No. 17 Baylor Tops Nebraska

Waco, Texas ? In a classic pitcher’s duel, a dropped pop up proved to be the difference as the 17th-ranked Baylor softball team held off the Huskers, 2-0, in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams at Getterman Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

 

Lisa Ferguson (13-4) was the star in the circle for the Lady Bears (29-9), allowing only three hits while tossing her sixth shutout of the season. In a complete-game effort, Ferguson allowed only three baserunners while striking out five and walking none.

 

Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr (9-5) was nearly as good for Nebraska (20-10), which lost its third consecutive game and dropped its league opener for the third consecutive season. In a complete-game effort of her own, DeBuhr held Baylor to a season-low four hits, while allowing only one earned run and striking out six.

 

DeBuhr’s earned run was the first earned run she had surrendered to a ranked team in a non-extra inning frame this season. DeBuhr has now allowed only three earned runs in 37.1 innings against top-25 foes, while posting a 4-2 record in six starts.

 

Baylor grabbed an early lead and scored what proved to be the game-winning with the help of a key Nebraska error in the bottom of the second.

 

Chelsi Lake led off with a single and stole second. After a strikeout, Alex Colyer hit a towering pop up near home plate and first baseman Crystal Carwile and third baseman Carmen Kier collided with each other trying to make the catch, allowing the ball to pop out of Carwile’s glove. That put runners on second and third with one out and the Lady Bears took a 1-0 lead one batter later a sacrifice fly.

 

The Lady Bears clinched their 18th home victory in 19 games when a two-out walk to Lake and a double off the bat of Brette Reagan put Baylor ahead 2-0 heading into the seventh.

 

The Huskers’ best scoring chance came in their final at bat, when NU put the tying runners on base with only one out after sophomores Meghan Mullin and Brittany Pascale both singled. Nebraska was unable to capitalize, however, as Ferguson struck out the next two hitters.

 

The Huskers, who were shutout for only the third time this season, were led offensively by their younger players. Mullin and Pascale each went 1-for-3, while freshman Crystal Gonzalez recorded NU’s only other hit, finishing 1-for-2 in her Big 12 debut.

 

Nebraska wraps up its Big 12 opening weekend on Sunday with a 1 p.m. rematch against Baylor.

Box Score The Automated ScoreBook Nebraska at #17 Baylor Mar 23, 2007 at Waco, Texas (Getterman Stadium)

Nebraska 0 (20-10,0-1 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Porter, Devin ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Mullin, Meghan rf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Pascale, Brittany c...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 7 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex dp............ 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 Long, Haley lf........... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Fuller, Kimberly 2b...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 DeBuhr, Ashley p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals................... 23 0 3 0 0 5 18 2 3

Baylor 2 (29-9,1-0 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Wesley, Tiffany lf....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 Wesley, Nicole rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Monceaux, Ashley 1b...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 9 0 0 Lake, Chelsi c........... 2 1 1 0 1 1 5 0 0 Honnette, Danielle pr... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Reagan, Brette 3b........ 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 Colyer, Alex 2b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 1 Oberg, Courtney dp....... 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 Sage, Kelsey ss.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 1 Romero, Miriam cf........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Ferguson, Lisa p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals................... 22 2 4 2 1 6 21 11 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 3 1 Baylor.............. 010 001 X - 2 4 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Carwile(5). LOB - Cornhuskers 3; Lady Bears 4. 2B - Reagan. SH - Fuller(2). SF - Oberg. SB - Monceaux; Lake; Colyer.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DeBuhr, Ashley...... 6.0 4 2 1 1 6 22 24 86

Baylor IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Ferguson, Lisa...... 7.0 3 0 0 0 5 23 24 81

Win - Ferguson (13-4). Loss - DeBuhr (9-5). Save - None. Pitches/strikes: DeBuhr 86/54; Ferguson 81/54. Umpires - HP: Kevin Davis 1B: Bart Hadley 3B: Patrick Lyon Start: 2:00 pm Time: 1:35 Attendance: 773 Game: NU30