Huskers Fall at No. 14 Missouri

Columbia, Mo. - The Nebraska softball team held the nation's sixth-best hitting team to only three hits on Sunday, but 14th-ranked Missouri got each of those three hits in a five-run third inning, including a two-out grand slam that powered the Tigers to a 5-0 victory in the regular-season finale at University Field.

The grand slam capped a five-run third inning for the Tigers, where all five runs scored with two outs. MU totaled the five runs on its only three hits of the game. The first ball Missouri hit out of the infield in the inning was the grand slam off the bat of Lindsey Ubrun, who finished with a league-high 10 home runs during Big 12 play.

The inning started with a ground out and Shana White then popped up a bunt that just escaped the reach of a diving Heidi Foland at third base. Rhea Taylor then hit a grounder to first, but she beat first baseman Crystal Carwile and second baseman Julie Brechtel to the bag without a throw for a second consecutive infield single. A walk then loaded the bases with one out before Nebraska recorded a force out at home.

One out away from getting out of the jam, senior right-hander Molly Hill walked the next batter on five pitches to force in the game's first run. Ubrun then lifted the next pitch deep to right center for her grand slam.

Nebraska picked up its first hit the next inning when senior Darcy Rutherford led off with a double. The Huskers were unable to score her however as three consecutive ground outs ended the inning.

Freshman right-hander Ashley Hagemann relieved Hill for the fourth inning and worked around three walks to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard over the final three innings. Hagemann's effort gave the Husker offense a chance to chip away at the lead, but a sixth-inning single from Carwile and a seventh-inning pinch-hit single from senior Brittany Pascale were the only two hits Nebraska could muster after Rutherford's double. On the day however, Nebraska matched Missouri with three hits.

With the loss, Nebraska finished the regular season with a 34-16 record and the Huskers finished fifth in the final Big 12 Conference standings with a 9-9 mark in league play. NU's fifth-place finish was impressive after the Huskers finished last in the league a year ago and when considering that Nebraska had to go on the road for eight of its 10 games against the top six teams in the conference standings.

Hill took the loss for Nebraska, falling to 24-12 on the season. The five-run third inning was the only inning the Tigers got to Hill, who was charged with five runs on only three hits in three innings of work. The five earned runs were a season high for Hill, who had allowed not allowed an earned run in each of her last two starts and three of her last four overall. Hagemann was outstanding in relief, tossing three hitless innings in the longest outing of her brief Big 12 career.

Chelsea Thomas (11-4) earned the win for Missouri, tossing a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts. With the win, the Tigers finished the regular season with a 42-9 record and MU clinched the No. 2 seed for the Big 12 Championship.

With the regular season now complete, the Huskers begin postseason play next weekend at the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. Fifth-seeded Nebraska will face fourth-seeded Texas at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #14 Missouri May 03, 2009 at Columbia, Mo. (University Field)

Nebraska 0 (34-16,9-9 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 0 Haget, Nikki pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Linke, Kelli dp.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 Long, Haley rf........... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Pascale, Brittany ph.... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 Wright, Kirby ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 0 3 0 2 8 18 5 6

Missouri 5 (42-9,12-6 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rhea Taylor cf........... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Andee Allen 2b........... 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Marla Schweisberger 1b... 1 1 0 0 1 0 9 0 0 Megan Christopher c...... 1 1 0 1 2 1 8 0 1 Michaele Vock pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lindsey Ubrun dp......... 3 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 Micaela Minner rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Gina Schneider 3b........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 Abby Vock ss............. 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Katie Milles ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Shana White lf........... 1 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 Ashley Fleming ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chelsea Thomas p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 21 5 3 5 5 2 21 7 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 3 0 Missouri............ 005 000 X - 5 3 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Schneider. LOB - Huskers 6; Tigers 4. 2B - Rutherford(6). HR - Ubrun. HBP - Schweisberge. SB - Taylor; White 2.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 3.0 3 5 5 2 1 12 15 58 Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.0 0 0 0 3 1 9 12 51

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Chelsea Thomas...... 7.0 3 0 0 2 8 25 27 108

Win - Thomas (11-4). Loss - Hill (24-12). Save - None. HBP - by Hill (Schweisberge). Pitches/strikes: Hill 58/33; Hagemann 51/29; Thomas 108/62. Umpires - HP: Bill Masters 1B: Diane Beasley 3B: Scott Thomas Start: 12:03 pm Time: 1:51 Attendance: 473 Game: NU50