Juniors Lead Nebraska Past Jackrabbits

Lincoln ? It was a red-letter day for the Nebraska softball junior class, as junior right-hander Molly Hill struck out 10 in a complete-game victory, while the five juniors in the lineup produced eight hits and seven RBIs in the Huskers’ 8-1 victory over South DakotaState in game one of a Wednesday doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

 

Offensively, Nebraska’s trio of junior outfielders hit 1-2-3 in the lineup and finished with a combined seven hits as the Huskers pounded out 11 hits as a team. Darcy Rutherford finished 2-for-4, while Meghan Mullin was a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and Haley Long went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Fellow juniors Crystal Carwile and Amanda Duran added two RBIs each, as the Huskers’ junior class combined for all seven RBIs.

 

For the third straight game, Nebraska jumped out to an early lead by scoring one run in the bottom of the first. The Huskers used small ball to take a 1-0 lead. Following a pair of singles from Rutherford and Mullin to start the inning, Long sacrificed the runners to second and third before Carwile laid down an RBI squeeze bunt to score Rutherford.

 

South DakotaState tied the game in the top of the third, using a single, a walk and a two-out RBI single from Jessica Vineyard.

 

The Huskers regained the lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning. The first three hitters all singled to load the bases for Carwile, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Rutherford. Duran then made it 4-1 with a two-run single two batters later. Nebraska capped the inning when freshman Julie Brechtel, following her single, was caught in a rundown attempting to steal and Duran scored when SDSU first baseman Stacey Evans mishandled a throw.

 

Nebraska nearly made it a run-rule victory with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Long ripped a three-run double to the gap in left center to clear the bases and give the Huskers the 8-1 victory.

 

Long's big day helped make a winner out of Hill, who improved to 7-6 on the season. Hill allowed just four hits and only one run for Nebraska, which improved to 15-16 on the season.

 

Papillion, Neb., native Kiley Schwedhelm (0-4) took the loss for South DakotaState, which fell to 11-18. In six innings, Schwedhelm allowed eight runs (four earned) on 11 hits and did not record a strikeout, as the Husker offense went the entire game without a strikeout for the third time this season.

Box Score Nebraska Softball South Dakota State at Nebraska (Game 1) Apr 02, 2008 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

South Dakota State 1 (11-18)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Sam Heinzman cf.......... 3 0 0 0 1 2 4 0 0 Brooke Postma lf......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 Jessica Vineyard ss...... 3 0 2 1 1 0 0 4 0 Ashley Durazo 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 Dani Broshar c........... 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 Brittany Postma rf....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Kiley Schwedhelm p....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Stacey Evans 1b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 2 8 0 0 Greta Stroh 2b........... 3 1 0 0 0 2 2 3 4 Jenna Marston dp......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 1 4 1 4 10 18 10 8

Nebraska 8 (15-16)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 2 0 0 2 0 0 9 1 1 Guile, Ashley dp......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Duran, Amanda c.......... 2 1 1 2 1 0 9 1 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 26 8 11 7 2 0 21 8 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- South Dakota State.. 001 000 0 - 1 4 2 Nebraska............ 104 003 X - 8 11 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Vineyard(12); Evans(2); Foland(8). DP - Jackrabbits 1. LOB - Jackrabbits 8; Huskers 5. 2B - Long(7). SH - Bri. Postma(3); Long(4); Carwile(2). SF - Carwile(1). SB - Schwedhelm(5); Mullin(14); Foland(5).

South Dakota State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kiley Schwedhelm.... 6.0 11 8 4 2 0 26 31 91

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 4 1 1 4 10 25 30 124

Win - Hill (7-6). Loss - Schwedhelm (0-4). Save - None. WP - Hill(8). Pitches/strikes: Schwedhelm 91/54; Hill 124/73. Umpires - HP: Renee Williams 1B: Andy Hahn 3B: Matt Titkemeier Start: 3:59 pm Time: 1:49 Attendance: Game: livegame