Late Rally Lifts Hawaii Past Huskers

Honolulu, Hawaii ? The 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team lost a pair of one-run leads, including one in the decisive sixth inning, as the Huskers lost a back-and-forth 4-3 decision to host Hawaii on Friday at the Paradise Classic.

 

Nebraska (1-1) led 1-0 after two innings and after falling behind 2-1, the Huskers rallied for a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the frame, Malamaisaua Manuma provided the key hit, a two-out, two-run triple that lifted Hawaii (2-0) to its second win of the day.

 

Sophomore right-hander Molly Hill (0-1) took the loss for Nebraska, allowing five runs (four earned) in 5.1 innings. Jessica Morton picked up the victory in relief for the Rainbow Wahine, tossing a scoreless 1.2 innings.

 

Nebraska out-hit Hawaii, 9-6, and the Huskers had at least one baserunner in every inning. On the day, NU had a baserunner in 13 of a possible 15 innings but only managed to score in three separate frames.

 

After being frustrated offensively through the first seven innings of Friday’s opener against No. 24 Auburn, the Huskers quickly manufactured a run against the Rainbow Wahine. Just as she was in game one, sophomore Meghan Mullin was the catalyst for the NU offense. Mullin reached on a one-out single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, stole third base and scored on a passed ball to give Nebraska a 1-0 lead.

 

NU threatened again in the second when a walk to sophomore Darcy Rutherford and an infield single by freshman Crystal Gonzalez put runners at first and second with one out. Sophomore Kimberly Fuller then hit a blooper to center field that dropped just over the shortstop’s head, but Rutherford was thrown out at third on the play.

 

A walk to senior Devin Porter then loaded the bases for Mullin, who slapped a ball to third where Hawaii recorded an inning-ending force out.

 

Hawaii tied the game in the bottom of the third while recording its first hit. Tanisha Milca hit a shot to center field that hit off the top of the fence and came back into the field of play, but by rule was a home run.

 

The Rainbow Wahine threatened to take the lead one inning later. After Fuller made a great diving catch, back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases with only one out. Hill then fielded a ground ball and recorded the force out at home before striking out Manuma to end the threat.

 

The Huskers threatened in the top of the fifth, but came up empty. Porter and Mullin reached on back-to-back singles but a fly out and strike out ended the inning.

 

Hawaii took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the frame. Milca reached on a leadoff single after her ground ball to short took a bad hop and knocked Porter temporarily out of the game. Milca moved up to second on a ground out, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI ground out to give the Rainbow Wahine a 2-1 advantage.

 

Nebraska answered right back in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Brittany Pascale drew a leadoff walk, but senior pinch-runner Jaime Borg was picked off on the next pitch. Sophomore pinch-hitter Haley Long then singled in her first career at bat and fellow sophomore Darcy Rutherford followed with her second hit of the day.

 

A wild pitch put Long at third and Rutherford at second for freshman pinch-hitter Alex Hupp, who ripped a 3-2 pitch off the wall in left for a two-run double that put Nebraska back on top, 3-2.

 

Hawaii returned the favor with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. With one out a double and a hit batter put runners at first and second and marked the end of the day for Hill. Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr came on in relief and posted a strikeout before Manuma laced the decisive two-run triple to give UH a 4-3 lead.

 

Sophomore Crystal Carwile nearly pulled the Huskers even in the top of the seventh, but she was thrown out attempting to stretch a two-out double into a triple. 

 

Despite the loss, several Huskers enjoyed career games. Mullin finished 2-for-4 for her second consecutive multi-hit game, while Rutherford finished 2-for-2, recording her first career hits. Hupp added the first hit of her Nebraska career, as well as her first RBIs, while Long tallied her first hit. 

 

The Huskers open play on day two of the Paradise Classic at 2 p.m. (Central) on Friday against PortlandState (0-2). Nebraska will then face DePaul (2-0) at 6 p.m. in the Huskers’ final game of pool play before bracket play begins on Saturday.

The Automated ScoreBook #15 Nebraska at Hawaii Feb 08, 2007 at Honolulu, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahine Stad.)

Nebraska 3 (1-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Porter, Devin ss......... 3 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 Barrett, Whitney ss..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mullin, Meghan rf/cf..... 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 Waldecker, Jamie c....... 2 0 0 0 2 1 6 1 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 1 0 0 2 8 0 2 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Borg, Jaime pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Long, Haley ph.......... 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf/rf.. 2 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex ph/lf........ 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Fuller, Kimberly 2b...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 DeBuhr, Ashley p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 26 3 9 2 5 7 18 9 7

Hawaii 4 (2-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Manuma, Malamaisaua ss... 4 0 1 2 0 3 3 0 3 Milca, Tanisha cf........ 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gould, Kaulana c......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 0 Tausaga, Tyleen dp/ph.... 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 Matsushima, Gail rf..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Peiler, Brandi lf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 Warwick, Clare 3b........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 Robinson, Kate 1b/rf..... 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 Titcomb, Richie-Anne rf. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andrade, Audrey rf....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taualii, Amanda ph/dp... 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Power, Alana 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 Warren, Kanani ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Baughman, Courtney p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Morton, Jessica p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 4 6 4 2 6 21 9 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 100 002 0 - 3 9 1 Hawaii.............. 001 012 X - 4 6 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Fuller. DP - Wahine 1. LOB - Cornhuskers 7; Wahine 7. 2B - Carwile(1); Hupp(1); Robinson. 3B - Manuma. HR - Milca. HBP - Gould; Taualii. SB - Mullin(2); Waldecker(1). CS - Rutherford.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 5.1 5 4 4 2 4 22 26 94 DeBuhr, Ashley...... 0.2 1 0 0 0 2 3 3 14

Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Baughman, Courtney.. 5.1 8 3 2 5 5 21 26 121 Morton, Jessica..... 1.2 1 0 0 0 2 5 5 19

Win - Morton (1-0). Loss - Hill (0-1). Save - None. WP - Hill; Baughman 2. HBP - by Hill (Gould); by Hill (Taualii). PB - Gould. Pitches/strikes: Hill 94/58; DeBuhr 14/10; Baughman 121/72; Morton 19/15. Umpires - HP: Jan Muranaka 1B: Warren Okinaka 3B: Kevin Davis Start: 8:00 pm Time: 2:20 Attendance: 200 Game: NU2