Nebraska Tops Oregon 3-1

Cathedral City, Calif. - Seniors Molly Hill and Crystal Carwile sparked the Nebraska softball team to a 3-1 win over Oregon on Saturday in the Huskers' lone game of the day at the Cathedral City Classic.

Hill improved to 4-0 on the season by tossing a complete-game four-hitter. She allowed just one run and only four baserunners the entire game while striking out four. Hill retired the final 10 batters she faced.

With Hill in control in the circle, Carwile continued to produce at the plate despite playing with a torn ACL. Carwile finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored against the Ducks. Carwile, who tore her ACL exactly two weeks ago today, is 6-for-10 with four RBIs in her first three games back from the injury.

The work of the senior duo helped Nebraska improve to 6-1 on the season. Oregon fell to 6-9, as Mikayla Endicott (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in 3.1 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Senior Darcy Rutherford reached on an error to start the game, then stole second base. She scored when Carwile ripped an RBI single through the right side. Senior Amanda Duran was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with one out, but a strike out and a ground out ended the inning.

Carwile produced another run in the top of the third, launching a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center field for a leadoff, solo home run, her second of the season.

In the bottom of the inning, Blair Williamson reached on a one-out double before sophomore Julie Brechtel made a terrific play to retire the next batter. Brechtel ranged to her right to field the ball then jumped and spinned in mid-air to throw to first. Williamson advanced to third on the play and scored one batter later when Cortney Kivett’s slap up the middle deflected off Hill’s leg for an RBI infield single.

Looking for some insurance in the top of the seventh, Brechtel led off with an infield single and Carwile ripped a two-out single to put runners at first and second. Duran then lined a single to left field that scored Brechtel to put the Huskers in front 3-1.

Hill finished the game by retiring the side in order in the seventh on only seven pitches. Hill has now won each of her four decisions this year and seven of her last eight overall.

Nebraska returns to the diamond on Sunday with a pair of games against ranked teams. The Huskers face No. 12 Northwestern at 10 a.m. (Central) before wrapping up the tournament with a contest against unbeaten and seventh-ranked Washington.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Oregon Feb 21, 2009 at Cathedral City, CA (Big League Dreams)

Nebraska 3 (6-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 1 3 2 0 1 13 0 0 Hupp, Alex pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley dp...... 4 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 1 1 1 0 1 0 2 3 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 Totals................... 29 3 7 3 1 8 21 13 8

Oregon 1 (6-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jenkins, Sari-Jane ss.... 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 Kivett, Cortney 2b....... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Bryant, Neena cf......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Fuiava, Monique dp....... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Chambers, Kelsey rf...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Re, Carlyn 1b............ 3 0 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 Kivett, Ashley c/3b...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 2 Chambers, Lindsey 3b..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Vitek, Kaitlin ph/c..... 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 0 Williamson, Blair lf..... 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Endicott, Mikayla p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rumfelt, Brittany p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Skillingstad, Sam p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 1 4 1 0 4 21 7 3

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 101 000 1 - 3 7 0 Oregon.............. 001 000 0 - 1 4 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Jenkins; Chambers, L. LOB - Huskers 8; Ducks 3. 2B - Williamson. HR - Carwile(2). HBP - Duran; Brechtel. SH - Chambers, K. SB - Rutherford(3); Kivett, C.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 4 1 1 0 4 24 25 106

Oregon IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Endicott, Mikayla... 3.1 4 2 1 1 3 15 18 69 Rumfelt, Brittany... 3.1 2 1 1 0 4 12 12 39 Skillingstad, Sam... 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 6

Win - Hill (4-0). Loss - Endicott (0-1). Save - None. HBP - by Endicott (Duran); by Endicott (Brechtel). Pitches/strikes: Hill 106/69; Endicott 69/42; Rumfelt 39/30; Skillingstad 6/4. Umpires - Start: 3:20 pm Time: 2:25 Attendance: 300 Game: NU7