Huskers Win 2-1 in Nine Innings

Lincoln - Senior Crystal Carwile ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Nebraska softball team to a 2-1 victory over North Dakota State in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

The win improved Nebraska's record to 16-5 on the season. NU, which has now won 10 of its last 11 games, also won its home opener at Bowlin Stadium for the seventh time in eight seasons.

Senior right-hander Molly Hill earned the win to improve to 11-3 on the season. Hill tossed a career-high 9.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits. A native of Wayne, Neb., Hill issued five walks but she allowed just one ball to leave the infield all game.

Offensively, Carwile's bases-loaded walk-off single was the highlight of the night. Junior Whitney Barrett scored on the play, as she scored both Husker runs on the game. Carwile finished 2-for-4 at the plate, joining fellow seniors Haley Long and Darcy Rutherford with two-hit games. Rutherford added a double and an RBI, while Barrett and senior Amanda Duran each walked twice.

Andi Padilla (9-5) took the loss for North Dakota State, which fell to 12-9 on the season. Padilla pitched well, scattering nine hits over 8.0 innings while walking six and striking out one.

North Dakota State had the game's first scoring chance when the Bison loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second. Hill escaped the inning without any damage by coaxing a pair of ground outs and a strikeout.

Another leadoff walk came back to haunt Hill in the fourth. After walking Nicole Rivera, an infield single followed and Rivera was able to make it to third on the play. She then scored the game's first run on an RBI ground out from Taylor Mortensen.

The Huskers were the beneficiary of a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth. Barrett walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice slap from senior Meghan Mullin. Rutherford then lined a 1-2 pitch into the gap in right center for an RBI double.

Barrett coaxed another leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth before Mullin and Rutherford followed with singles to set the stage for Carwile's dramatics. With the bases loaded, North Dakota had a meeting in the circle before Carwile promptly ripped the first pitch into right field for the Huskers' first walk-off win since April of 2007.

The Huskers will look for the doubleheader sweep in the nightcap, which is set to begin at approximately 6 p.m.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball North Dakota State at Nebraska (Game 1) Mar 17, 2009 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

North Dakota State 1 (12-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Laurel Pipkin 2b......... 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 Elisa Victa lf........... 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 Melissa Chmielewski 1b... 4 0 1 0 0 1 6 1 0 Kelly Cantrell c......... 2 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 Randi Parks pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Richel Briones dp........ 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 Nicole Rivera ss......... 3 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 Breanna Konz 3b.......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 Brittney Gutierrez pr... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Mortensen rf...... 4 0 0 1 0 3 4 0 1 Taylor Lynn cf........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 Maryssa McKenzie ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Andi Padilla p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 33 1 5 1 5 7 24 5 10

Nebraska 2 (16-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 5 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 2 1 1 0 14 0 0 Hupp, Alex pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 2 0 1 0 2 0 9 0 0 Gay, Jamie pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0 Long, Haley rf........... 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 2 1 0 2 0 1 6 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals................... 31 2 9 2 6 1 27 16 13

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- North Dakota State.. 000 100 000 - 1 5 0 Nebraska............ 000 010 001 - 2 9 1 -------------------------------------------

Note: None out, 3 runners LOB when the game ended.

E - Barrett(4). LOB - Bison 10; Huskers 13. 2B - Rutherford(5). SH - Mullin(2); Pascale(1).

North Dakota State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Andi Padilla........ 8.0 9 2 2 6 1 31 39 126

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 9.0 5 1 1 5 7 33 38 152

Win - Hill (11-3). Loss - Padilla (9-5). Save - None. WP - Padilla(1); Hill(4). Pitches/strikes: Padilla 126/71; Hill 152/99. Umpires - HP: Jeff Sloan 1B: Ed Murphy 3B: Renee Williams Start: 3:03 pm Time: 2:23 Attendance: Padilla faced 4 batters in the 9th. Game: NU21