Hill Stymies Northern Colorado

LINCOLN?The 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team, behind a career-high 17-strikeout performance from freshman pitcher Molly Hill, finished Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep with a 3-1 victory over Northern Colorado. The Huskers improved to 18-4 this season, while UNC dropped to 6-18.

 

Nebraska took control of the low-scoring game with a pair of manufactured runs in the fourth inning. Husker freshman Crystal Carwile broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth by scoring from third base on a wild pitch by UNC pitcher Jessica Milligan. Following a single by freshman Meghan Mullin, junior Carmen Kier scored the inning’s second run by advancing home on another Milligan wild pitch to put Nebraska up 3-1.

 

The three runs is all Hill would need. The Wayne, Neb., native, who followed up last Sunday’s then-career-high 11-strikeout performance against KentState by punching out a career-high 17 Bears Tuesday. She scattered five hits over seven innings to pick up her team-leading 10th victory of the season.

 

The Huskers found themselves in a tight spot leading by two runs in the top of the seventh after UNC loaded the bases with no outs on a single, walk and a Bear reaching on a fielder’s choice. Hill saved NU without allowing a single run on back-to-back strikeouts of Aubrey Barnes and Heather Beffert, along with a game-ending groundout by Kelsey Dumler handled by Kier.

 

Kier, Mullen and freshman Kimberly Fuller proved to be the stars at the plate for the Huskers, as the trio combined to collect all three of Nebraska’s hits during the win. Fuller’s third-inning single was her first career hit.

 

UNC pitcher Hillarie van Otterloo, who replaced Milligan to shut the door in the bottom of the fourth, kept Northern Colorado within striking distance of Nebraska by throwing 2.1 innings of hitless ball.

                              

The Bears struck early, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Dumler led off the game with an infield single to short. After Hill got Hougue to strike out swinging, Barrett drilled a 2-0 pitch over the head of NU centerfielder senior Lizzy Aumua to score Dumler all the way from first base.

 

Kier put Nebraska on the board in the second inning. Following a one-out walk to senior Trisha Tannahill, Kier laced a 1-2 Milligan offering to left center to plate Tannahill and draw NU even with the Bears.

 

The Huskers return to the Bowlin Stadium diamond Friday, March 17, with a day-night doubleheader featuring Akron and North DakotaState on day one of the inaugural Big Red Tournament. NU faces the Zips at Noon, before taking on the Bison at 6 p.m.