Huskers Fall Short Against Fifth-Ranked Aggies

Lincoln ? The Nebraska softball team answered both of Texas A&M’s run-scoring innings with runs of its own in the bottom of the frame, but it was not enough as the fifth-ranked Aggies fought past the Huskers, 6-3, on Sunday to clinch a share of the Big 12 regular-season title.

 

The win improved the Aggies to 45-7 on the season and 16-1 in Big 12 play. In addition to winning its second Big 12 title, Texas A&M also clinched the No. 1 seed for the Big 12 Championship.

 

Megan Gibson earned the win to improve to 29-1 on the season. Although Gibson allowed only three runs (two earned) the Huskers fared much better against the All-American on Sunday than they did on Saturday. After recording just three singles and striking out 13 times against Gibson on Saturday, the Huskers pounded out eight hits ? the most Gibson has allowed to a Big 12 team this season ? while snapping her 18.0-inning scoreless streak with two runs in the bottom of the first.

 

Nebraska’s junior class provided much of the damage at the plate, led by junior Meghan Mullin who tied her season high in hits with a 3-for-4 effort. Mullin also recorded her first career triple while tying her season high with two runs scored and producing her second RBI of the season. Crystal Carwile added two hits of her own, while Darcy Rutherford scored the Huskers' first run. Overall, NU's eight hits were its most of the Big 12 season.

 

In addition to the solid offensive performance, sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp was brilliant in relief of junior starter Molly Hill. Hupp allowed just three hits in five innings of scoreless relief. Hill (9-14) took the loss, although she was the victim of some well-placed singles in a four-run first inning while surrendering a total of six runs on seven hits in her two innings of work.

 

A&M jumped out to a quick 4-0 first-inning lead with three well-placed singles. Rhi Kliesing reached on bloop single to left before Gibson’s blooper to right turned into a double to put runners at second and third with only one out. A walk then loaded the bases for Holly Ridley, who promptly ripped a two-run single up the middle. After recording the second out, Erin Glasco got jammed on an 0-1 pitch but wound up with an RBI bloop single to right. Jami Lobpries then ripped an RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 4-0.

 

The Huskers fought back with two runs in the bottom of the first. Rutherford was hit by the first pitch of the game and Mullin fouled off four two-strike pitches before ripping an RBI triple to the wall in right. Carwile then struck out swinging, but she reached first safely on a passed ball and Mullin came home from third.

 

After Hill struck out the side in the second, Ridley produced her third and fourth RBIs of the game by hammering the first pitch she saw over the wall in right center for a two-run homer in the top of the third.

 

Just as they did in the first, the Huskers came right back with a run of their own. Mullin reached on a one-out infield single and she advanced to second when Carwile flew out to the wall in center. Mullin then came home on freshman Ashley Guile’s two-out single down the left field line. The RBI was the first of Guile’s career in conference play.

 

After going fairly quietly through the middle innings, Nebraska brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the seventh before a pair of ground outs ended the Huskers' comeback effort.

 

The Huskers begin a busy week on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. makeup game against IowaState at Bowlin Stadium before hosting a doubleheader with Kansas the next day.

Box Score

Nebraska Softball #5 Texas A&M at Nebraska Apr 27, 2008 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Texas A&M 6 (45-7,16-1 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Villarreal, Natalie 2b... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 Kliesing, Rhiannon 1b.... 4 1 2 0 0 1 9 1 0 Gibson, Megan p.......... 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 4 0 Hinshaw, Jamie 3b........ 3 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 Ridley, Holly rf......... 3 2 2 4 1 1 0 0 1 Reynolds, Alex dp........ 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Schroeder, Bailey ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Glasco, Erin c........... 4 0 2 1 0 0 6 0 0 Tovar, Andrea pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lobpries, Jami cf........ 4 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 Spittler, Kelsey lf...... 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 Morrow, Macie ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Totals................... 32 6 10 6 4 7 21 11 9

Nebraska 3 (19-25,1-12 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 2 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 2 0 0 1 5 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 4 0 1 1 0 1 6 1 0 Linke, Kelli dp.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Pascale, Brittany ph.... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 Liegl, Sammi rf......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 2 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 30 3 8 2 0 6 21 4 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Texas A&M........... 402 000 0 - 6 10 0 Nebraska............ 201 000 0 - 3 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Barrett(10). LOB - Aggies 9; Huskers 8. 2B - Gibson(13); Carwile(8). 3B - Mullin(1). HR - Ridley(4). HBP - Rutherford; Brechtel.

Texas A&M IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Gibson, Megan....... 7.0 8 3 2 0 6 30 32 117

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 2.0 7 6 6 2 3 13 15 59 Hupp, Alex.......... 5.0 3 0 0 2 4 19 21 75

Win - Gibson (29-1). Loss - Hill (9-14). Save - None. WP - Gibson(6). HBP - by Gibson (Rutherford); by Gibson (Brechtel). PB - Glasco(12). Pitches/strikes: Gibson 117/81; Hill 59/33; Hupp 75/44. Umpires - HP: Steve McCown 1B: Matt Titkmeier 3B: Mike D'Ercole Start: 12:01 pm Time: 2:29 Attendance: 406 Game: livegame