Huskers Win 10-2 in Five Innings

Tulsa, Okla. - Junior Julie Brechtel homered and tied her career high with four RBIs to power the Nebraska softball team to a 10-2 five-inning victory over North Dakota on Sunday morning at the Embassy Suites Festival in Tulsa, Okla.

In addition to Brechtel's big day at the plate, junior Heidi Foland continued her hot hitting with a 3-for-4 day that included two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Ashley Guile was 2-for-3 with two RBIs while freshman Keela Scott, in her second career start, produced her first multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with a career-high two runs scored and her first RBI.

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (5-5) allowed two runs on only four hits. The first three hits came to successive batter in the third inning, including a pair of infield singles and a bloop RBI single to shallow left. Hagemann, who was pitching in her third straight game, tossed her second consecutive complete game and added eight strikeouts while walking only one.

Emma Gronseth (3-4) took the loss for North Dakota (3-9). Gronseth allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings, while fanning five and walking two.

In the bottom of the first, Foland and sophomore Nikki Haget got things started with back-to-back singles. Guile then brought Foland home with an RBI single through the right side. Freshman Megan Southworth then made it 2-0 with an RBI ground out two batters later. Freshman Brooke Thomason capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single up the middle.

In the bottom of the second, a pair of walks and a single from Scott loaded the bases with only one out. Guile picked up her second RBI of the game with a ground out before Brechtel cleared the bases by blasting a 3-1 pitch to straight away center for a three-run homer that gave NU a 7-0 lead.

Nebraska added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Brechtel picked up her fourth RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to deep center that scored Foland, who led off the inning with a double.

After a North Dakota solo home run cut the lead to 8-2 in the top of the fifth, the Huskers plated a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the frame to wrap up the run-rule win. With two outs, sophomore Kirby Wright got things started with a single. Scott followed with an RBI double, before Foland followed with her second double of the game to score Scott and wrap up the 10-2 win.

Nebraska (11-9) wraps up play at the Embassy Suites Festival later today against Tulsa. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., although the game may start later depending on the length of the earlier game.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball North Dakota vs Nebraska Mar 07, 2010 at Tulsa, Okla. (Hardesty Complex)

North Dakota 2 (3-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cami Bennett rf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Casie Hanson cf.......... 3 2 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 Toni Schutte 2b.......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 4 1 0 Linda Sippola 3b......... 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 Brittany Baker 1b........ 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 Emma Gronseth p.......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Kristi Alcorn ss......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 Amber Roth c............. 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 1 Kayelee Schoeny lf....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Totals................... 19 2 4 2 1 8 14 5 4

Nebraska 10 (11-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 3b......... 4 2 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Haget, Nikki dp.......... 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 1 2 2 0 0 2 1 0 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 1 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 Southworth, Megan rf..... 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 Thomason, Brooke lf...... 3 0 1 1 0 1 3 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 Wright, Kirby c.......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 8 0 0 Barrett, Whitney pr..... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scott, Keela ss.......... 3 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 Tyson, Tori cf........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 10 11 10 2 5 15 3 4

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- North Dakota........ 001 01 - 2 4 1 Nebraska............ 340 12 - 10 11 1 --------------------------------------

Note: 2 outs, 1 runner LOB when the game ended.

E - T. Schutte; Scott(1). LOB - Sioux 4; Huskers 4. 2B - Foland 2(4); Scott(1). HR - C. Hanson; Brechtel(2). SH - T. Schutte. SF - Brechtel(1).

North Dakota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Emma Gronseth....... 4.2 11 10 10 2 5 25 28 107

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 5.0 4 2 2 1 8 19 21 87

Win - Hagemann (5-5). Loss - E. Gronseth (3-4). Save - None. Pitches/strikes: E. Gronseth 107/67; Hagemann 87/63. Umpires - HP: Aaron Eller 1B: Rick Boyer 3B: Bruce Plummer Start: 9:00 am Time: 1:37 Attendance: Game: NU20