Huskers Fall in Big 12 Title Game

Oklahoma City - The Nebraska softball team's quest for the Big 12 title fell one game short on Sunday, as the Huskers' strong postseason run ended with a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. In the championship game, fourth-ranked Texas A&M proved why it was the tournament's top seed by capturing its first title with a 5-0 victory.

The Huskers completed the best run ever by a No. 10 seed at the Big 12 Championship by finishing as the runner-up, marking the fourth time NU has finished second in the 13-year history of the event (Nebraska has also won three titles in its league-high seven tournament finals appearances).

After avenging regular-season losses to Kansas, No. 7 Oklahoma and Texas Tech in advancing to the title game, the regular-season champion Aggies proved too tough for the Huskers. Texas A&M claimed its first tournament title with the victory, while becoming the first team to sweep the regular-season and tournament crowns since Nebraska in 2004. The Aggies also improved to 20-1 against Big 12 teams this season.

All-American Megan Gibson earned her third victory of the tournament while improving to 33-1 on the season. The Championship's Most Outstanding Player, Gibson tossed a three-hit shutout in beating the Huskers for the third time this year.

Although Nebraska managed just three hits against Gibson, the first player to ever earn both Big 12 Pitcher- and Player-of-the-Year honors in the same season, the Huskers struck out only seven times. Gibson struck out 10 in each of her first two games at the tournament. NU also coaxed the only two walks Gibson allowed in 21 innings at the tournament.

Junior right-hander Molly Hill (15-17) took the loss for Nebraska. Starting her fourth game in less than 45 hours, Hill allowed five runs on 10 hits in six innings. Sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp tossed a scoreless inning to close out the game. Hill was Nebraska's workhorse in the tournament, earning a spot on the all-tournament team after posting a 3-1 record and throwing 26 innings in the span of three days.

Behind Gibson, Texas A&M controlled most of Sunday's game. After Nebraska left a runner stranded in each of the first two innings, Texas A&M used three consecutive singles to plate the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning. The Aggies took a 2-0 lead when Macie Morrow's pop up fell for a single as NU shortstop Whitney Barrett got tangled up with Jami Lobpries at second base.

Texas A&M found the scoreboard again in the bottom of the fourth. Once again, three consecutive singles opened the frame and led to the inning's first run. An error and a fielder's choice where no out was recorded figured into the Aggies loading the bases with no outs. A wild pitch brought home the runner from third and gave A&M a 4-0 lead. The Huskers then recorded an out at home before Gibson recorded an RBI ground out to give the Aggies their final margin of victory.

With the loss, the 2008 Huskers, the youngest team in the 33-year history of Nebraska softball, finished the season with a 25-28 record. NU closed the season on a positive note, as the Huskers won six of their final nine games, with each game coming against a Big 12 opponent, including seven contests against teams that have been or are currently ranked in the top 25.

2008 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team
Brette Reagan, Baylor
Rachel Zabriskie, Iowa State
Crystal Carwile, Nebraska
Molly Hill, Nebraska
Haley Long, Nebraska
Meghan Mullin, Nebraska
Samantha Ricketts, Oklahoma
Erin Glasco, Texas A&M
Jamie Hinshaw, Texas A&M
Holly Ridley, Texas A&M
Jennifer Corkin, Texas Tech
Devin Zaragoza, Texas Tech
Most Outstanding Player: Megan Gibson, Texas A&M

Box Score Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs #5 Texas A&M May 11, 2008 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Stadium)

Nebraska 0 (25-28)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 Hughes, Abby pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 5 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 4 1 Hupp, Alex dp/p.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals................... 26 0 3 0 2 7 18 11 7

Texas A&M 5 (49-7)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Kliesing, Rhiannon 1b.... 3 0 1 0 0 0 7 0 2 Tovar, Andrea pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Villarreal, Natalie 2b... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Reynolds, Alex ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Gibson, Megan p.......... 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 Hinshaw, Jamie 3b........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 Ridley, Holly rf......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Glasco, Erin c........... 3 0 1 1 0 0 6 0 2 Gegen, Mandy pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lobpries, Jami cf........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Morrow, Macie ss......... 3 1 2 1 0 0 2 1 1 Spittler, Kelsey lf...... 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Schroeder, Bailey lf.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 28 5 10 4 1 1 21 5 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 3 2 Texas A&M........... 020 300 X - 5 10 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Foland 2(18); Villarreal. DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Huskers 7; Aggies 7. SH - Kliesing. SB - Mullin(20); Hughes(5); Lobpries.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 5.0 10 5 5 1 0 25 27 95 Hupp, Alex.......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 12

Texas A&M IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Gibson, Megan....... 7.0 3 0 0 2 7 26 28 109

Win - Gibson (33-1). Loss - Hill (15-17). Save - None. WP - Hill(14). PB - Guile(9); Glasco. Pitches/strikes: Hill 95/62; Hupp 12/7; Gibson 109/79. Umpires - HP: James Martarona 1B: Pat Lyon 3B: Danny Bowman Start: 12:06 pm Time: 2:13 Attendance: 736 Hill faced 1 batter in the 6th. Game: NU53