Huskers Hand DePaul First Loss

Honolulu, Hawaii ? The 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team used an efficient offense and another solid outing from senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr to hand DePaul its first loss of the season, 5-1, on Friday at the Paradise Classic.

 

 

While DeBuhr allowed her first earned run of the year, she held down a potent DePaul lineup, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out seven in a complete-game effort.

 

Offensively, the Huskers converted a pair of bases-loaded opportunities in the second and third innings to seize control of the game. Sophomore Haley Long had the key hit - a three-run double - that gave Nebraska a 4-0 cushion in the third inning.

 

Early on, it was DePaul that threatened to take the lead. B

ack-to-back singles put runners on first and second with only one out in the top of the first, but a strikeout and ground out ended the inning.

 

Nebraska scored first in the bottom of the second as an infield single, a sacrifice and a pair of walks loaded the bases with only one out. Following a strikeout, sophomore Meghan Mullin lined a 3-1 pitch into center field for a two-out, RBI single that gave NU a 1-0 lead.

 

The single was Mullin’s sixth hit in four games, matching her entire hit total from the 2006 season. The RBI was Mullin’s second of the season, which also ties her total from last year.

 

The Huskers loaded the bases with one out again in the third and were able to produce their biggest inning of the season with some great at bats. Senior Jamie Waldecker coaxed a leadoff walk and following a strikeout, sophomore Crystal Carwile fell behind in the count, but made DePaul starter Stephanie Blagiach work before being hit by a pitch. Senior Devin Porter then fell behind 1-2 before winning a nine-pitch at bat and drawing another walk.

 

With the bases loaded, Long cleared the bases with a three-run double to the gap in left center that put NU ahead 4-0. DeBuhr then fought of five two-strike pitches before lifting a deep fly ball to left that allowed Long to move up to third. Freshman Whitney Barrett followed with the first hit and RBI of her career, as her blooper to center scored Long to put the Huskers up 5-0.

 

DeBuhr saw her season-opening scoreless innings streak end at 13.1 when DePaul used a two-out rally to plate a run and make the score 5-1 in the top of the fifth. With a runner at second and two outs, a wild pitch, a walk and an RBI single off the bat of Linda Secka put the Blue Demons on the scoreboard. DePaul nearly added more but Long was able to make a nice diving grab on a shallow fly ball to end the inning.

 

The Huskers were outhit 6-5 but NU was patient at the plate and drew a season-high five walks.

 With the win Nebraska finished pool play with a 3-1 record and will wait for the bracket to be announced later this evening.

 

DePaul fell to 2-1 with the loss, while Blagiach suffered her first loss of the season, allowing five runs on five hits in six innings.

 

"I thought we came out with a lot better energy," head coach Rhonda Revelle said. "It kind of had one of those postseason feels. We knew that it was going to happen and it just happened in this game where we had a big-time clutch hit from Haley that changed momentum."

 

Huskers.com will have NU's bracket draw as soon as it becomes available.

Box Score The Automated ScoreBook DePaul vs #15 Nebraska Feb 09, 2007 at Honolulu, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahine Stad.)

DePaul 1 (2-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ VOJIK, Sandy rf.......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 SECKA, Linda cf.......... 3 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 SHEAKS, Kate lf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2 KLEINSMITH, Cassie 2b.... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 DEMAS, Annie 2b......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 WILUS, Marcy 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 WARREN, Shea 1b......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 HETENIAK, Becca dp....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 EVANS, Jessica ss........ 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 BLAGIACH, Stephanie p.... 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 THOMPSON, Marie ph...... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 PATTON, Amber 3b......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 AMUNDSON c............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals................... 24 1 6 1 2 7 18 9 6

Nebraska 5 (3-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan rf........ 3 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Gonzalez, Crystal cf.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Waldecker, Jamie c....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 6 2 0 Borg, Jaime pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 2 2 1 0 0 0 6 1 1 Porter, Devin ss......... 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Long, Haley cf/lf........ 2 1 1 3 1 0 3 0 0 DeBuhr, Ashley p......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 3 0 1 1 0 1 2 3 0 Kier, Carmen 3b/pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 21 5 5 5 5 2 21 9 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- DePaul.............. 000 010 0 - 1 6 0 Nebraska............ 014 000 X - 5 5 0 -----------------------------------------

LOB - Blue Demons 6; Cornhuskers 6. 2B - Pascale(1); Long(1). HBP - Carwile. SH - BLAGIACH; PATTON; Rutherford(1); Porter(1). SB - WARREN. CS - SECKA, Linda.

DePaul IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- BLAGIACH, Stephanie. 6.0 5 5 5 5 2 21 29 99

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DeBuhr, Ashley...... 7.0 6 1 1 2 7 24 28 105

Win - DeBuhr (2-0). Loss - BLAGIACH (1-1). Save - None. WP - DeBuhr(2). HBP - by BLAGIACH (Carwile). Pitches/strikes: BLAGIACH 99/56; DeBuhr 105/82. Umpires - Start: 2:20 pm Time: 1:56 Attendance: 250 Game: NU4