Huskers Rally Past Jayhawks, 5-4

Lincoln ? Junior Brittany Pascale's pinch-hit, RBI single capped a three-run sixth inning for the Nebraska softball team, as the Huskers erased a two-run deficit by scoring three runs in their final at bat to rally for a 5-4 win over the Kansas Jayhawks in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

After the Jayhawks used three infield singles to score three runs and take a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth, the Huskers used a two-out rally in the bottom of the frame to post their second consecutive Big 12 Conference win.

 

Junior Haley Long started the inning with an infield single, her third hit of the game. The next two hitters were quickly retired and freshman Heidi Foland fouled off three two-strike pitches before ripping an RBI single to center that cut the deficit to 4-3. Sophomore Whitney Barrett followed with a single off the glove of the third baseman, before junior Meghan Mullin brought Foland home with the tying run on an RBI single up the middle.

 

Pascale then hit an 0-1 pitch into center field to score Barrett with the winning run.

 

The late-inning dramatics were needed after <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Kansas erased a 2-1 deficit in the top of the sixth. KU recorded three perfectly-placed infield singles ? one a bunt and the other two swinging away ? to load the bases with only one out. Liz Kocon then tied the game with a sacrifice fly before the wind turned Brittany Hile’s fly ball to shallow right into a run-scoring single. Hill then recorded a strikeout, but a wild pitch allowed Chapple to score from third to put KU in front, 4-2.

 

After Nebraska’s rally, the Jayhawks put the tying runner on base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but could not advance her past first base as junior Molly Hill wrapped up her second conference win in a row. In a complete-game effort, Hill allowed four runs on six hits while striking out six and improving to 11-14 on the year.

 

Valerie George (18-9) took the loss for Kansas, which fell to 35-17 on the year and 5-10 in Big 12 play. In six innings, George allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits.

 

Long was one of three Huskers to record a multi-hit game, tying her career high with three hits, including slugging a pair of doubles. Fellow juniors Mullin and Crystal Carwile each added 2-for-4 days, while Foland recorded a pair of RBIs. Nebraska's 11 hits were a Big 12 high, while the Huskers recorded at least 10 hits for the second consecutive conference contest.

 

Nebraska (21-25, 3-12 Big 12) rallied from a pair of one-run deficits to earn its second straight comeback victory and only its third of the season. <?xml:namespace prefix="u1"?>Kansas took its first lead in the top of the first. Stevie Crisosto led off with a double and moved up to third with two outs. She then scored on Val Chapple’s infield single.

 

Nebraska tied the game in the bottom of the second with the help of a key Kansas error. Long led off with a double and advanced to third on a Jayhawk error. She then scored on Foland’s sacrifice fly to center.

 

The Huskers then took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, when junior Darcy Rutherford took second and Mullin scored on a perfectly executed double steal.

Kansas 4 (35-17,5-10 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB Avg. ------------------------------------------------------------ Crisosto, Stevie ss...... 3 1 2 0 1 1 0 3 0 .206 Jobe, Amanda 1b.......... 4 1 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 .256 McCaulley, Dougie cf..... 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 .392 Chapple, Val 3b.......... 3 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 .303 Kocon, Liz rf............ 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 .268 Hile, Brittany c......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 .236 Wilson, Betsy lf......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 .261 Lucero, Addy dp.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .262 Ramirez, Sara 2b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 1 .209 George, Valerie p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - Totals................... 26 4 6 3 2 6 18 6 4

Nebraska 5 (21-25,3-12 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB Avg. ------------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 .353 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .329 Pascale, Brittany ph.... 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .103 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 2 0 0 0 7 1 2 .307 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 3 .261 Long, Haley rf........... 3 2 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 .287 Linke, Kelli dp.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .215 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 .229 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 3 1 .237 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 .234 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Totals................... 28 5 11 4 0 2 21 10 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Kansas.............. 100 003 0 - 4 6 2 Nebraska............ 010 013 X - 5 11 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Crisosto(14); Hile(4). LOB - Jayhawks 4; Huskers 7. 2B - Crisosto(5); Long 2(10). SH - Linke(1). SF - Kocon(4); Foland(2). SB - Hile(3); Mullin(19); Rutherford(11); Carwile(10); Brechtel(1).

Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP ERA -------------------------------------------------------- George, Valerie..... 6.0 11 5 4 0 2 28 30 98 1.93

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP ERA -------------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 6 4 4 2 6 26 29 113 3.17

Win - Hill (11-14). Loss - George (18-9). Save - None. WP - Hill(13). Pitches/strikes: George 98/74; Hill 113/70. Umpires - HP: Scott Mair 1B: Mike D'Ercole 3B: Andy Hahn Start: 3:00 pm Time: 2:10 Attendance: Game: livegame