Errors Prove Costly as NU Falls in Eight

Lincoln - Freshman Ashley Guile hit her first career home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings, but Nebraska's fourth error of the game opened the door for Kansas to score three runs in the top of the eighth, as the Jayhawks salvaged a doubleheader split with a 6-3 victory in the nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader at Bowin Stadium.

Nebraska had countless chances to win the game prior to extra innings, as the Huskers stranded 10 runners through the first seven innings, including six in scoring position. NU stranded two more in the eighth as junior Crystal Carwile, the Huskers' leading home run hitter, came to the plate having homered five times in her last nine games, but she struck out swinging to end the game.

Allie Clark (8-3) earned the complete-game victory for Kansas, which improved to 36-17 and 6-10 in the Big 12 Conference. Clark worked around nine hits and three walks to allow just three runs (one earned).

Tossing her second straight game, junior right-hander Molly Hill took the loss for NU. Hill (11-14) allowed six runs (three earned) in 7.1 innings. Three of those runs came in the eighth, as did one of the Huskers' four errors.

After the first batter was retired, a one-out single followed by a walk put runners at first and second in the top of the eighth. A defensive miscue then cost the Huskers again, as a grounder to first turned into an infield single when no one could get to first in time to cover the bag, and NU compounded the problem by making a wild and late throw to first to allow pinch-runner Kolby Fesmire to score from second. Two more RBI singles pushed the Jayhawks’ lead to 6-3 before sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp got Nebraska out of the inning.

Although Nebraska faltered in the eighth, the Huskers did well to force extra innings as they twice came back from one-run deficits while erasing a seventh-inning deficit for the first time this season. That deficit came courtesy of Guile, who blasted a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in right center for the game-tying solo home run.

Guile's homer came just one inning after Kansas broke a 2-2 tie with a single run in the sixth. Betsy Wilson provided the key hit in the inning, as her liner to right skipped just under the glove of a diving Haley Long to score Val Chapple from second and give the Jayhawks a 3-2 lead.

Both teams struggled in the early going, as three first-inning errors led to a pair of Kansas runs and one Husker score. Just as they did in game one, the Jayhawks jumped out to an early lead. Nebraska was its own worst enemy in the frame, as a leadoff walk and two quick errors allowed both runs to score before an inning-ending double play prevented further damage.

The Huskers responded with one run in the bottom of the first inning to cut the deficit to one. Junior Darcy Rutherford reached on a one-out single and an error put runners at first and second. Rutherford then scored on a two-out single off the bat of Long.

Nebraska tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth with the help of another Kansas error. Junior Brittany Pascale reached on an error to start the inning and freshman pinch runner Abby Hughes promptly took second on a sacrifice bunt from fellow freshman Julie Brechtel. Hughes then scored when sophomore Whitney Barrett's grounder deflected off the glove of a diving Addy Lucero at first for an RBI single.

Barrett finished 2-for-4 in the game with an RBI, while junior Meghan Mullin and Rutherford also had two-hit games. Nebraska pounded out nine hits in the contest, but the 12 stranded runners proved to be the difference.

Nebraska (21-26, 3-13 Big 12) wraps up the regular season with a pair of home games against the Missouri Tigers on Saturday and Sunday at Bowlin Stadium. Saturday's contest is part of a triple header at HaymarketPark, as the Huskers and Tigers will square off in between the Nebraska baseball team's day-night doubleheader with Louisiana-Lafayette. Fans with a baseball ticket can watch the softball game for only $1. There will also be an alumni slow-pitch softball game at Bowlin Stadium following the conclusion of the Nebraska-Missouri game.

Nebraska Softball Kansas at Nebraska (Game 2) Apr 30, 2008 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Kansas 6 (36-17,6-10 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Crisosto, Stevie ss...... 3 1 0 0 2 1 2 2 1 McCaulley, Dougie cf..... 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Chapple, Val 3b.......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 Kocon, Liz rf............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Hile, Brittany c......... 4 0 2 0 0 1 2 1 0 Fesmire, Kolby pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wilson, Betsy lf......... 3 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 Lucero, Addy 1b.......... 3 1 1 0 1 0 12 2 0 Stanton, Ally dp......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 Ramirez, Sara 2b......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 3 5 0 Clark, Allie p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 Totals................... 31 6 9 4 4 2 24 15 7

Nebraska 3 (21-26,3-13 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 5 0 0 0 0 1 12 2 2 Guile, Ashley c.......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 3 2 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Hughes, Abby pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Liegl, Sammi pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 4 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 3 4 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 3 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 35 3 9 3 3 3 24 17 12

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------ Kansas.............. 200 001 03 - 6 9 3 Nebraska............ 100 100 10 - 3 9 4 ------------------------------------------

E - Crisosto(15); Ramirez(13); Clark(4); Carwile(3); Brechtel(7); Foland 2(14). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Jayhawks 7; Huskers 12. 2B - Ramirez(7). HR - Guile(1). SH - McCaulley(8); Kocon(7); Brechtel(4). SB - Stanton(1).

Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Clark, Allie........ 8.0 9 3 1 3 3 35 39 127

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.1 8 6 3 3 2 30 35 113 Hupp, Alex.......... 0.2 1 0 0 1 0 1 2 8

Win - Clark (8-3). Loss - Hill (11-15). Save - None. WP - Hupp(5). Pitches/strikes: Clark 127/78; Hill 113/73; Hupp 8/4. Umpires - HP: Mike D'Ercole 1B: Andy Hahn 3B: Scott Mair Start: 5:31 pm Time: 2:33 Attendance: 469 Game: NU47