Hill Tosses Shutout to Complete Sweep

Las Vegas - Junior right-hander Molly Hill tossed a four-hit shutout and freshman Ashley Guile added a career-high three RBIs as Nebraska completed a doubleheader sweep of Southern Utah with a 5-0 win in the nightcap on Monday evening in Las Vegas.

 

A little more than a month removed from knee surgery, Hill picked up wins in both games of the doubleheader, allowing just one earned run in 14.0 innings of work. Hill (6-3) threw 240 pitches on the night, including 93 in her four-hit shutout in which she walked only two and allowed only one runner to advance past second base.

 

Guile helped provide Hill with all of the run support she would need, finishing 2-for-4 and producing a pair of clutch hits resulting in three runs.

 

The win was Nebraska's ninth in its last 12 games, as the Huskers improved to 13-10 on the season. Southern Utah fell to 6-19, as ace Kristina Brooks (6-13) allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in a complete-game effort.

 

Just as they did in game one, the Huskers struck quickly in the nightcap as Nebraska’s speed led to a quick run in the top of the first. Juniors Darcy Rutherford and Meghan Mullin led off with back-to-back infield singles and each stole a base to put runners at second and third. Rutherford scored when the right fielder dropped a shallow fly ball and the Huskers then loaded the bases with two outs before a strike out prevented further damage.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, Southern Utah threatened when a hit batter and a walk put runners at first and third with one out before Hill coaxed a ground out to end the threat.

 

The Huskers added an insurance run in the top of the fifth thanks to some heads up base running from Mullin and a clutch hit from freshman Ashley Guile. Mullin led off with a single and alertly took second when fellow junior Crystal Carwile flew out to deep center for the second out. Guile then ripped a 3-2 pitch through the right side for an RBI single to put NU in front 2-0.

 

NU added two more runs in the top of the seventh to effectively put the game out of reach. Once again Mullin was the catalyst, leading off with an infield single before advancing to second on an error. She then moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt before Carwile was hit by a pitch and stole second to put runners at second and third.

 

Guile then delivered again, stroking a two-run single up the middle to give Nebraska a 4-0 cushion. Freshman Julie Brechtel followed with a single, before junior Haley Long ripped a 3-2 pitch for an RBI double.

 

Long finished with two hits in the game, joining Guile and Mullin (3-for-3) as Huskers who recorded multi-hit efforts.

 

Following its final tournament of the season, Nebraska will remain in Las Vegas until Wednesday, when the Huskers will then travel to Austin, Texas, for a two-game series to open Big 12 Conference play against Texas on Friday and Saturday.

Box Score Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Southern Utah (Game 2) Mar 17, 2008 at Las Vegas, Nev. (Eller Media Stadium)

Nebraska 5 (13-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 2 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 1 0 0 0 0 10 1 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 4 0 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 Hughes, Abby pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Liegl, Sammi pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 1 0 2 1 1 4 1 Long, Haley rf........... 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 4 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 5 10 4 4 6 21 10 10

Southern Utah 0 (6-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rodeo Carli cf........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 Brittany Henderson 2b.... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Lindi Kennedy 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 Darlene Fernandez dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Trish Clapham lf......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 Caroline Fernandez c..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 Stephanie DeJesus pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aly Daniels ss........... 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 Shannon Lum 1b........... 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 Norian James rf.......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kim Henderson ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Kristina Brooks p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Totals................... 21 0 4 0 2 4 21 6 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 100 010 3 - 5 10 0 Southern Utah....... 000 000 0 - 0 4 2 -----------------------------------------

E - B. Henderson(2); James(3). DP - Huskers 2; Thunderbirds 1. LOB - Huskers 10; Thunderbirds 4. 2B - Long(3). HBP - Carwile; B. Henderson. SH - Duran(1); Daniels(2). SB - Rutherford(6); Mullin(13); Carwile 2(7); Long(6); B. Henderson 2(4); James(11).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 4 0 0 2 4 21 25 93

Southern Utah IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kristina Brooks..... 7.0 10 5 4 4 6 30 36 144

Win - Hill (6-3). Loss - Brooks (6-13). Save - None. HBP - by Hill (B. Henderson); by Brooks (Carwile). PB - Duran(1). Pitches/strikes: Hill 93/57; Brooks 144/87. Umpires - Start: 7:46 pm Time: 2:13 Attendance: Game: livegame