Huskers Fall to Texas at Big 12 Championship

Oklahoma City - The third time was the charm for Texas on Saturday afternoon, as the Longhorns had all the answers in a 10-5 victory over the Nebraska softball team at the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.

The Huskers swept Texas in Lincoln during the regular season, but the Longhorns had all of the answers on Saturday. After Nebraska scored twice in the top of the first, Texas answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame. When the Huskers cut the lead to 4-3 in the fourth, the Longhorns homered on the first pitch of the bottom inning.

Texas found a way to get to Husker right-hander Molly Hill after Hill held the Longhorns to a combined three runs while throwing every inning of the two-game regular-season series. Walks were a problem for Nebraska on Saturday, as Husker pitchers issued seven free passes in the game and four of those walks came around to score.

The walks were made worse when combined with timely hitting from Texas. Each team had nine hits in the game, but each of Texas' first six hits produced an RBI. On the day, seven of the Longhorns' nine hits produced a run, as six of UT's hits came with runners in scoring position, while a seventh was a solo home run. Nebraska meanwhile scored only five runs on its nine hits despite a pair of home runs, as the Huskers stranded nine in the game.

Hill took the loss for the Huskers, falling to 24-13 on the season. Hill allowed eight runs (seven earned) on only five hits in 4.0 innings. She was hurt by six walks, as Nebraska fell to 34-17 on the season.

Brittany Barnhill (24-11) earned the win for Texas, which improved to 38-17 on the season and will play top-seeded Oklahoma in Saturday night's second semifinal. Barnhill allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in 4.0 innings, while Erin Tresselt earned the save after allowing two runs on three hits over the final 3.0 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Senior Meghan Mullin led off with a single and moved up to second on a slap from senior Darcy Rutherford. Senior Amanda Duran then scored Mullin with an RBI single. Senior Crystal Carwile followed with a single to center before the Longhorns recorded the second out of the inning. Sophomore Julie Brechtel then came up with a clutch two-out hit, as she lined a 3-2 pitch into center for an RBI single that scored Duran. The Huskers had runners at second and third with two outs before a pop up ended the inning.

After the Huskers plated two runs on four hits in the top of the inning, Texas answered back with four runs on only three hits in the bottom of the frame. Hill recorded the first out on one pitch before walking the next two batters. Both walks came around to score as the next three batters all recorded RBI hits, including a two-run bloop double from Barnhill.

NU wasted a leadoff single in the third but the Huskers threatened again in the fourth. A single and an error gave Nebraska runners at first and second with no outs. The next two batters were retired before Rutherford walked to load the bases. Duran then drew a two-out walk to force in a run and cut the lead to 4-3. With the bases still loaded, a ground out ended the inning.

Texas immediately answered the run in the bottom of the frame, as Amy Hooks sent the first pitch of the inning over the wall in center for a leadoff home run.

The Longhorns added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Hill walked the first two batters before Lexy Bennett hit a hard grounder to second that skipped past Brechtel for an RBI single. Leading 6-3, Texas still had runners at first and second with no outs when freshman right-hander Ashley Hagemann relieved Hill. Hagemann allowed both inherited runners to score, as she walked three and allowed a single. Hagemann was not charged with a run of her own however, as junior right-hander Alex Hupp coaxed an inning-ending ground out with the bases loaded to keep the score 8-3.

UT added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth off Hupp. A pair of leadoff singles came back to hurt Hupp, as Nadia Taylor laced a one-out double that brought both runners home.

Trailing 10-3, Brechtel and fellow sophomore Heidi Foland launched back-to-back solo home runs with two outs in the top of the seventh, but it was too little too late for the Big Red. The home runs were the sixth of the season for each player, as the classmates moved into a two-way tie for the team lead in homers this season.

Brechtel, Foland and Rutherford each finished with two hits in the loss. Brechtel and Duran added two RBIs for the Huskers, while Foland drove in one and scored twice.

After being eliminated from the Big 12 Championship, Nebraska will now await word on its NCAA Tournament fate, as the NCAA will announce the field on Sunday at 9 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Texas May 09, 2009 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Complex)

Nebraska 5 (34-17)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 3 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 Duran, Amanda c.......... 3 1 1 2 1 0 2 1 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 1 0 1 0 7 0 3 Linke, Kelli dp.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 2 2 1 0 0 3 1 2 Long, Haley rf........... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 Pascale, Brittany ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gay, Jamie ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 5 9 5 4 3 18 7 9

Texas 10 (38-17)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Williams, Desiree 1b..... 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 3 Craig, Courtney rf....... 1 2 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 Thrasher, Tallie ph..... 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Johnson, Loryn dp........ 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Cook, Kori pr/dp........ 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bennett, Alexis ss....... 2 1 2 2 1 0 1 2 0 Feight, Raygan pr/ss.... 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Taylor, Nadia 3b......... 3 1 2 3 1 0 2 1 0 Barnhill, Brittany p..... 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 Chalk, Brittany lf...... 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Hooks, Amy c............. 4 1 1 1 0 1 3 1 1 Melone, Kelly 2b......... 2 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 1 Gaskin, Kacie cf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Savony, Shelby ph....... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Saenz, Crystal lf........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tresselt, Erin p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 10 9 10 8 2 21 8 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 200 100 2 - 5 9 1 Texas............... 400 132 X - 10 9 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Long(1); Barnhill. LOB - Huskers 9; Longhorns 6. 2B - Taylor; Barnhill. HR - Brechtel(6); Foland(6); Hooks. HBP - Foland. SF - Chalk. CS - Rutherford(5).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 4.0 5 8 7 6 1 16 22 76 Hagemann, Ashley.... 0.2 1 0 0 2 1 2 5 21 Hupp, Alex.......... 1.1 3 2 2 0 0 7 7 28

Texas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Barnhill, Brittany.. 4.0 6 3 2 3 3 19 22 86 Tresselt, Erin...... 3.0 3 2 2 1 0 11 13 48

Win - Barnhill (24-12). Loss - Hill (24-13). Save - Tresselt (3). WP - Hill(13); Barnhill. HBP - by Tresselt (Foland). Pitches/strikes: Hill 76/40; Hagemann 21/12; Hupp 28/17; Barnhill 86/45; Tresselt 48/25. Umpires - Start: 2:09 pm Time: 2:18 Attendance: 1568 Hill faced 3 batters in the 5th. Game: NU51