Huskers Win Sixth Straight

Columbus, Ga. ? Freshman right-hander Molly Hill tossed the first shutout of her career and junior Jamie Waldecker homered and drove in two runs as the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team won its six straight game with a 5-0 victory over Florida Atlantic in the Huskers' second game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Friday.

 

The Huskers improved to 6-1 on the season while reeling off six straight wins since a season-opening loss to No. 7 Stanford. Florida Atlantic dropped to 4-7 with loss.

 

In the circle, Hill improved to 4-0 on the season with the win, allowing just four hits in a complete-game effort that included a career-high 10 strikeouts.

 

Offensively, Waldecker finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs. In the first game of the day, Waldecker went 2-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs. She finished the day with two home runs and eight RBIs.

 

After freshman Crystal Carwile and senior Trisha Tannahill hit back-to-back home runs in the first game, Waldecker and Carwile teamed up to accomplish the feat again, hitting consecutive solo shots in the bottom of the first to give NU an early 2-0 lead.

 

Nebraska added to the lead with a single run in the third inning. Senior Jessica Yoachim reached on a bunt single with one out. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and came home on a sharp RBI single off the bat of Waldecker.

 

The Huskers added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back Owl errors put runners on first and second for senior KoKo Tacha, who promptly delivered an RBI to center that scored junior Devin Porter and extended NU’s lead to 4-0.

 

Nebraska added a final insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, when senior Lizzy Aumua singled home Porter with two outs. Aumua, who tied a school record by going 5-for-5 in the day’s first game, went 1-for-4 at the plate in game two, continuing her season-opening seven-game hitting streak.

 

On day one of the Leadoff Classic, Nebraska went 2-0 and outscored its opponents 26-1. In addition to Waldecker and Aumua's big day, Carwile hit two home runs and two doubles, while Tacha finished 4-for-6 with a home run and five RBIs.

 

In the first game of the day, the Huskers run-ruled Illinois, scoring 21 runs in five innings. The 21 runs were the second-most in program history and Nebraska broke or tied four NFCA Leadoff Classic single-game records, including runs (21), team home runs (4), individual hits (5 - Aumua), individual RBIs (6 - Waldecker) and combined runs in a game (22).

 

Nebraska is scheduled to conclude pool play tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. (central) against Florida. Bracket play is scheduled to begin in the afternoon, although the weather forecast calls for continued rain on Saturday.