Huskers Fall in Season Opener

Tempe, Ariz. ? After being held to just one run in the first four innings, No. 7 Stanford exploded for six runs in the fifth and sixth innings to earn a 7-3 victory over the 21st-ranked Nebraska softball team Friday in the season opener for both teams on the first day of the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

 

Stanford (1-0) made the most of its opportunities, while NU (0-1) was plagued by missed chances. Nebraska pounded out 10 hits and had at least one baserunner on in five innings, but the Huskers left six runners on base, grounded into one double play and had two runners picked off.

 

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (0-1) took the loss for the Huskers (0-1), allowing five runs in five innings of work. DeBuhr surrendered seven hits, but struck out nine. Missy Pena (1-0) earned the victory for Stanford.

 

Nebraska started fast, retiring Stanford 1-2-3 in the top of the first before plating the game’s first run in the bottom of the inning.

 

Senior Lizzy Aumua led off the Huskers’ season with a line drive that deflected off of the pitcher’s glove for an infield hit. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch and came home when junior Jamie Waldecker laced a line drive to the gap in right center for an RBI single. Senior Trisha Tannahill followed with another infield single to put runners at the corner before freshman Crystal Carwile grounded into an inning-ending double play.

 

After retiring the Cardinal in order in the first inning, DeBuhr had to work out of a jam in the second frame. After a striking out the leadoff hitter, Stanford put runners on first and second with back-to-back base hits. A two-out walk loaded the bases before DeBuhr struck out Anna Beardman to end the threat.

 

The 1-0 lead would hold until the fourth inning when Penna helped herself out by putting the Cardinal on the board with a solo home run to left center off a 1-2 offering from DeBuhr.

 

In the top of the fifth, Stanford continued to swing a hot bat, as the first two Cardinal batters reached on consecutive singles to put runners on first and second for the top of the order. Catalina Morris followed with another single to score Tricia Aggabao and give Stanford its first lead at 2-1. With runners on second and third and no outs, junior Carmen Kier made a diving catch to her left for the first out, but Maddy Coon's three-run homer one batter later extended the Cardinal lead to 5-1.

 

Nebraska answered back in the bottom of the inning when Kier took the first pitch she saw from Penna the opposite way for the first Husker home run of the season, pulling NU within 5-2. Freshman Meghan Mullin followed with an infield single and on the very next pitch, Aumua recorded her third single of the day to put runners on first and second. Senior Jessica Yoachim then coaxed a walk to load the bases with only one out for Waldecker. Waldecker quickly fell behind in the count 0-2, before fouling off four straight pitches. With a 1-2 count, she lifted a fly ball to left field that scored Mullin with the Huskers' third run. With the tying runs still on base, Tannahill worked the count full before striking out to end the inning.

 

Stanford quickly answered the Huskers' two runs with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth. Freshman right-hander Molly Hill relieved DeBuhr and retired the first batter she faced before Aggabao reached on an error. Beardman then hit a line drive to left that Tannahill was unable to find in the sun. The ball rolled all the way to the fence, scoring Aggabao, while Beardman wound up at third with a triple. Beardman then scored on a two-out single off the bat of Lauren Lappin.

 

Nebraska threatened to score in the bottom of the frame with the help of a Stanford error. Freshman Crystal Carwile singled for her first hit as Husker, and NU put runners on first and second with no outs after a Cardinal throwing error. Freshman pinch runner Darcy Rutherford was then thrown out at third attempting to advance on a pitch in the dirt before Porter reached on an infield single. Kier and freshman pinch hitter Brittany Pascale flew out and grounded out, respectively, to end the threat

 

Down by four in the bottom of the seventh, Nebraska went down in order for just the second time in the game.

 

Aumua led NU offensively with a 3-for-4 day, while Waldecker drove in a pair of runs. Porter also recorded a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 in a losing effort.