Home Runs Power Huskers Past Drake

Lincoln - Three fifth-inning home runs powered the Nebraska softball team to a 5-2 come-from-behind victory over Drake in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

 

Nebraska trailed 2-0 with two outs in the fifth inning and had mustered only one hit to that point in the game. That all changed on a 3-2 pitch that senior Crystal Carwile blasted over the fence in right center for a solo home run. Three pitches later, fellow senior Amanda Duran planted one off the scoreboard in left for back-to-back homers that tied the game at two. Carwile and Duran's consecutive solo shots marked the first time since 2007 that Nebraska had hit back-to-back home runs.

 

Sophomore Julie Brechtel then worked a walk before Drake made a pitching change. Senior Brittany Pascale greeted the new pitcher by going the opposite way with a 3-2 pitch for a go-ahead two-run homer. The Huskers then used three hits in the sixth to add an insurance run and wrap up the 5-2 win.

 

The home run barrage made a winner of senior right-hander Molly Hill, who improved to 14-4 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Hill allowed only one earned run while striking out 10 and giving up just four hits. With the win, the Huskers improved to 23-6 on the season while remaining undefeated at home in seven tries.

 

Brynne Dordel (8-6) took the loss for Drake, which fell to 18-13 on the year. Dordel allowed three runs on three hits in 4.2 innings. She struck out five and walked six. Jenna DeLong came on in relief and allowed Pascale's game-winning homer. In 1.1 innings, DeLong was charged with two runs on four hits.

 

Drake took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. A pair of well-placed hits put runners at first and third with no outs. After Hill recorded a strikeout, Erin Mollohan laid down a squeeze bunt to score the game's first run.

 

A Husker error to start the third inning opened the door for a two-out RBI double from DeLong that put Drake in front 2-0.

 

Nebraska's fifth-inning rally started harmlessly enough, as the first two hitters were retired on four pitches before three of the next four batters homered. In the sixth, Carwile singled home sophomore Heidi Foland came around to score the game's final run. Carwile finished 2-for-4 in the game with a pair of RBIs, while Pascale also added two RBIs.

 

The Huskers will look for the sweep in game two of the doubleheader.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Drake at Nebraska (Game 1) Mar 25, 2009 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Drake 2 (18-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Leon, Elena ss........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 Shields, Bridget rf...... 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Craddock, Torey c/dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Bly, Erin lf............. 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Kahler, Kelsey lf/cf.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 DeLong, Jenna cf/p....... 3 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 McClelland, Molly 1b..... 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 2 Mollohan, Erin dp/c...... 2 0 0 1 0 1 8 0 0 Hatfield, Carrie 2b...... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 Osborn, Mandy 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 2 Dordel, Brynne p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Magaddino, Rose lf...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 24 2 4 2 3 10 18 6 5

Nebraska 5 (23-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 1 2 2 0 2 7 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 1 2 1 1 0 8 4 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 1 1 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 1 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex rf............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Long, Haley rf.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 4 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 24 5 7 5 6 6 21 10 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Drake............... 011 000 0 - 2 4 1 Nebraska............ 000 041 X - 5 7 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Dordel, B(2); Carwile(3). LOB - Bulldogs 5; Huskers 8. 2B - Bly, E(4); DeLong, J(4). HR - Carwile(4); Duran(3); Pascale(4). SH - Mollohan, E(5); Barrett(1). SB - Leon, E(10); Brechtel(3). CS - DeLong, J(3); Rutherford(3).

Drake IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Dordel, Brynne...... 4.2 3 3 3 6 5 17 23 109 DeLong, Jenna....... 1.1 4 2 2 0 1 7 8 27

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 4 2 1 3 10 24 28 125

Win - Hill (14-4). Loss - Dordel, B (8-6). Save - None. Pitches/strikes: Dordel, B 109/56; DeLong, J 27/16; Hill 125/82. Umpires - Start: 3:00 pm Time: 2:10 Attendance: Game: NU29