Huskers Top Cowgirls in Extra Innings

Oklahoma City - Senior Jessica Yoachim capped a 3-for-4 day with the game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the 14th-ranked and second-seeded Nebraska softball team to a 1-0 victory over No. 8 seed Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship on Friday.

With the win, Nebraska advances to face sixth-seeded Kansas in the semifinals. That game can be seen live on FSN Midwest at 4:30 p.m. Fans in Lincoln can watch the game on Time Warner cable channel 77, while fans in Omaha can catch all of the action on Cox Cable channel 20. For more information on how to watch the game in your area, please click on the link at the top of the page.

Yoachim's dramatic's made a winner out of junior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr, who tossed another superb game in the circle. DeBuhr (24-7) tossed a complete game and allowed just two bloop singles that accounted for the Cowgirls' only baserunners of the game. DeBuhr added nine strikeouts and retired the final 17 OSU batters, as Oklahoma State did not have a baserunner after the third inning.

Jessica Hoppock (14-23) took the loss for Oklahoma State, which ended its season with a 21-29 record. Hoppock pitched well, allowing just one unearned run on five hits in eight innings, while striking out 10. Nebraska improved to 42-9 with the win, matching the 2002 squad for the best 51-game record in school history.

In the bottom of the first, Nebraska squandered one of the game's few scoring chances. Senior Lizzy Aumua drew a leadoff walk and Yoachim followed with a single. After the next two hitters were retired, senior Trisha Tannahill drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Junior Devin Porter then drove a 3-2 pitch to the wall in center that was hauled in by Shanel Scott, the OSU center fielder.

After NU left one runner on in the bottom of the third, neither team would have a baserunner again until DeBuhr recorded a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the eighth, senior pinch hitter Katie Linke fell behind in the count 0-2 before fouling off a pitch and lacing a single to center. Aumua then reached on an infield single and after a throwing error by the OSU catcher, Nebraska had runners on second and third with no outs. Yoachim then singled to left to score senior KoKo Tacha, who re-entered the game to run for Linke, with the game-winning run.

Yoachim recorded three of the Huskers' five hits on the game and accounted for the only RBI.

Nebraska now needs to beat Kansas this afternoon and again Saturday at 11 a.m. in order to advance to Saturday's 3 p.m. championship game.