Huskers Fall in Big 12 Opener

Austin, Texas ? A pair of two-out runs in the third and fifth innings lifted third-ranked Texas to a 2-0 victory over the 17th-ranked Nebraska softball team in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 1,259 at McCombs Field.

 

The loss snapped the Huskers' six-game winning streak, as NU fell to 20-5 on the season and 0-1 in the league. Texas improved to 34-3 and 1-0 with its fifth straight win.

 

The story of the game was pitching, as the contest featured two of the best pitchers in the Big 12. Two-time national player of the year Cat Osterman (21-1) picked up her 15th shutout of the season, holding the Huskers scoreless for just the second time this season. The left-hander from Houston also struck out 14 while allowing three hits, one shy of her season high.

 

In the circle for NU, junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (9-4) tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out six. DeBuhr allowed seven base runners to Osterman's five, but key two-out hitting by the Longhorns accounted for the only runs of the game.

 

Texas used a two-out rally to manufacture its first run in the bottom of the third. After DeBuhr retired the first two hitters, Tina Boutelle, the Longhorns’ leadoff hitter, coaxed a walk. She then successfully stole second with a perfect slide that knocked the ball loose on what otherwise would have been a close play. Boutelle then came home with the game’s first run after Shannon Thomas laced a line drive that deflected off the glove of NU first baseman Crystal Carwile for an RBI double.

 

The score marked the first run DeBuhr had allowed in 19.2 innings and the first earned run she had surrendered in 28.0 innings.

 

The Longhorns added an insurance run when the top of the UT order converted another two-out scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Jacqueline Williams reached on a one-out double that ricocheted off the glove of junior Carmen Kier at third base. Pinch runner MicKayla Padilla was still at second with two outs before Boutelle hit a sharp grounder through the left side that plated Padilla and put Texas up 2-0.

 

The Huskers’ best scoring chances came in the top of the second and sixth innings. In the second, senior KoKo Tacha and junior Devin Porter laced consecutive line drives into center field to put runners on first and second with only one out. Freshman Brittany Pascale then worked the count to 3-0, before fouling out to left field. Kier, who had homered in her previous two at bats dating back to last Friday, struck out swinging to end the inning.

 

NU threatened again in the top of the sixth. Senior Lizzy Aumua was hit by a pitch to start the inning and fellow senior Jessica Yoachim followed with an infield single to put runners at first and second. Junior Jamie Waldecker then popped out and Carwile struck out before senior Trisha Tannahill went down swinging to end the threat.

 

Osterman then retired the Huskers in order in the seventh to pick up her 21st victory in 22 decisions this season.

 

Although Nebraska struck out a season-high 14 times against the NCAA all-time strikeout leader, Nebraska did pound out three hits, falling just one shy of matching Osterman's season high for hits allowed. In contrast, NU recorded just one hit against Osterman in three appearances totaling 17.1 innings in 2005.

 

Nebraska and Texas wrap up their conference-opening series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at McCombs Field.