Home Runs Hurt Huskers in 9-4 Loss

Lincoln - Behind two home runs from Amanda Renth, the Missouri softball team scored six runs off three homers to power past Nebraska, 9-4, in Sunday's regular-season finale at Bowlin Stadium.

Two Tiger home runs propelled Missouri to an early 7-0 lead, before Nebraska rallied to cut the deficit to 7-4 after five innings. Renth then hit her second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the sixth, to halt the Huskers' momentum.

Junior right-hander Molly Hill (12-16) took the loss. Hill earned the start and allowed three runs on three hits in the first inning. Hill re-entered the game again in the sixth and for the game, she was tagged for three runs on only three hits in 2.1 innings. Sophomore right-hander Alex Hupp tossed the middle innings. Hupp was hurt by the long ball, as the three home runs she allowed accounted for all six of her runs.

Stacy Delaney (18-3) picked up the win for Missouri (44-14, 11-6), allowing four runs on seven hits in four innings. Jen Bruck picked up her second save of the season, as she allowed only one of the three runners she inherited to score while not being charged with a run in three innings of hitless relief.

Nebraska started slow out of the gate as an infield single, a stolen base, an error and a passed ball led Rhea Taylor to score the game's first run before Julie Silver,  Tigers' No. 2 hitter, had even finished her at bat. Silver then drew a four-pitch walk and scored on a one-out double from Bruck. Bruck then came home to make it 3-0 when Andee Allen laced a two-out single to right.

In the bottom of the frame, junior Crystal Carwile was hit by a two-out pitch and she nearly scored when freshman Ashley Guile ripped a 3-2 pitch to left. On Guile's single, Silver showed great range to keep the ball from rolling to the wall and her speed forced Carwile to hold up at third base. With runners at first and third, junior Brittany Pascale then flew out to the warning track in right.

Renth extended the Tigers' lead to 4-0 with a deep, one-out solo home run in the top of the third.

Rhea Taylor then lined a three-run homer off the foul pole down the right field line for her first career home run that put Nebraska in front, 7-0.

Nebraska cracked the scoreboard with a two-out run in the bottom of the frame. The first two hitters reached in the inning but were still at first and second with two outs. Freshman Abby Hughes then ripped a two-out, RBI single down the left field line to score freshman pinch runner Sammi Liegl.

The Huskers added three more runs in the fifth and had the chance for even more. The first six hitters all reached safely and a pair of strange plays led to a pair of Nebraska runs and a Husker being thrown out at the plate. The first strange play was a wild pitch with runners on second and third. A throwing error complicated matters as both Huskers were able to score to cut the gap to 7-3.

NU then loaded the bases with no outs before sophomore Whitney Barrett hit a chopper to third. The ball got underneath the Missouri third baseman allowing a third run to score. On the play, Hupp tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate for the first out. Freshman Julie Brechtel then ripped a line drive right to the left fielder for the second out, before Hughes struck out swinging to end the inning with the Huskers trailing, 7-4.

Renth's second homer of the game was a two-run shot in the top of the sixth that accounted for the game’s final runs.

Nebraska pounded out seven hits in the loss and the Huskers coaxed six walks, but 10 runners left on base prevented NU from scoring more runs. Each of Nebraska’s seven hits was a single, while five of Missouri’s 10 hits went for extra bases.

Pascale paced the Huskers’ attack with a 2-for-3 day to mark her first multi-hit contest of the season. Freshman Heidi Foland and Guile each finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

With the regular season complete, Nebraska will enter the Big 12 Championship as the No. 10 seed. The Huskers will face seventh-seeded Kansas at 5 p.m. on Friday in Oklahoma City.

Box Score Nebraska Softball Missouri at Nebraska May 04, 2008 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Missouri 9 (44-14,11-6 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rhea Taylor cf........... 4 2 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 Julie Silver lf.......... 3 2 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 Amanda Renth 1b.......... 4 2 2 3 0 0 6 0 0 Jen Bruck dp............. 4 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 Lisa Simmons pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lindsey Ubrun 3b......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Gina Schneider 3b....... 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 Andee Allen 2b........... 3 0 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 Kathryn Poet rf.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 Shana White ph.......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Katie Milles c........... 3 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 3 Abby Vock ss............. 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Stacy Delaney p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 9 10 8 3 8 21 7 4

Nebraska 4 (22-27,4-14 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 2 0 1 0 2 0 9 0 1 Tyson, Tori pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Liegl, Sammi pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 4 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 Hughes, Abby rf.......... 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 28 4 7 2 6 3 21 6 10

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Missouri............ 301 302 0 - 9 10 2 Nebraska............ 000 130 0 - 4 7 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Schneider(6); Milles(1); Guile(2); Foland(15). LOB - Tigers 4; Huskers 10. 2B - Bruck(6). 3B - Silver(3). HR - Taylor(1); Renth 2(19). HBP - Carwile. SB - Taylor(52); Allen(12); Barrett(3).

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Stacy Delaney....... 4.0 7 4 4 4 2 19 24 75 Jen Bruck........... 3.0 0 0 0 2 1 9 11 56

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 2.1 3 3 3 1 5 10 11 46 Hupp, Alex.......... 4.2 7 6 6 2 3 21 23 85

Win - Delaney (18-3). Loss - Hill (12-16). Save - Bruck (2). WP - Bruck(6); Delaney(4); Hupp(6). HBP - by Delaney (Carwile). PB - Guile(8). Pitches/strikes: Delaney 75/39; Bruck 56/34; Hill 46/28; Hupp 85/50. Umpires - HP: James Martarona 1B: Jeff Sloan 3B: Scott Thomas Start: 12:04 pm Time: 2:31 Attendance: 537 Game: livegame