Porter Powers Huskers Past Panthers

Tulsa, Okla. ? Junior Devin Porter hit her first career grand slam and added a two-run double in a 2-for-3 performance that included a career-high six RBIs as the 17th-ranked Nebraska softball team rolled to an 11-2 run-rule victory over Northern Iowa in the Huskers' final game at the Best Western Airport Festival.

 

Porter's six RBIs tied for the highest total by a Husker this season and her performance was the fourth time NU had a player produce five or more RBIs through 14 games in 2006. No Husker recorded five or more RBIs in 59 games a season ago. The school record for RBIs in a game is seven.

 

Porter's big day capped a terrific weekend, as the Lakewood, Calif., native  hit .380 (5-for-13) with a double, three home runs and a 1.154 slugging percentage in five games. Porter's three home runs in five games were one more than she had hit in her first 125 career games entering the weekend.

 

In addition to Porter, several other Huskers produced at the plate. Junior Jamie Waldecker was 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Senior Jessica Yoachim was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while senior Lizzy Aumua and freshman Brittany Pascale also produced hits for NU (12-2). Freshman Kimberly Fuller earned the first start of her career and produced two RBIs.

 

In the circle, freshman right-hander Molly Hill (7-1) earned the win, tossing three innings of one-hit ball and striking out five. Junior right-hander Jaime Borg made her first appearance of the season and allowed two runs on three hits in two innings of work.

 

Monica Wright (2-5) took the loss for UNI (4-9-1), allowing eight runs on six hits in three innings. Uju Ibekwe allowed three runs in two innings of relief work.

 

Nebraska's offense got off to a fast start, taking a 3-0 lead just seven pitches into the game. Aumua and Yoachim led off with back-to-back singles on the first two pitches of the game and each player recorded a stolen base to put runners at second and third for Waldecker, who worked the count to 3-1 before belting a three-run blast to deep left for her third home run of the season.

 

The Huskers loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning on a pair of singles and a fielder’s choice where no out was recorded. Fuller drew a bases-loaded walk with one out to score Waldecker and give Fuller her first career RBI. Porter then cleared the bases one batter later with her first career grand slam to dead center.

 

NU also loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth and Fuller again drew an RBI walk to put the Huskers up 9-0. Porter then laced a double to the gap in right center on a 2-2 pitch to score freshman Crystal Carwile and senior Trisha Tannahill. Fuller also tried to score on the play, but was thrown out.

 

Nebraska returns to action next weekend, when the Huskers travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for a three-day tournament hosted by Florida State.