Huskers Score Late Upset of No. 8 Georgia Tech

Columbus, Ga. - Junior right-hander Robin Mackin tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Nebraska softball team to a 2-0 victory over eighth-ranked Georgia Tech on Friday night at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

Mackin struck out five and walked two as she improved to 5-2 on the season. Against one of the nation's top offenses that was averaging more than seven runs per game, Mackin allowed only two singles, including one on the infield. She allowed only one hit over her final 6.1 innings after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first.

Mackin also added an RBI at the plate with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning. Her RBI made it 2-0 after sophomore Ashley Guile lined a clutch RBI single down the left field line to score junior Heidi Foland with the game's first run. Mackin finished with two of the Huskers' six hits, as Nebraska also coaxed six walks, but stranded nine runners.

Hope Rush (5-2) took the loss for Georgia Tech, which fell to 10-2 on the season.

The game was scoreless heading into the seventh but both teams had excellent scoring chances in the first. Just as was the case in Friday's first game, Nebraska loaded the bases with one out in the first but was unable to score a run. The Yellow Jackets then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame, but they came away empty-handed as well.

The Huskers left the bases loaded again in the second inning and in the third, freshman Brooke Thomason ripped a two-out double to the gap in left center and classmate Megan Southworth attempted to score from first on the play, but was thrown out at home on a close play.

Neither team seriously threatened again until the Huskers' two-run rally in the seventh. After being given the lead, Mackin worked around a one-out walk in the seventh inning. She retired 12 of the final 14 batters to secure Nebraska's first win over a ranked team this season.

Nebraska returns to action on Saturday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic with a pair of games, beginning with a 3 p.m. contest against No. 7 Alabama.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs #8 Georgia Tech Feb 26, 2010 at Columbus, Ga. (South Commons Stdm)

Nebraska 2 (8-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 1 0 0 1 1 6 0 0 Haget, Nikki lf.......... 2 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 6 0 3 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mackin, Robin p.......... 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 Southworth, Megan dp..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori rf.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Totals................... 24 2 6 2 6 4 21 9 9

Georgia Tech 0 (10-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jen Yee 2b............... 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 Kelsi Weseman ss......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 1 Hope Rush p.............. 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Kristine Priebe 1b....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 5 1 0 Kate Kuzma c............. 3 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 2 Jessica Sinclair rf...... 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 Kristen Adkins 3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Caitlin Jordan dp........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Christy Jones cf......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Jessica Weaver ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Kelly Eppinger lf/pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals................... 23 0 3 0 2 5 21 12 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 000 2 - 2 6 2 Georgia Tech........ 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Barrett(9), Haget (2); Rush(1). DP - Georgia Tech 1. LOB - Huskers 9; Georgia Tech 8. 2B - Thomason(3). HBP - Weseman 2. SH - Barrett(1); Sinclair(1); Adkins(4). SF - Mackin(1). SB - Haget(5).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mackin, Robin....... 7.0 2 0 0 2 5 23 29 107

Georgia Tech IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hope Rush........... 7.0 6 2 2 6 4 24 32 128

Win - Mackin (5-2). Loss - Rush (5-2). Save - None. HBP - by Mackin (Weseman); by Mackin (Weseman). Pitches/strikes: Mackin 107/68; Rush 128/77. Umpires - Start: 5:25 pm Time: 2:06 Attendance: Game: NU13