Huskers Run Past Bison, 7-0

Lincoln ? The Nebraska softball team snapped a three-game losing streak in grand fashion, handing North DakotaState a 7-0 loss on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

 

Junior right-hander Molly Hill was dominant in the circle, tossing a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts. Hill allowed only one ball to leave the infield on the game, while she did not allow a fly ball out or hit. In earning the victory, Hill (8-12) snapped a personal six-game losing streak while tossing her fourth shutout of the season.

 

With Hill in control in the circle, the Husker offense exploded for seven runs on 11 hits. Three different Huskers had multi-hit efforts, while freshman Kelli Linke and junior Darcy Rutherford both finished with two RBIs to mark their first career multi-RBI efforts. Junior Crystal Carwile homered for the third time in four games and also scored two runs.

 

Bekki Rasmussen (8-8) took the loss for North DakotaState, which fell to 33-15 on the season. In six innings, Rasmussen surrendered seven runs on 11 hits and struck out just one.

 

The Huskers (18-23) were aggressive early, plating two runs in the top of the first. Junior Meghan Mullin singled on the first pitch she saw and a walk to fellow junior Crystal Carwile then put runners at first and second with one out. Freshman Ashley Guile then ripped the first pitch she saw for an RBI single to right, before fellow freshman Kelli Linke recorded an RBI ground out on the first pitch of her at bat.

 

Nebraska extended its lead to 3-0 in the third inning, when Carwile launched a solo home run over the wall in left field.

 

The Huskers closed out the scoring with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Guile led off the inning with a double and freshman pinch runner Abby Hughes scored on an RBI single from Linke. Freshman pinch runner Sammi Liegl then scored on a two-out, RBI single off the bat of fellow freshman Heidi Foland. Rutherford then recorded her first career triple to score two and close out the scoring.

 

Guile joined Rutherford and sophomore Whitney Barrett with two-hit games to pace the Huskers' balanced attack.