Late Run Lifts Huskers to 2-1 Victory

Tulsa, Okla. ? Freshman right-hander Molly Hill did not allow an earned run in a complete-game, three-hit effort and junior Devin Porter hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the 17th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 2-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin Friday afternoon.

 

The victory was NU's ninth straight and improved the Huskers' overall record to 9-1. Hill improved to 6-0 on the season with the win and posted eight strikeouts. Hill allowed one unearned run in the top of the first, but settled down to blank the Ladyjacks the rest of the way, including retiring 14 of the last 15 hitters she faced.

 

Porter provided the game-winning hit for the NU offense on a day when the Huskers stranded nine runners in six innings. Nebraska had at least one hit in every inning, but was only able to push a single run across in the third and sixth frames. Freshman Brittany Pascale went a perfect 3-for-3 that included the first multi-hit game of her career and first career extra base hit.

 

Senior Jessica Yoachim and junior Jamie Waldecker each recorded two hits in the victory.

 

Stephen F. Austin took an early lead in the top of the first without recording a hit. To leadoff the inning, Carrie Woydziak struck out, but reached first on a passed ball. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a two-base throwing error from Hill.

 

The Ladyjacks’ 1-0 lead marked the first time Nebraska had trailed in a stretch of 41 innings.

 

Nebraska loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second on a hit batter, a walk and a single, but the Huskers were unable to produce a run as a pop out and a ground out ended the threat.

 

NU had another scoring chance an inning later when Waldecker reached on a one-out double. This time the Huskers capitalized, when senior Trisha Tannahill doubled down the left field line with two outs to score freshman pinch runner Meghan Mullin with the tying run.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Yoachim and Waldecker reached on back-to-back singles to start the inning, but a pair of strikeouts and a pop out ended the inning.

 

The game remained tied until Porter led off the sixth inning with her homer to left center.

 

Nebraska next faces Notre Dame in game two of the Best Western Airport Festival in Tulsa. Live stats and live audio are available for that contest, which is scheduled to start at approximately 3:55 p.m.