Thomason Powers Huskers to First Win

Las Cruces, N.M. ? Brooke Thomason’s three-run homer powered the Nebraska softball team to its first win of the season, as the freshman’s blast erased a one-run deficit and put the Huskers on top for good in a 6-4 victory over UTEP on Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M.

Nebraska improved to 1-3 on the season with the win, avoiding the program’s first 0-4 start since 1997. The Husker offense scored in each of the first four innings, highlighted by Thomason’s first career home run that gave NU a 5-3 lead after three innings.

Thomason also added a double to finish 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Sophomore Nikki Haget added two hits, while sophomore Ashley Guile produced Nebraska’s only other RBI.

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann earned the start and allowed four runs in 3.2 innings. Senior right-hander Alex Hupp (1-0) earned the win in relief, allowing only one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings. Junior right-hander Robin Mackin then earned the save by allowing one hit in a scoreless seventh inning.

Stacie Townsend (0-2) took the loss for UTEP, which fell to 0-3 on the season. Townsend was hurt by a Miner defense that committed five errors, as only one of the six runs she allowed was earned. Townsend also added nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

Nebraska led after the first inning of play for the third time in four games. In the bottom of the first, Haget reached on a one-out single and then stole second. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Guile grounded a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a two-out RBI single.

The Huskers stretched the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second. Thomason reached on a one-out double and scored three batters later when UTEP’s Ashley Collazo was unable to handle a ground ball off the bat of junior Heidi Foland.

The lead was quickly erased in the top of the third. The first two Miners reached on singles before Camilla Carrera belted the first pitch she saw over the wall in left center for a three-run homer.

Nebraska answered with Tomason's three-run homer of its own in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead at 5-3. A walk and an error put runners on second and third with two outs when Thomason blasted a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right for her first career home run in only her sixth career at bat.

UTEP answered back in the top of the fourth, converting a leadoff single into a run to cut the lead to 5-4.

The Huskers got the run back in the bottom of the frame. Haget reached on a one-out infield single and then junior Julie Brechtel laid down a bunt. But the second baseman was late covering first base on the bunt, allowing Brechtel to reach and with no one on the bag to catch the throw, the ball went down the right field line allowing Haget to move to third. Brechtel then stole second and on the throw down to second, Haget raced home from third.

Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the fifth and the sixth innings before UTEP attempted a rally in the top of the seventh. A leadoff double could not come around to score however, as Mackin retired the final three hitters to pick up the save.

Nebraska returns to the field immediately to face Colorado State.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Texas-El Paso vs Nebraska Feb 13, 2010 at Las Cruces, N.M. (NMSU Softball Cmplx)

Texas-El Paso 4 (0-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Troupe, Chelsea c........ 4 1 2 0 0 0 9 1 2 Carrera, Camilla dp...... 3 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 Townsend, Stacie p....... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Walts, Kayleigh 1b....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 1 Ware, Courtney lf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Frye, Kelynn 2b.......... 3 1 2 0 0 1 1 2 2 Ellis, Ashley cf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Oranger, Kayla ss........ 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 Moore, Kia rf............ 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Collazo, Ashley 3b....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 28 4 8 4 2 3 18 6 7

Nebraska 6 (1-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 0 Haget, Nikki lf.......... 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 Mackin, Robin dp/p....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Thomason, Brooke cf...... 3 2 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 Tyson, Tori rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 2 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 29 6 7 4 1 9 21 9 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Texas-El Paso....... 003 100 0 - 4 8 5 Nebraska............ 113 100 X - 6 7 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Frye 2; Oranger; Collazo 2; Banda(4). LOB - Miners 7; Huskers 6. 2B - Troupe; Carrerae; Thomason(1). HR - Carrerae; Thomason(1). SH - Ware; Ellis. SB - Foland(1); Haget 2(2); Brechtel(1).

Texas-El Paso IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Townsend, Stacie.... 6.0 7 6 1 1 9 29 30 106

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.2 6 4 4 1 2 16 18 45 Hupp, Alex.......... 2.1 1 0 0 1 1 8 10 41 Mackin, Robin....... 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 4 4 8

Win - Hupp (1-0). Loss - Townsend (0-2). Save - Mackin (1). WP - Townsend 2; Hagemann(3). BK - Hupp(1). Pitches/strikes: Townsend 106/66; Hagemann 45/35; Hupp 41/27; Mackin 8/6. Umpires - Start: 10:56 am Time: 2:19 Attendance: Game: NU4