Huskers Cruise to 10-0 Win

Tulsa, Okla. - The Nebraska softball team recorded its first run-rule victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, as the Huskers cruised to a 10-0 five-inning win over North Dakota in their first game of the day at the Embassy Suites Festival.

 

Nebraska's totals of 10 runs and 12 hits were the second-highest totals of the season in both categories, as the Huskers picked up their 10th win of the season while improving to 10-8. Four Huskers finished with more than one hit, while three players drove in two runs.

 

Junior Heidi Foland homered for the second straight day as part of a 2-for-3 effort that included two RBIs and two runs scored. Behind her, sophomore Nikki Haget produced two hits and a career-high two RBIs, while freshman Megan Southworth (2-for-3) produced the first multi-hit game of her career, including one double. Junior Julie Brechtel (2-for-4) also picked up two hits, while sophomore Ashley Hagemann had her first hit and first two RBIs of the season, despite not entering the lineup until relieving starting pitcher Alex Hupp in the second inning.

 

Hagemann (4-5) also picked up the win, allowing only one hit in 3.2 innings, as she struck out six and did not issue a walk. Hupp tossed the first 1.1 innings and did not allow a run, but walked three and gave up one hit.

 

Michelle Frank (0-2) took the loss for North Dakota, which fell to 3-8 on the season. In 2.0 innings, Frank allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits. In relief, Erica Younan allowed four runs on six hits over the final 3.0 innings. Younan did hold the Huskers off the scoreboard in the fifth, after Nebraska scored in each of the first four innings.

 

The Huskers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Foland was hit by a pitch and Haget followed with a single. Foland then scored on a fielding error and Haget came home on a one-out sacrifice fly from freshman Gabby Banda.

 

Nebraska struck for two more runs in the second. Southworth reached on a one-out single before junior Tori Tyson was hit by a pitch and Foland reached on an infield single to load the bases. Haget then came through with a two-run single down the left field line to push the Huskers' lead to 4-0.

 

In the bottom of the third, three consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out and marked the end of the night for Hupp. Hagemann came on in relief and struck out the next two batters to preserve the four-run lead.

 

The hits kept rolling for the Huskers in the top of the third. Brechtel led off with a single and Banda followed with a double to put runners at second and third. Brechtel scored on a wild pitch on ball four to freshman Brooke Thomason. Thomason moved up to second on a error and she scored along with Banda, as Hagemann put Nebraska on top 7-0 with a two-run single.

 

Foland then capped the five-run inning and extended the lead to 9-0 with a towering two-run home run to left.

 

Nebraska kept scoring in the fourth. Brechtel reached on a one-out single and three wild pitches later, she had scored the Huskers' 10th run. The next three batters then reached on a pair of walks and a single to load the bases before a line out turned into an inning-ending double play.

 

Nebraska wraps up Saturday action at the Embassy Suites Festival with a game against host Tulsa.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs North Dakota Mar 06, 2010 at Tulsa, Okla. (Hardesty Complex)

Nebraska 10 (10-8)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 2 2 2 0 0 4 0 0 Haget, Nikki dp.......... 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Drake, Madison dp....... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 1 Scott, Keela pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 1 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 0 Thomason, Brooke lf...... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 Hupp, Alex p............. 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan rf..... 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Tyson, Tori cf........... 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Totals................... 24 10 12 7 4 2 15 5 6

North Dakota 0 (3-8)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cami Bennett rf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Casie Hanson cf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Toni Schutte 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 Kayelee Schoeny lf....... 2 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 1 Brittany Baker 1b........ 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 Linda Sippola 3b......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Kristi Alcorn ss......... 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Emma Gronseth dp......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Amber Roth c............. 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 3 Michelle Frank p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Erica Younan p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 16 0 2 0 3 6 15 4 4

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 225 10 - 10 12 0 North Dakota........ 000 00 - 0 2 2 --------------------------------------

E - T. Schutte; E. Younan. DP - Sioux 2. LOB - Huskers 6; Sioux 4. 2B - Banda(2); Southworth(2); K. Schoeny. HR - Foland(6). HBP - Foland; Tyson. SF - Banda(1). CS - K. Schoeny.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hupp, Alex.......... 1.1 1 0 0 3 0 4 7 27 Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.2 1 0 0 0 6 12 12 49

North Dakota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Michelle Frank...... 2.0 6 6 4 0 0 11 14 32 Erica Younan........ 3.0 6 4 4 4 2 13 17 70

Win - Hagemann (4-5). Loss - M. Frank (0-1). Save - None. WP - E. Younan 5. HBP - by M. Frank (Foland); by M. Frank (Tyson). Pitches/strikes: Hupp 27/12; Hagemann 49/35; M. Frank 32/18; E. Younan 70/37. Umpires - Start: 3:18 pm Time: 1:45 Attendance: M. Frank faced 2 batters in the 3rd. Game: NU18