Huskers Top Tulsa, 5-2

Tulsa, Okla. ? The 17th-ranked Nebraska softball team produced five runs on 12 hits in a 5-2 win over Tulsa Saturday night after being held to season-low totals in both categories in a loss to Kansas earlier in the day.

 

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (5-1) earned the win, tossing a complete game and allowing just two runs on eight hits. DeBuhr also posted 10 strikeouts, while walking four. Julie Fennell (4-3) took the loss for Tulsa (9-4), which dropped its first game of the tournament.

 

Seniors Lizzy Aumua and Jessica Yoachim jump started the Huskers offense hitting first and second in the order. Both finished 3-for-4, with Aumua adding an RBI and three runs scored and Yoachim scoring once.

 

The middle of the order also produced, as junior Jamie Waldecker fought off an illness that kept her out of the first game and finished 1-for-2 with a pair of RBIs in the nightcap. Batting cleanup, freshman Crystal Carwile went 2-for-4 with an RBI. In all, seven Huskers finished with at least one hit in the game.

 

After being frustrated offensively in the first game, Nebraska jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead by manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Aumua led off with an infield single, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice slap from Yoachim. Aumua then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Waldecker.

 

The Huskers added another run in the top of the third and had a chance for more. Aumua and Yoachim led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Aumua scored on an RBI single from Carwile. NU had runners at second and third with one out and attempted a safety squeeze. The pitch was outside and Yoachim was caught off of third base and was tagged out and then Carwile was thrown out attempting to retreat back to second for an inning-ending double play.

 

Tulsa answered the run when Lindsay Galloway led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole. The Golden Hurricane threatened to add more when they loaded the bases with two outs, but DeBuhr coaxed a pop out to end the threat.

 

Nebraska got the run back in the top of the fifth with a two-out rally. Yoachim reached on a two-out infield single and scored all the way from first on a single to right center off the bat of Waldecker.

 

The Huskers plated two more runs in the top of the seventh to give DeBuhr a four-run cushion. DeBuhr helped her own cause by leading off with a single and she advanced to second on an error and third on a sacrifice from junior Carmen Kier.

 

DeBuhr then came home on a double from Aumua and following a single from Yoachim, Aumua scored when the Tulsa third baseman dropped a pop up.

 

Tulsa threatened to make the game close in the bottom of the seventh when TU scored one run and had two runners on with only one out, but DeBuhr retired the next two hitters to wrap up her complete-game victory.

 

Nebraska wraps up its stay at the Best Western Airport Festival Sunday morning at 9 a.m. against Northern Iowa. Live audio and stats will be available on Huskers.com