Huskers Sweep 17th-Ranked Sooners

Lincoln ? Behind dominating pitching and a powerful offensive explosion, the 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team swept a doubleheader from 17th-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday in front of 873 fans at Bowlin Stadium. Three home runs powered the Huskers to a 9-1 run-rule victory in the opener, while back-to-back homers in the first inning propelled NU to a 3-0 win in game two.

 

The series was not originally scheduled to be a doubleheader, but the threat of inclement weather on Sunday forced the Saturday doubleheader. The wins were the first in Big 12 Conference play for Nebraska (24-6, 2-2 Big 12), which dropped a pair of close games at No. 1 Texas to open league play. The victories also improved NU's record to a perfect 9-0 at home this season.

 

Oklahoma fell to 24-13-1 overall and just 1-5 in the Big 12 with the two losses.

 

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (11-5) and freshman right-hander Molly Hill (13-1) each earned a victory in the doubleheader sweep. The duo combined to limit the Sooners to just one run on seven hits in the two games. Oklahoma, the top hitting team in the Big 12 Conference, entered the day averaging better than six runs per game.

 

DeBuhr allowed one run on four hits in a complete-game victory in the opener that included 11 strikeouts. She also earned a save in game two, tossing 2.2 innings in relief and allowing just an intentional walk.

 

Hill picked up the first league victory of her career by allowing just three hits in 4.1 innings of shutout work in game two.

 

Offensively, freshman Crystal Carwile finished the day 3-for-6 with two home runs and five RBIs. Senior Trisha Tannahill and juniors Devin Porter and Jamie Waldecker also homered for the Huskers.

 

Nebraska takes its current four-game winning to Lawrence, Kan., on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. contest with the Kansas Jayhawks.

 

Game 1 Recap (Nebraska won, 9-1 in six innings)

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (11-5) earned the win, holding the top-ranked hitting team in the league to just one run on four hits. She also struck out 11 Sooners, while issuing just two walks.

 

Offensively, seven Huskers recorded a hit. Three Huskers also homered, just one shy of NU’s season-high of four home runs in a game.

 

Nebraska struck quickly, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. NU loaded the bases with no outs after consecutive singles from seniors Lizzy Aumua and Jessica Yoachim and a four-pitch walk to junior Jamie Waldecker. All three runners came home when freshman Crystal Carwile lined a 3-2 pitch into right field that then got past the right fielder and rolled all the way to the wall to clear the bases.

 

Carwile came home to put the Huskers up 4-0 on an RBI single off the bat of senior KoKo Tacha.

 

Nebraska added two more runs in the top of the second, as Carwile hit a two-out, two-run home run to straight away center that scored Aumua.

 

Oklahoma closed the gap to 6-1 with a two-out rally in the top of the third. After retiring the first two hitters, DeBuhr surrendered three consecutive singles, with the third scoring Amber Spaulding.

 

Junior Devin Porter answered the Sooners’ run with a solo home run to center field to lead off the bottom of the third.

 

NU scored its eighth run of the game when it plated a single run in the fifth. Senior Trisha Tannahill was hit by a pitch, sole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She came home when freshman Brittany Pascale singled to right field on a 3-1 pitch.

 

Waldecker wrapped up the run-rule victory when she belted a two-out home run over the left field fence to give NU the 9-1 six-inning win.

 

Carwile led the Huskers offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Aumua also recorded a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base.

 

Game 2 Recap (Nebraska won, 3-0)

 

Just as it did in game one, the Huskers jumped out to a quickly early lead. Freshman Crystal Carwile pounded her second home run of the day, a two-out, two-run shot to the opposite field that put the Huskers up 2-0. Senior Trisha Tannahill then followed with another home run to right center. The consecutive home runs by Carwile and Tannahill marked the third time this season that NU has hit back-to-back homers, with Carwile being involved in each of those.

 

After the three-run first for NU, neither team would score again the rest of the way as the Huskers held on for a 3-0 victory, blanking the Sooners for just the third time this season.

 

Oklahoma threatened to spoil the shutout in the top of the fifth. Traci Dickensen singled with one out and Norrelle Dickson put runners on second and third when she reached on a two-base throwing error by freshman right-hander Molly Hill.

 

Junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr was then brought in and DeBuhr promptly struck out Amanda Spaulding for the second out. After an intentional walk to Kristin Vesely, DeBuhr coaxed a pop out to leave the bases loaded and end the threat. DeBuhr allowed just one base runner in 2.2 innings of relief to pick up her second save of the season.

 

Hill earned the first league victory of her career, allowing just three hits in 4.1 innings.

 

Offensively, Carwile finished 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs, while Tannahill went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.