Huskers Shut Out Virginia Tech

Columbus, Ga. - Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann tossed a two-hit shutout and classmate Ashley Guile went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Nebraska softball team to a 2-0 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday in the final game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Huskers and secured a winning month of February, as Nebraska improved to 9-7 on the season. Hagemann (3-4) walked three and struck out five in throwing her second two-hitter of the weekend and her second two-hit shutout over the last two weeks.

Guile led the offensive charge by tying her career high in hits and driving in what proved to be the winning run. The Huskers out-hit Virginia Tech, 7-2.

Kenzie Roark (1-6) took the loss for Virginia Tech, which fell to 4-10 on the year. Roark tossed a complete game and allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits, while striking out four and walking none.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Heidi Foland won a 10-pitch at bat to begin the inning with a single. She moved to second on a ground out from sophomore Nikki Haget and scored on an RBI single from Guile.

The Huskers then escaped a jam in the top of the third. An error and a bloop double that landed just fair behind the first-base bag put runners at second and third with one out. Courtney Liddle then smashed a ball that appeared headed to left field, but Foland dove to her left and snagged the ball to end the inning.

Hagemann worked around another one-out double in the fourth, as the Hokies stranded a pair of runners.

Nebraska wasted a leadoff double in the fourth and a leadoff single in the fifth before the Huskers cashed in a leadoff hit in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Nikki Haget began the frame with an infield single and Guile followed with her third hit of the day. After a foul out and a fly out, senior Alex Hupp popped a pitch up behind the plate and the wind carried it into fair territory, where Liddle was unable to make the catch and Haget scored from second.

Leading 2-0, Hagemann retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh before issuing a two-out walk. She bounced back to get the next batter to ground out and end the game.

Nebraska hits the road again next weekend, when the Huskers travel to Tulsa, Okla., for five total games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Virginia Tech vs Nebraska Feb 28, 2010 at Columbus, Ga. (South Commons Stdium)

Virginia Tech 0 (4-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Bkaye Smith 2b........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 Richelle McGarva cf...... 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 Courtney Liddle c........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 2 Kristin Graham 1b........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 Whitney Davis rf......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Ashton Ward ss........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Misty Hall dp............ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Betty Rose lf............ 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 Amber Walker ph......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Sarah Ashby pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kelsey Hensel 3b......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Kristen Froehlich ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Kenzie Roark p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 23 0 2 0 3 5 18 6 6

Nebraska 2 (9-7)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 1 Haget, Nikki rf.......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Guile, Ashley c/1b....... 3 0 3 1 0 0 6 1 0 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mackin, Robin dp......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke cf...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Southworth, Megan lf..... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Hupp, Alex lf........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gay, Jamie 1b............ 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Wright, Kirby c......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 2 Scott, Keela 2b.......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 25 2 7 1 0 4 21 8 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Virginia Tech....... 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 Nebraska............ 100 001 X - 2 7 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Liddle, C.(3); Foland(3). DP - Hokies 1. LOB - Hokies 6; Huskers 5. 2B - McGarva, R.(3); Davis, W.(2); Guile(5). HBP - Hall, M.. CS - McGarva, R.(5).

Virginia Tech IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kenzie Roark........ 6.0 7 2 1 0 4 25 25 90

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 2 0 0 3 5 23 27 106

Win - Hagemann (3-4). Loss - Roark, K. (1-6). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Hall, M.). Pitches/strikes: Roark, K. 90/59; Hagemann 106/58. Umpires - Start: 11:39 am Time: 2:01 Attendance: Game: NU16