Huskers Get Back on Winning Track

Columbus, Ga. ? The 21st-ranked Nebraska softball snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Seton Hall, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

 

Freshman right-hander Alex Hupp was the winning pitcher, improving to 2-0 in her career, while sophomore right-hander Molly Hill was credited with the first save of her career. Hupp allowed three runs (one earned) in 4.1 innings for Nebraska (5-5). Hill, who entered the game in the fifth with the tying runners in scoring position, tossed 2.2 innings of one-hit relief to pick up the save.

 

Kim Schweitzer (0-4) took the loss for Seton Hall, which fell to 0-10 on the season.

 

After scoring just one run on 11 hits and stranding an NFCA-record 18 runners against 21st-ranked Florida State on Friday, Nebraska's offense was much more opportunistic on Saturday.

 

The Huskers scored four runs on only six hits and left just six runners on base. Sophomore Brittany Pascale paced the offense with a 2-for-3 day that included an RBI, while fellow sophomore Meghan Mullin finished a perfect 2-for-2.

 

Nebraska would need the offensive production as Seton Hall took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Allison Gengler led off with a leadoff double, moved up to third on a sacrifice and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Laura Baranek.

 

After stranding 29 runners in two games on Friday, Nebraska converted its first scoring chance to take a 3-1 lead after one inning of play. Sophomore Darcy Rutherford and Mullin led off with consecutive singles and Rutherford’s first steal of the season put runners at the corners with only one out.

 

Senior Devin Porter then recorded her first RBI of the season when she put down a beautiful squeeze bunt that scored Rutherford with the tying run. Mullin also scored on the play when Seton Hall tried to get her at second after she had rounded the bag, but the throw sailed into the outfield allowing Mullin to score.

 

The Huskers added a third run when sophomore Haley Long scored from second on an RBI single off the bat of Pascale.

 

Seton Hall threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases with nobody out before Hupp got a ground ball double play and a ground out to end the threat.

 

Nebraska added another run in the bottom of the third. Long ripped a one-out double to the wall in left and Pascale followed with her second single of the game. Long then scored when Hupp lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.

 

Seton Hall forced Hupp out of the game after closing the gap to 4-2. Hill entered with the tying runs on second and third with only one out. The Pirates added another run when Baranek beat a throw home before a caught stealing and a strikeout ended the inning.

 

Seton Hall's final chance to tie the game came in the top of the sixth, when the Pirates failed to score after putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs.

 

Nebraska wraps up pool play at the Leadoff Classic against Mississippi State at approximately 5:15 p.m. tonight.

Box Score The Automated ScoreBook Seton Hall vs #21 Nebraska Feb 24, 2007 at Columbus, Ga. (South Commons)

Seton Hall 3 (0-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ GENGLER, Allison 2b...... 3 2 1 0 0 0 4 1 0 MILLER, Rachel rf........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 4 BARANEK, Laura cf........ 4 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 BEST, Jenna lf........... 3 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 WALDRON, Kealan 3b....... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 MAILE, Madon pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 CONSTANTINI, Ashley pr.. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 STEINSEIFZER, Dani c..... 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 WINN, Amanda dp.......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 SAMMARCO, Christina pr.. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PEASE, Shannon 1b........ 2 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 0 FEDICK, Annie pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GLYNOS, Daria ss......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 SCHWEITZER, Kim p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Totals................... 25 3 6 3 4 6 18 6 9

Nebraska 4 (5-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mullin, Meghan rf........ 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Porter, Devin ss......... 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 1 Long, Haley cf........... 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascale, Brittany c...... 3 0 2 1 0 0 8 2 0 Hupp, Alex p............. 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 2 2 Hill, Molly dp........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 20 4 6 3 3 1 21 10 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Seton Hall.......... 100 020 0 - 3 6 2 Nebraska............ 301 000 X - 4 6 2 -----------------------------------------

E - MILLER; GLYNOS; Carwile(2); Barrett(2). DP - Pirates 1; Cornhuskers 1. LOB - Pirates 9; Cornhuskers 6. 2B - GENGLER; BEST; Long(3). HBP - GENGLER; Mullin; Carwile. SH - MILLER 2; SAMMARCO; Rutherford(3); Porter(3). SF - Hupp(1). SB - Rutherford(1); Mullin(3); Long(1); Barrett(1). CS - BEST.

Seton Hall IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- SCHWEITZER, Kim..... 6.0 6 4 4 3 1 20 28 95

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hupp, Alex.......... 4.1 5 3 1 3 3 16 22 82 Hill, Molly......... 2.2 1 0 0 1 3 9 11 56

Win - Hupp (2-0). Loss - SCHWEITZER (0-4). Save - Hill (1). HBP - by SCHWEITZER (Carwile); by SCHWEITZER (Mullin); by Hill (GENGLER). Pitches/strikes: SCHWEITZER 95/56; Hupp 82/51; Hill 56/39. Umpires - HP: John Kurnat 1B: Russell Pemberton 3B: Joe Massaro Start: 3:22 pm Time: 2:15 Attendance: 100 Game: livegame