out looking to end the inning.

 

After the Huskers failed to score in the top of the inning, Leanne Bowers led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to left field off a 3-1 pitch from DeBuhr to give Kalka all the run support she would need.

 

Nebraska’s only other real scoring threat came in the fifth inning when sophomore Devin Porter reached on a two-out double. Junior Katie Linke then worked the count to 3-1 with the go-ahead run in scoring position, but struck out swinging.

 

Missouri threatened to take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Bowers drew a one-out walk and Jen Bruck hit a ground ball to third. Yoachim made a low throw to first that Lawrick was unable to dig out and Bowers advanced to third on the play and Bruck moved up to second on the throw to third. Amanda Renth then hit a grounder to first and Lawrick threw home where sophomore Jamie Waldecker applied the tag on Bowers for the second out of the inning. DeBuhr then coaxed a ground out to short to end the threat.

 

Waldecker, Porter and Yoachim each finished 1-for-3 to account for the Huskers’ three hits.

 

Nebraska now enters postseason play when it travels to Oklahoma City, Okla., on Monday in preparation for Wednesday’s contest with the Cyclones.