Husker Rally Falls Short in 5-3 Loss

Louisville, Ky. ? A five-run second inning proved too much for the Nebraska softball team to overcome, as Louisville scored all five of its run during the decisive inning and held on for a 5-3 victory on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.

 

In the five-run frame, Louisville (5-5) pounded out four hits and benefited from two Nebraska errors that led to a pair of unearned runs. Kassie Stanfill (2-1) earned the victory, allowing three runs (two earned) in a complete-game effort.

 

For Nebraska, freshman right-hander Tori Tyson (1-3) lasted just 1.1 innings and was tagged with the loss. Tyson surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits as Nebraska fell to 1-5 after losing its fourth straight game.

 

Things started out good for the NU, as Nebraska scored first when the Huskers loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second. After Louisville recorded two quick outs, sophomore Whitney Barrett, batting for the first time this season, checked her swing on a 3-2 pitch to coax an RBI walk that brought junior Crystal Carwile home to put NU on top, 1-0.

 

Louisville answered by scoring all of the runs it would need in the bottom of the inning. The first two Cardinals reached safely and Louisville had runners at second and third before Melissa Roth brought both runners home with one-out double to the gap in left center.

 

Sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp then relieved Tyson to face the middle of the order. With runners at second and third with only one out, Chelsea Bemis ripped a 3-2 pitch for a two-run double off the centerfield wall to extend Louisville’s lead to 4-1. Another Nebraska error on an overturned out at first base kept the inning alive for a sacrifice fly that put the Cardinals in front 5-1.

 

Hupp enjoyed her best outing of the season against the Cardinals, tossing the final 4.2 innings and allowing only one unearned run while striking out five.

 

Offensively, the Huskers got a run back in the top of the third when junior Darcy Rutherford led off with a single, freshman Ashley Guile drew a walk and junior Amanda Duran recorded an RBI single to score Rutherford. A pair of errors led to another run and gave Nebraska runners at second and third with only one out, trailing 5-3. NU was unable to score either runner though, as a pair of foul outs left the runners stranded.

 

With Hupp in control in the circle, Nebraska had chances to get back on the scoreboard in the middle innings but was unable to do so. Stanfill then retired the final eight batters of the game to wrap up her complete-game victory.

 

Duran enjoyed a solid day offensively, finishing 3-for-3 with an RBI. The three hits were a career high and marked her first career multi-hit game, while her second-inning double was her first career extra-base hit.

Nebraska returns to action immediately as the Huskers face Mississippi at approximately 3:50 p.m. (Central in the final game of the day at Ulmer Stadium.

 

 

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

Nebraska 3 (1-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 3 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 3 1 0 0 5 0 0 Hughes, Abby pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Foland, Heidi ss......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney 3b...... 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 Tyson, Tori p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 28 3 7 3 2 2 18 3 6

Louisville 5 (5-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Melissa Roth c........... 4 1 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 Sarah Totten 1b.......... 3 1 0 0 1 0 11 0 2 Chelsea Bemis 3b......... 4 1 2 2 0 0 2 3 3 Kristi Cunningham cf..... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Brittany York dp......... 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 Brooke McCrain rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 Colby Wherry ss.......... 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 Megan Bivins pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Christina Roesel 2b...... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 Brittney Counts lf....... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Missy Vascil pr......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Kassie Stanfill p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 28 5 9 5 3 5 21 10 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 012 000 0 - 3 7 2 Louisville.......... 050 000 X - 5 9 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Carwile(1); Brechtel(2); WHERRY; COUNTS. LOB - Huskers 6; Cardinals 9. 2B - Duran(1); ROTH; BEMIS; CUNNINGHAM. SF - YORK. SB - TOTTEN; CUNNINGHAM. CS - Mullin(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Tyson, Tori......... 1.1 5 4 3 1 0 10 11 41 Hupp, Alex.......... 4.2 4 1 0 2 5 18 21 81

Louisville IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kassie Stanfill..... 7.0 7 3 2 2 2 28 30 125

Win - STANFILL (2-1). Loss - Tyson (1-3). Save - None. WP - Tyson(3). Pitches/strikes: Tyson 41/23; Hupp 81/53; STANFILL 125/73. Umpires - HP: Andy Trent 1B: Joe Reed 3B: Terry Rosenwald Start: 2:04 pm Time: 2:19 Attendance: Game: livegame