Huskers Rally For Extra-Inning Win

Lincoln ? The Nebraska softball team scored five runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning then held on in the bottom of the frame for a 6-4 extra-inning victory over Nebraska-Omaha in game two of the Big Red Fall Classic on Saturday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers trailed 1-0 after four innings and with the score tied at 1-1, UNO had the winning run on third with only one out in the bottom of the seventh. Senior right-hander Alex Hupp worked out of the jam to force extra innings, where she then delivered a two-run single that aided her cause.

Hupp earned the win in relief, tossing three innings and allowing three unearned runs on three hits. Junior right-hander Robin Mackin earned the start, allowing one run on only two hits in five innings. She finished with nine strikeouts, including seven consecutive from the third through the fifth innings.

UNO took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Katelyn Hinton led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Molly Negrete.

In the top of the fifth, junior Heidi Foland led off with a single. A one-out infield single from sophomore Madison Drake and a walk to senior Whitney Barrett loaded the bases. Freshman Brooke Thomason then fouled off a pair of 3-2 pitches before coaxing a walk that brought freshman Megan Southworth home with the tying run. The Mavs then recorded a force out at home before freshman Gabby Banda lined out to short to end the inning.

 After Nebraska stranded a runner in the top of the seventh, Hupp walked the first two batters in the bottom of the frame. She came back to strike out the next two batters before Alli Hukill fouled out to Banda at third to end the threat.

In the top of the eighth, Barrett was placed on second base and she quickly moved up to third on a ground out by freshman Brooke Thomason. Sophomore Nikki Haget followed with a ground ball to second and Barrett got hung up between third and home. Barrett then broke home and avoided the tag to give Nebraska a 2-1 lead. An infield single, a ground out and an intentional walk loaded the bases with two outs for Hupp, who produced a bloop single to center that scored both Haget and Banda.

Leading 4-1, junior Heidi Foland followed with a two-run double to right to cap the five-run inning.

UNO managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the frame. A Husker error helped fuel the rally and after a Hinton RBI double cut the lead to 6-4, Hupp ended the game with a four-pitch strikeout of Taylor Martin.

Nebraska out-hit UNO, 8-5, led by a 2-for-4 effort from Foland. Seven Huskers produced a hit, while four had at least one RBI as NU improved to 5-0 this fall.

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Nebraska-Omaha Oct 03, 2009 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Nebraska 6 (1-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 3 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 13 1 0 Southworth, Megan pr.... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott, Keela pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mackin, Robin p.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Hupp, Alex p............ 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Foland, Heidi lf......... 4 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 Gay, Jamie 1b............ 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 1 0 Drake, Madison dp........ 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 33 6 8 6 3 5 24 5 8

Nebraska-Omaha 4 (1-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Feichtinger, Molly lf.... 4 0 2 0 0 1 4 0 0 Yates, Treightin 2b...... 3 1 1 1 0 1 3 0 0 Slocum, Lindsey p........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 Negrete, Melissa p...... 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dell, Jenna 3b........... 4 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 2 Hinton, Katelyn cf....... 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 Martin, Taylor dp........ 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 Negrete, Molly 1b........ 2 0 0 1 0 2 5 0 0 Koca, Chelsea ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 Hukill, Alli rf.......... 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 Meneely, Kristi c........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 Totals................... 27 4 5 4 3 14 24 5 6

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------ Nebraska............ 000 010 05 - 6 8 1 Nebraska-Omaha...... 010 000 03 - 4 5 1 ------------------------------------------

E - Foland; Hinton. LOB - Cornhuskers 8; Mavericks 6. 2B - Foland; Hinton 2. HBP - Gay. SH - Yates; Martin. SF - Negrete. SB - Feichtinger; Hinton.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mackin, Robin....... 5.0 2 1 1 1 10 14 18 85 Hupp, Alex.......... 3.0 3 3 0 2 4 13 15 55

Nebraska-Omaha IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Slocum, Lindsey..... 7.2 8 6 4 3 5 32 36 140 Negrete, Melissa.... 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6

Win - Hupp (1-0). Loss - Slocum (0-1). Save - None. HBP - by Slocum (Gay). PB - Guile. Pitches/strikes: Mackin 85/51; Hupp 55/35; Slocum 140/89; Negrete, Me 6/4. Umpires - Start: 12:22 pm Time: 2:09 Attendance: Game: NU5