Homers Powers Huskers Past Cougars

Auburn, Ala. ? The Nebraska softball team homered four times and pushed its winning streak to six straight with a 9-4 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Saturday morning at the Tiger Invitational.

Junior Heidi Foland led off the game with a homer and added a two-run shot in the third, before senior Whitney Barrett hit a solo home run in the fourth and junior Julie Brechtel launched a three-run homer in the fifth. Foland’s pair of home runs highlighted a 4-for-4 day that included a career high in hits, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Barrett finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs after entering the game with only one hit on the season. Brechtel, who had missed three straight games with an injury, homered in her only official at bat, as she also walked once and was hit twice.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hageman (2-2) earned her second straight win, allowing four runs (two earned) on only four hits in 6.2 innings. Her scoreless innings streak was snapped at 13.0 when she allowed a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Hagemann added eight strikeouts, but walked seven.

SIUE, which had allowed only one home run on the year entering the game, fell to 2-4 on the season. Erika Taylor (2-2) took the loss, allowing all four home runs while surrendering seven runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings.

The home run barraged began early, as Foland belted the second pitch of the game over the wall in center for a leadoff home run to give Nebraska an early 1-0 lead.

SIU Edwardsville’s first scoring threat came in the bottom of the second when a leadoff walk, a stolen base and an error put a runner at third with only one out before Hagemann struck out the next two batters.

Foland struck again in the top of the third. After freshman Gabby Banda coaxed a leadoff walk, Foland quickly fell behind in the count before ripping a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left for a two-run homer.

Barrett, a native of Wetumpka, Ala., then launched a solo home run to left with two outs in the top of the fourth to stretch the lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of the frame, a walk and an error put runners on first and second with one out but Hagemann retired the next two batters on a strikeout and a fly out.

The Huskers stretched their lead to 7-0 with another home run in the top of the fifth. Foland and sophomore Nikki Haget began the inning with back-to-back infield singles. Following a strikeout, Brechtel blasted her three-run homer to right.

Nebraska closed out its scoring in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs. Sophomore Kirby Wright had a two-out RBI single that scored freshman Keela Scott. The hit was the second of the game for Wright, even though she was not in the starting lineup. Barrett then ripped a single into left field that scored sophomore Madison Drake.

The game ended on a sour note for Nebraska, as SIUE scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Nebraska walked three in the inning and misplayed two fly balls, while allowing a two-run homer and a two-out, two-run single. Senior right-hander Alex Hupp came on and allowed a hit before coaxing a strike out for the final out.

The Huskers (6-3) will look for their seventh straight in Saturday's second game against host Auburn.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs SIU Edwardsville Feb 20, 2010 at Auburn, Ala. (Jane B. Moore Field)

Nebraska 9 (6-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b/2b...... 4 3 4 3 0 0 7 1 0 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Guile, Ashley c/dp....... 3 0 0 0 1 2 5 0 0 Wright, Kirby c......... 2 0 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 Tyson, Tori pr/rf....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b/dp.... 1 1 1 3 1 0 2 1 0 Gonzalez, Crystal rf.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex lf/rf......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 Scott, Keela ph/2b...... 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Thomason, Brooke rf/lf... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Drake, Madison rf/lf.... 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan dp..... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 4 1 3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 Gay, Jamie ph/3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 9 12 9 3 5 21 8 6

SIU Edwardsville 4 (2-4)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ BARRON, Lindsey lf....... 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 SCHLAFKE, Kasey ss....... 2 1 0 0 2 1 2 3 0 ZEMBRUSKI, Lauren 3b..... 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 1 LAWRENCE, Ellese dp/ph... 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 FULGINITI, Brianna pr... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOOLEY, Taylor 2b........ 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 RUMPF, Chaleen cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 DAVIS, Whitney 1b........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 SHEEDER, Paige ph....... 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 HAGELBERG, Kay c......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 1 1 STANICEK, Samantha ph... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 SIEBERT, Laurie ph...... 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 MURPHY, Megan rf......... 3 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 TAYLOR, Erika p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 COLEMAN, Lindsey p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 27 4 5 4 7 9 21 10 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 102 130 2 - 9 12 3 SIU Edwardsville.... 000 000 4 - 4 5 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Guile; Drake; Barrett. DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Huskers 6; Cougars 9. 2B - ZEMBRUSKI; LAWRENCE. HR - Foland 2; Brechtel; Barrett; SIEBERT. HBP - Brechtel 2. SB - RUMPF. CS - Barrett.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.2 4 4 2 7 8 25 32 135 Hupp, Alex.......... 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 7

SIU Edwardsville IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- TAYLOR, Erika....... 4.2 8 7 7 2 5 20 23 97 COLEMAN, Lindsey.... 2.1 4 2 2 1 0 11 13 49

Win - Hagemann (2-2). Loss - TAYLOR (2-2). Save - None. WP - COLEMAN. HBP - by TAYLOR (Brechtel); by COLEMAN (Brechtel). PB - HAGELBERG. Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 135/79; Hupp 7/5; TAYLOR 97/58; COLEMAN 49/28. Umpires - HP: Donnie Teague 1B: Donny Finlayson 3B: Mike Bush Start: 10:04 am Time: 2:27 Attendance: Game: NU9