Huskers Finish Fall Season With Perfect Record

Lincoln ? The Nebraska softball team completed a perfect fall exhibition season on Sunday with a 3-2 nine-inning win over UNO on Sunday in the final game of the Big Red Fall Classic at Bowlin Stadium.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

In Sunday’s first game, Nebraska blasted Bellevue, 20-0. The Huskers also won both games on Saturday to finish with a perfect 4-0 record at the Big Red Fall Classic. Combined with doubleheader sweeps of UNK and Wayne State last week, NU finished with an 8-0 fall record.

Against the Mavericks, Nebraska twice lost 1-0 leads, but sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings with the international tie breaker in effect to give the Husker offense a chance. NU left the bases loaded in the eighth ? three of the 13 runners the Huskers left on base ? and scored the winning run on a Maverick error two batters into the bottom of the ninth.

Hagemann earned the win, allowing two runs on only three hits in 9.0 innings. She struck out 11 and finished the fall season with a 4-0 record, a 1.08 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 26.0 innings.

Offensively for NU, sophomore Jamie Gay was 3-for-4 with an RBI. The only time she was retired came in the bottom of the seventh when her blooper to right landed cleanly in the outfield, but the Mavericks were able to record a force out at home. Freshman Gabby Banda provided the Huskers’ other RBI, while senior Whitney Barrett finished with two hits and sophomore Nikki Haget scored two runs, including the game-winner.

The Huskers scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second. Hagemann led off the frame with a four-pitch walk. Haget came on to run for Hagemann and quickly advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Alex Hupp. Haget then came home on an RBI single through the left side off the bat of Banda.

NU had a chance for more with runners on the corners and only one out in the bottom of the third, but a line out and a pop out ended the threat.

UNO tied the game in the top of the fourth when Jenna Dell ripped an RBI double down the left field line to score Treightin Yates and mark the Mavericks’ first hit of the game.

The Huskers regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Barrett led off the frame with a single to center. She moved up to second on a foul out from junior pinch-hitter Robin Mackin and scored one pitch later when Gay ripped an RBI single through the left side.

The Mavericks answered back in the top of the sixth when Molly Feichtinger found the gap in left center for a one-out double. With two outs, Katelyn Hinton blooped a single to shallow left field and Feichtinger was able to score on the play as her slide into home knocked the ball loose from freshman Megan Southworth’s glove.

In the bottom of the seventh, Southworth walked on four pitches to lead off the inning. Then on a 1-0 pitch to the next batter, freshman Brooke Thomason, Southworth took off for second. That pulled the shortstop toward the bag and Thomason slapped an infield single into the open hole at short. A sacrifice bunt from Barrett moved the runners up a base before Mackin was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.

Gay then blooped a 1-2 pitch into shallow right for what appeared to be the game-winning single. But Southworth got a late break home and Feichtinger, the UNO right fielder, was able to throw home for the second out. Sophomore Ashley Guile then fouled out to the warning track in right to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth, pinch-runner Alli Hukill was placed on second to begin the inning in accordance with the international tie breaker. A leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with only one out. Hagemann then struck out Hinton before Dell flew out to center to keep the game tied at 2-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Haget was placed on second. UNO intentionally walked junior Heidi Foland before junior pinch-hitter Crystal Gonzalez moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt. A second intentional walk to Hupp loaded the bases with one out before a pair of ground outs ended the threat.

In the top of the ninth, Lindsay Redding began the inning at second base and moved up to third with one out on a ground out. Hagemann then struck out the next two hitters to preserve the tie.

In the bottom of the ninth, Haget pinch ran again at second and Thomason was intentionally walked to begin the inning. Barrett then laid down a bunt back to the circle and UNO pitcher Beth Haley threw wildly to third, allowing Haget to come around and score the game-winning run.

Haley took the loss for UNO despite doing a terrific job of working out of jams. In 8.0 innings, Haley allowed seven hits and walked seven batters, bus she allowed only three runs (two earned).

Box Score 2009 Nebraska Softball Nebraska-Omaha at Nebraska Oct 04, 2009 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Nebraska-Omaha 2 (2-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Feichtinger, Molly rf.... 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 0 Yates, Treightin 2b...... 3 1 0 0 0 1 5 1 0 Hinton, Katelyn lf....... 4 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 Dell, Jenna 3b........... 3 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 2 Nash, Jamie pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Slocum, Lindsey cf....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 Meneely, Kristi c........ 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 Krejci, Julia dp......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 Redding, Lindsay pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Negrete, Molly 1b........ 2 0 0 0 1 1 7 1 0 Hukill, Alli pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Koca, Chelsea ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 1 Haley, Beth p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 28 2 3 2 4 11 24 8 7

Nebraska 3 (4-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Scott, Keela ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mackin, Robin ph........ 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Gay, Jamie 1b............ 4 0 3 1 0 0 7 0 0 Guile, Ashley dp/c....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 Foland, Heidi rf......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 4 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Haget, Nikki pr......... 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gonzalez, Crystal ph.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex lf............ 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 Southworth, Megan c/dp... 2 0 0 0 2 0 5 1 3 Thomason, Brooke cf...... 3 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 3 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Totals................... 30 3 7 2 7 1 27 8 15

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Nebraska-Omaha...... 000 101 000 - 2 3 2 Nebraska............ 010 010 001 - 3 7 0 -------------------------------------------

Note: None out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.

E - Koca; Haley. LOB - Mavericks 7; Cornhuskers 15. 2B - Feichtinger; Dell. HBP - Krejci. SH - Yates; Gonzalez; Hupp; Barrett. SB - Banda; Barrett. CS - Redding.

Nebraska-Omaha IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Haley, Beth......... 8.0 7 3 2 7 1 30 40 106

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 9.0 3 2 2 4 11 28 34 107

Win - Hagemann (2-0). Loss - Haley (0-1). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Krejci). Pitches/strikes: Haley 106/58; Hagemann 107/73. Umpires - Start: 5:26 pm Time: 1:58 Attendance: 225 Haley faced 2 batters in the 9th. Game: NU8