Huskers Fall to Sixth-Ranked Sun Devils

Fullerton, Calif. - After winning a pitcher's duel with a 2008 Women's College Series opponent on Thursday, the Husker softball team was out-slugged in an 11-6 loss to defending national champion Arizona State on Friday at the Judi Garman Classic.

The Sun Devils scored seven runs over the first two innings, but the Huskers rallied to cut the deficit to 8-6 after four innings of play. Arizona State then used a pair of two-out fifth-inning home runs to account for the final margin.

The loss snapped the Huskers' seven-game winning streak, as NU fell to 13-5 on the season with its fourth loss to a top-20 team and second to a top-10 opponent. Senior right-hander Molly Hill took the loss, as she allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits in only an inning of work. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Hill, who dropped to 8-3 on the season.

Sophomore Tori Tyson made her second appearance of the season and was tagged for three runs in one inning of work. Freshman right-hander Ashley Hagemann was solid in closing out the final four innings, allowing only three hits and striking out five. She was hurt by five walks and the two home runs, as she was charged with four runs.

It was an uncharacteristically bad outing for the Nebraska pitching staff, which entered the contest having allowed one run or less in each of its last four games. The Huskers walked six and surrendered a season-high 10 hits.

Offensively, NU matched ASU with 10 hits. Senior Haley Long finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while fellow senior Amanda Duran and sophomore Julie Brechtel reached base safely in each of their plate appearances. Duran was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and a hit batter, while Brechtel was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior Crystal Carwile also added two RBIs, but Nebraska stranded eight runners in the game.

Arizona State grabbed control of the game with a four-run first inning. The first three Sun Devils reached on an error and a pair of singles before Katelyn Boyd cleared the bases with a double down the left field to put ASU in front 3-0. The first run that scored was unearned, but the second run snapped Hill's streak of not allowing an earned run at 15.1 innings. Another error led to a fourth run, as Nebraska committed two errors in the inning after committing more than one error in a game just twice through the first 17 contests of the season.

Tyson came on to pitch the second inning and gave up three runs. A pair of one-out singles put the Sun Devils in business again and Boyd once again came through with a two-run double. An RBI ground out then put Arizona State in front 7-0.

The Huskers got the offense going in the top of the third as Long led off with a single and junior Whitney Barrett followed with a walk. Brechtel then ripped an RBI single off the glove of the ASU first baseman to score Long with NU's first run. A pair of ground outs left Huskers at second and third for Carwile, who ripped a two-run single thanks to a great slide at home plate by Brechtel. Duran followed with a single to put runners at the corners before fellow senior Brittany Pascale singled through the left side to score Carwile and cut the lead to 7-4.

Hagemann entered the game in the third inning and promptly walked three of the first four batters to load the bases before hitting the next batter to force in a run. The bases remained loaded for Boyd who flew out, before Hagemann got a foul out to end the inning and prevent further damage.

Long started another rally for the Huskers in the fourth as she led off with a single before Brechtel was hit by a one-out pitch to put runners at first and second. Long scored on an error following a stolen base by Brechtel before senior Darcy Rutherford ripped an RBI double off the top of the fence to score Brechtel and cut the lead to 8-6. Carwile then lofted the next pitch to the wall in left where it was caught to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Duran drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Heidi Foland followed with a one-out single to put runnres at the corners with only one out. Long then flew out to shallow center before freshman pinch-hitter Jamie Gay grounded out to end the inning.

A one-out walk in the bottom of the inning ended a string of six straight batters retired by Hagemann and opened the door for three more runs. With two outs, Hagemann left a 1-2 offering over the plate and All-American Kaitlin Cochran lined it over the wall in center for a two-run homer. Boyd then followed with another home run to center to push the Sun Devils' lead to 11-6.

Hillary Bach then shut the Huskers out over the next two innings to earn the win in relief. Bach tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to improve to 13-0 on the season for Arizona State (24-4)

Nebraska continues play at the Judi Garman Classic on Saturday at 3 p.m. (Central) against New Mexico.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs #6 Arizona State Mar 13, 2009 at Fullerton, Calif. (Field 2)

Nebraska 6 (13-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 1 1 2 0 0 8 0 2 Duran, Amanda c.......... 1 0 1 0 2 0 5 0 0 Hupp, Alex pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 2 Long, Haley rf........... 4 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 Gay, Jamie ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 6 10 5 3 4 18 5 8

Arizona State 11 (24-4)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mapes, Jessica dp/lf..... 4 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Rogers, Lesley lf/rf..... 3 2 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 Cochran, Kaitlin cf...... 3 3 3 3 0 0 2 0 0 Boyd, Katelyn ss......... 4 3 3 6 0 0 1 2 0 Donnenwirth, Krista 3b... 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 Carlson, Caylyn rf/dp.... 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 Castillo, Kaylyn dp/c... 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Muenz, Ashley 2b......... 4 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 3 Urfer, Mandy 1b.......... 3 1 0 0 1 1 10 0 0 Welty, Renee c........... 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 Haro, Talor ph/dp....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Elliott, Megan p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ellsworth, Megan p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bach, Hillary p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 11 10 11 6 5 21 10 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 004 200 0 - 6 10 2 Arizona State....... 431 030 X - 11 10 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Foland(3); Barrett(2); Welty. DP - Sun Devils 1. LOB - Huskers 8; Sun Devils 8. 2B - Rutherford(4); Boyd 2. HR - Cochran; Boyd. HBP - Duran; Brechtel; Cochran. SB - Brechtel(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 1.0 3 4 2 1 0 8 9 34 Tyson, Tori......... 1.0 4 3 3 0 0 7 7 32 Hagemann, Ashley.... 4.0 3 4 4 5 5 15 21 87

Arizona State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Elliott, Megan...... 2.2 4 4 4 2 1 11 13 37 Ellsworth, Megan.... 1.0 3 2 2 0 2 6 7 20 Bach, Hillary....... 3.1 3 0 0 1 1 13 15 46

Win - Bach (13-0). Loss - Hill (8-3). Save - None. WP - Elliott; Bach 2. HBP - by Hagemann (Cochran); by Ellsworth (Brechtel); by Bach (Duran). Pitches/strikes: Hill 34/21; Tyson 32/20; Hagemann 87/45; Elliott 37/19; Ellsworth 20/14; Bach 46/29. Umpires - Start: 1:04 pm Time: 2:19 Attendance: Game: NU18