Huskers' Season Ends with 4-1 Loss

Knoxville, Tenn. - The Nebraska softball team was held to just five hits on Sunday, as the Huskers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 loss to Jacksonville State at the Knoxville Regional.

NU had only six baserunners in the game and the Huskers had just two runners advance past second base. With the loss, Nebraska ended its season with a 35-19 record, marking a 10-game improvement in the win column over last season. The Huskers' season was highlighted by a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, where NU posted a 1-2 record. That lone win over Jacksonville State on Friday gave Nebraska 35 wins for the 11th time in the last 12 years, while the Huskers qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 14th time in the past 15 seasons.

Jacksonville State (41-14) advanced to the championship game to face 13th-seeded Tennessee. Ashley Eliasson (17-7) earned the win, allowing one run in a five-hitter that featured five strikeouts and no walks.

Nebraska used three pitchers in the game, but senior right-hander Molly Hill took the loss in her final outing as a Husker. Hill tossed 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Hill re-entered the game in the seventh inning and concluded her career with a strikeout. She finished her season with a 25-15 record, as her 25 wins ranked fifth on the NU single-season victories list.

Freshman right-hander Ashley Hagemann relieved Hill and allowed one run on three hits in 1.2 innings. Sophomore Tori Tyson relieved Hagemann and allowed only an unearned run in 2.0 innings in her NCAA Tournament debut.

One of Nebraska's best scoring chances came in the bottom of the first. The Huskers got a leadoff double from senior Meghan Mullin to start the inning and a one-out error put runners at first and third. Senior Crystal Carwile then tried a squeeze bunt, but her bunt went right back to the pitcher, who threw home in time to get Mullin for the second out. With runners on first and second, a foul out ended the threat.

Both teams were then retired in order in the second before Jacksonville State plated two runs in the top of the third. The Gamecocks got back-to-back singles to start the frame before a hard line out to left marked the first out. Allie Barker, who homered against Hill and the Huskers on Friday, then walked to load the bases. Courtney Underwood then grounded a two-run single through the left side to give JSU a 2-0 lead before the Huskers recorded a out at home and an inning-ending ground out.

Nebraska got a run back in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Amanda Duran led off with a single and freshman Nikki Haget came on to pinch run. Haget advanced to third with no outs on a pair of wild pitches. Both of the next two hitters were unable to bring Haget home, but Eliasson's third wild pitch of the inning allowed Haget to score and cut the lead to 2-1.

Jacksonville State got the run back in the top of the fifth, when Barker belted a 3-2 Hagemann offering for a one-out solo home run to right center.

The Gamecocks added another run in the sixth off Tyson. With two outs, Tyson thought she had escaped a jam, but the Huskers were unable to record an out on a ground ball, and the error allowed Chrissy O'Neal to score the game's final run.

Nebraska got back-to-back one-out singles from senior Darcy Rutherford and Duran in the bottom of the sixth to bring the tying run to the plate, but the Huskers could not convert. After the singles, Carwile and sophomore Julie Brechtel popped out on consecutive pitches to end the threat.

Offensively, Duran went 2-for-3 to pace the Huskers. Mullin, Rutherford and senior Haley Long also added hits, as each of Nebraska's five hits came courtesy of a senior.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Jacksonville State vs Nebraska May 17, 2009 at Knoxville, Tenn. (Lee Softball Stadium)

Jacksonville State 4 (41-14)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Chrissy O'Neal lf........ 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Nikki Prier 1b........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 Allie Barker c........... 3 1 1 1 1 1 6 0 0 Courtney Underwood 2b.... 3 0 2 2 1 0 1 1 2 Kayla Collins dp......... 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Allison Svoboda 3b....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 Jackie Jarman rf......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Mary Beth Ledbetter ss... 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 Hillary Downs cf......... 3 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ashley Eliasson p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 32 4 9 3 2 3 21 7 10

Nebraska 1 (35-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 Haget, Nikki pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 4 Gay, Jamie dp............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Long, Haley rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 Pascale, Brittany ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 27 1 5 0 0 5 21 9 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Jacksonville State.. 002 011 0 - 4 9 1 Nebraska............ 000 100 0 - 1 5 3 -----------------------------------------

E - LEDBETTER, M; Brechtel(5); Barrett 2(9). LOB - JSU 10; Huskers 5. 2B - Mullin(3). HR - BARKER, A.. SH - PRIER, N..

Jacksonville State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Ashley Eliasson..... 7.0 5 1 1 0 5 27 27 116

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 3.1 4 2 2 2 2 14 17 55 Hagemann, Ashley.... 1.2 3 1 1 0 1 9 9 47 Tyson, Tori......... 2.0 2 1 0 0 0 9 9 31

Win - ELIASSON, A. (17-7). Loss - Hill (25-15). Save - None. WP - ELIASSON, A. 3. PB - Duran(3). Pitches/strikes: ELIASSON, A. 116/73; Hill 55/35; Hagemann 47/31; Tyson 31/25. Umpires - HP: Art St. Germain 1B: Joe Squires 3B: Tim Kasati Start: 11:30 am Time: 2:16 Attendance: Game: NU54