Hill Pitches Huskers Past Jayhawks

Lawrence, Kan. - Senior right-hander Molly Hill tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Nebraska softball team to a 4-0 win in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Kansas Jayhawks at Arrocha Ballpark.

Hill (16-7) was dominant in tossing the second Big 12 shutout of her career. She allowed only one ball to leave the infield all game, while working around a season-high three Husker errors. Her two hits were a season low for a start, while she added five strikeouts in picking up her fourth shutout of the year.

Behind Hill's effort, Nebraska snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 26-10 on the year and 3-4 in Big 12 play. With Hill in control in the circle, Nebraska came up with several clutch hits at the plate. Seven Huskers had a hit while four drove in a run. Senior Meghan Mullin led the way with a 2-for-4 day that included a run scored and an RBI. On the game, Nebraska was 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position after going just 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position during the losing streak.

Sarah Vertelka (5-6) took the loss for Kansas, which fell to 12-22 on the season and to 2-5 in Big 12 play. Vertelka allowed four runs on eight hits in a complete-game effort.

After neither team recorded a hit through the first two innings, three straight one-out singles gave the Huskers a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Mullin and fellow senior Darcy Rutherford both singled to put runners at first and third before senior Amanda Duran surprised KU with a bunt single that brought Mullin home with the game's first run.

Kansas picked up its first hit with a leadoff single in the bottom of the frame but Duran cut down the baserunner by throwing out her second Jayhawk attempting to steal.

Some clutch hitting gave NU a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth. After the first two batters were retired, junior Whitney Barrett beat out an infield single. Senior Haley Long then ripped the next pitch to the gap in right center for an RBI double to score Barrett. Mullin then brought Long home with a sharp RBI single to right.

The Huskers added an insurance run in the seventh thanks to some more clutch hitting and smart baserunning. Freshman Nikki Haget alertly tagged up on a foul out to left, narrowly beating a throw to advance from first to second. Her aggressiveness paid off on the next pitch, as sophomore Kelli Linke ripped an RBI single up the middle.

Hill made sure the lead would hold up by working around a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. Over the final six innings, no Jayhawk made it past second base.

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

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Kansas (Game 1) Apr 08, 2009 at Lawrence, Kan. (Arrocha Ballpark)

Nebraska 4 (26-10,3-4 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Duran, Amanda c.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 6 2 0 Haget, Nikki pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 Linke, Kelli dp......... 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 4 1 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 Hupp, Alex ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 4 8 4 2 4 21 9 8

Kansas 0 (12-22,2-5 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ McCaulley, Dougie cf..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Chapple, Val 3b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 Kocon, Liz rf............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Clark, Allie dp.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Pottorf, Elle c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 3 Jobe, Amanda 1b.......... 1 0 0 0 2 1 9 0 0 Crisosto, Stevie lf...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 Fesmire, Kolby ss........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Ramirez, Sara 2b......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Vertelka, Sarah p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Totals................... 23 0 2 0 3 5 21 9 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 001 200 1 - 4 8 3 Kansas.............. 000 000 0 - 0 2 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Carwile(5); Foland(8); Barrett(7). LOB - Huskers 8; Jayhawks 5. 2B - Foland(5); Long(1). HBP - Rutherford; Foland. SB - Mullin(15); Foland(10). CS - Fesmire; Ramirez.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 2 0 0 3 5 23 26 104

Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Vertelka, Sarah..... 7.0 8 4 4 2 4 29 33 122

Win - Hill (16-7). Loss - Vertelka (5-6). Save - None. WP - Hill(8); Vertelka. HBP - by Vertelka (Rutherford); by Vertelka (Foland). Pitches/strikes: Hill 104/70; Vertelka 122/73. Umpires - HP: Tom Topping 1B: Will Lietske 3B: Robert Blatcher Start: 4:02 pm Time: 2:04 Attendance: Game: NU36