Huskers Upset No. 20 Longhorns

Lincoln ? Senior Crystal Carwile's RBI squeeze bunt in the bottom of the fifth inning propelled the Nebraska softball team to a 2-1 upset victory over the 20th-ranked Texas Longhorns on Friday evening in front of a season-high 971 fans at Bowlin Stadium.

After losing their last three one-run games - including a 2-1 loss at Kansas on Wednesday when the Jayhawks scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning - the Huskers finally came out on top on Friday against the league-leading Longhorns. With the win, Nebraska improved to 27-11 on the season and 4-5 in Big 12 play.

Senior right-hander Molly Hill pitched well in the circle to improve to 17-7 on the year. Against one of the top offenses in the Big 12, Hill scattered six hits over 7.0 innings, allowing only one run. After Texas used three consecutive singles to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Hill did not allow a hit the rest of the way while retiring 15 of the final 17 batters she faced.

Texas ace Brittany Barnhill, the Big 12 leader in wins, took the loss for the Longhorns (31-13, 7-3 Big 12). Barnhill (19-8) allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits in a complete-game effort.

Texas jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third, as the Longhorns strung together back-to-back doubles to take a 1-0 lead. Texas then added a single and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs before Hill retired the next three batters, including a nice grab by in right field by senior Haley Long.

In the bottom of the frame, Nebraska tied the game at one. Freshman Jamie Gay led off with a double and scored on a Texas error one batter later. The Huskers had a chance to add more runs with runners at first and second and one out but a ground out and a strike out ended the threat.

The Huskers threatened again in the bottom of the fourth, as Long and Crystal Carwile led off with consecutive singles. Following a pair of infield pop ups, senior Meghan Mullin walked to load the bases with two outs before Darcy Rutherford hit a flare toward shallow right center that Kelly Melone was able to run down and catch to end the inning.

Nebraska got its first two runners on base again in the bottom of the fifth with a walk and a single. A sacrifice bunt from senior Amanda Duran moved the runners up before Carwile perfectly executed a squeeze bunt to score sophomore Julie Brechtel and put the Huskers in front 2-1.

Hill made sure that run would hold up, as she retired the side in order in three of the final four innings. Her only jam came in the sixth, when she walked two but escaped without any damage done.

Offensively, Gay was the star in her Big 12 debut and only the fourth start of her career. She went 2-for-3 with a run scored, as her two hits were a career high and matched her career total entering the contest. Four other Huskers had singles, as Nebraska out-hit Texas 7-6. Carwile finished 1-for-1 with the game-winning RBI, while the slugger recorded a career-high two sacrifices to highlight the team victory.

Nebraska will look for a series sweep on Saturday, when the Huskers and Longhorns square off at 11 a.m.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball #20 Texas at Nebraska Apr 10, 2009 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Texas 1 (31-13,7-3 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Williams, Desiree 1b..... 4 1 2 0 0 1 6 0 0 Bennett, Alexis ss....... 4 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 Hooks, Amy c............. 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 Johnson, Loryn dp........ 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Barnhill, Brittany p..... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 Craig, Courtney rf....... 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Taylor, Nadia 3b......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 3 Saenz, Crystal lf........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gaskin, Kacie cf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Savony, Shelby ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Melone, Kelly 2b/lf...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 Totals................... 26 1 6 1 2 5 18 8 8

Nebraska 2 (27-11,4-5 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 4 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 1 1 0 0 2 0 5 1 0 Linke, Kelli dp.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Haget, Nikki pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 1 0 1 1 0 0 5 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 Hupp, Alex ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Gay, Jamie 3b............ 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Totals................... 23 2 7 1 3 3 21 9 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Texas............... 001 000 0 - 1 6 1 Nebraska............ 001 010 X - 2 7 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Williams, D.(5). LOB - Longhorns 8; Huskers 9. 2B - Williams, D.(9); Bennett(9); Gay(2). HBP - Johnson, L.. SH - Craig, C.(2); Duran(5); Carwile 2(3). SB - Mullin(17); Rutherford(9).

Texas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Barnhill, Brittany.. 6.0 7 2 1 3 3 23 29 113

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 6 1 1 2 5 26 30 112

Win - Hill (17-7). Loss - Barnhill (19-8). Save - None. WP - Hill 2(10). HBP - by Hill (Johnson, L.). Pitches/strikes: Barnhill 113/62; Hill 112/66. Umpires - HP: Kevin Wallace 1B: Scott Mairs 3B: Greg Pohl Start: 5:03 pm Time: 2:03 Attendance: 971 Game: NU38