Huskers Fly Past Bluejays, 7-2

Omaha ? The Nebraska softball team recorded five straight two-out hits in a four-run seventh inning that turned a tight 3-2 game into a comfortable 7-2 Husker victory on Wednesday night at the CU Sports Complex.

 

Senior Jamie Waldecker highlighted the inning with a three-run homer that blew the game open. Waldecker finished 2-for-5 with a season-high five RBIs. The two-time All-Big 12 selection from Garden Grove, Calif., entered Thursday night’s game with just one home run and five RBIs in her first 19 games this season (she missed 25 games with a broken hand).

 

Senior Devin Porter also enjoyed a good night offensively, finishing 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs as Nebraska tied a season-high with seven runs. Sophomore Crystal Carwile added a 2-for-3 day with two runs scored as the first five hitters in the Husker order combined to produce all eight hits, seven runs and seven RBIs.

 

With the win, Nebraska (30-13) picked up win No. 30 for the 10th straight season. Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr was the winning pitcher, improving to 15-6. DeBuhr tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out 11. DeBuhr also reached another strikeout milestone in her career. With her second punch out of the day, DeBuhr moved into sole possession of second place on the all-time NU strikeout list, passing Leigh Ann Walker.

 

Fellow Beatrice, Neb., native Tara Oltman took the loss, allowing a season-high seven runs (four earned) in seven innings. Oltman fell to 17-4 with the loss, while Creighton dropped to 27-9.

 

Nebraska started the scoring early with a single run in the top of the first. A hit batter, an error and a sacrifice gave Nebraska runners at second and third with only one out. Porter then laid down a successful squeeze bunt to score freshman Whitney Barrett with an unearned run.

 

Two more Creighton errors pushed the lead to 3-0 in the top of the third. After a two-out single and an error, Waldecker lined a 2-2 pitch to right to bring Carwile and Porter home.

 

Creighton responded with one run in the bottom of the inning before DeBuhr escaped further damage. A leadoff double and an infield single put runners at first and third with only one out. Jamie Reiss then scored Michelle Koch with a two-strike single and the Bluejays had runners at second and third with only one out for their Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, but DeBuhr struck out both swinging to end the inning.

 

A pair of perfectly-placed hits gave Creighton runners at the corners with only one out in the bottom of the fifth before DeBuhr coaxed a pop out and Jessica Wakasugi was tagged out attempting to steal home after the runner at first took off for first.

 

Jessica German pulled the Bluejays to within 3-2 with a one out, solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. That run snapped a string of 10 consecutive games where the Huskers had allowed one earned run or less.

 

Nebraska returns to action this weekend, when the Huskers host 11th-ranked Texas for a two-game series at Bowlin Stadium. First pitch on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and fans attending the Red/White Spring Football Game will receive free admission into the game by presenting their spring game ticket stub at the gate. The Huskers and Longhorns wrap up their series at Noon on Sunday in a game that will be televised by ESPNU.

Box Score Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Creighton Apr 12, 2007 at Omaha, Neb. (CU Softball Complex)

Nebraska 7 (30-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Mullin, Meghan cf/rf..... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 2 2 0 0 0 6 0 0 Porter, Devin ss......... 3 2 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 Waldecker, Jamie c....... 4 1 2 5 0 0 11 3 1 Long, Haley rf/cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex lf............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 DeBuhr, Ashley p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 28 7 8 7 1 4 21 7 5

Creighton 2 (27-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Reiss, Jamie 3b.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Dawson, Bailey ss........ 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 Eadus, TJ c.............. 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 0 Marcano, Caitlin dp...... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 German, Jessica 1b....... 3 1 1 1 0 1 7 1 0 Sinkler, Renae lf........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 Emmsley-Chang, Lau rf.... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Koch, Michelle 2b........ 3 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 Wakasugi, Jessica cf..... 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 Oltman, Tara p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals................... 25 2 7 2 1 11 21 8 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 102 000 4 - 7 8 0 Creighton........... 001 001 0 - 2 7 3 -----------------------------------------

E - Reiss 2(4); Koch(1). LOB - Cornhuskers 5; Bluejays 5. 2B - Koch(2). HR - Waldecker(2); German(3). HBP - Barrett. SH - Mullin(14); Carwile(2); Porter(8); Reiss(7); Dawson(2). SB - Barrett(2). CS - Long(3); Wakasugi(2).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DeBuhr, Ashley...... 7.0 7 2 2 1 11 25 28 122

Creighton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Oltman, Tara........ 7.0 8 7 4 1 4 28 33 123

Win - DeBuhr (15-6). Loss - Oltman (17-4). Save - None. HBP - by Oltman (Barrett). Pitches/strikes: DeBuhr 122/89; Oltman 123/77. Umpires - HP: Mike D'Ercole 1B: Renee Williams 3B: Andy Hahn Start: 6:00 pm Time: 2:00 Attendance: 290 Game: NU43