Homer Powers Ole Miss Past Nebraska

Louisville, Ky. ? Frigid temperatures in the mid-30s and a strong Ole Miss pitching staff were enough to cool off Nebraska’s bats, as the Husker softball team fell 2-0 to the Rebels on Saturday at Louisville’s Ulmer Stadium.

 

NU’s offense, which was averaging four runs per contest over its last three games, was handcuffed all night by the performance of Ole Miss starter Tara Willitt. A left-hander facing a predominantly left-handed lineup, Willit (3-3) surrendered just three hits and one walk while striking out seven in earning her first shutout of the season.

 

Sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp (0-3) took the loss, despite a solid performance. Hupp used seven strikeouts to work around nine hits, but one misplaced pitch cost her, as she surrendered a two-run homer to account for the game’s only runs. On the day, Hupp allowed just two earned runs while throwing a total of 11.2 innings and recording 12 strikeouts.

 

Nebraska’s fifth straight loss dropped its record to 1-6 on the season and marked NU’s first five-game losing streak since 2000. In what is hopefully a sign of things to come, the 2000 Huskers also lost five straight games after recording their first win, but rebounded to post a school-record 52 games and fall just short of the Women’s College World Series.

 

On Saturday, Ole Miss used a Lauren Grill two-run homer in the top of the third to score the only runs of the nights.

 

The Huskers didn’t pick up their first hit until junior Darcy Rutherford led off the bottom of the fourth inning with an infield single. She was called out one batter later for leaving early before fellow juniors Amanda Duran and Crystal Carwile walked and struck out, respectively.

 

Nebraska didn’t have another base runner until the bottom of the sixth, when hits from Hupp and Rutherford and a stolen base put the tying runs in scoring position with only one out. Things looked promising for the Huskers with the No. 3 and 4 hitters coming up, but a pair of ground outs failed to produce a run in what proved to be NU’s best ? and last ? scoring chance.

 

Rutherford finished 2-for-2 with a sacrifice and a stolen base to lead Nebraska’s three-hit night. Hupp, in addition to a solid day in the circle, recorded the Huskers’ third hit, marking her first hit of the season.

 

Nebraska returns to action tomorrow, when the Huskers face Mississippi and Louisville in back-to-back games beginning at 10 a.m. (Central).

 

 

Nebraska Softball Ole Miss vs Nebraska Feb 23, 2008 at Louisville, Ky. (Ulmer Stadium)

Ole Miss 2 (8-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Doubt, Alise lf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Conchos, Lisa 2b......... 4 1 2 0 0 2 0 3 0 Grill, Lauren 3b......... 4 1 3 2 0 0 1 3 0 Dowdy, Ashley ss......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 Tramp, Amber c........... 3 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 2 Button, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 May, Michelle dp......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Rowe, Lauren rf.......... 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 Presswood, Aly 1b........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 1 McGovern, Alyssa cf...... 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 Willitt, Tara p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals................... 28 2 9 2 3 7 21 9 8

Nebraska 0 (1-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 7 2 3 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............. 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 0 Totals................... 21 0 3 0 2 6 21 10 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Ole Miss............ 002 000 0 - 2 9 0 Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 3 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Hupp(1). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Rebels 8; Huskers 4. HR - Grill. SH - Mullin(2); Rutherford(3). SB - Rutherford(1). CS - Doubt; Button.

Ole Miss IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Willitt, Tara....... 7.0 3 0 0 2 6 21 25 91

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hupp, Alex.......... 7.0 9 2 2 3 7 28 31 126

Win - Willitt (3-3). Loss - Hupp (0-3). Save - None. Pitches/strikes: Willitt 91/56; Hupp 126/84. Umpires - HP: Susan Eads 1B: Terry Rosenwald 3B: Andy Trent Start: 4:49 pm Time: 2:01 Attendance: 95 Game: livegame