Huskers Top Tigers, 8-0

Tempe, Ariz. - Junior right-hander Robin Mackin threw a four-hit shutout and classmates Julie Brechtel and Heidi Foland each homered as the Nebraska softball team defeated Pacific, 8-0 in five innings on Friday afternoon at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Mackin (6-4) struck out six and walked only one while tossing her second shutout of the year. Each of the four hits she allowed were infield singles, as she picked up the 70th victory of her career, including her two seasons at Fresno State.

Offensively, Nebraska scored eight runs on nine hits. Foland was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI, as she recorded her fifth straight multi-hit game and hit her eighth homer of the year. Brechtel was 1-for-2 with a three-run homer, as she produced her third straight multi-RBI effort. Freshman Brooke Thomason went 2-for-3 with a double, while sophomore Ashley Guile also finished 2-for-3.

Shaina Brock (3-5) took the loss for Pacific, which fell to 6-10. Brock allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 2.0 innings, before Gabby McDaniel pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing three unearned runs on only two hits.

After Pacific stranded a pair of runners in the top of the first, Nebraska made its base runners count in the bottom of the frame. Foland drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Nikki Haget reached on an error as she sacrificed Foland to second base. After a ground out moved the runners to second and third, Brechtel blasted an 0-1 pitch for a long home run to right to put Nebraska on top 3-0.

Mackin worked around a pair of leadoff infield singles in the top of the second and then Foland launched a one-out solo home run to left in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 4-0.

The Huskers continued to plate runs in the third. Mackin drew a leadoff walk before  Thomason doubled off the top lf the wall in right. With runners on second and third, freshman Keela Scott struck out swinging, but she reached first base safely when Pacific's catcher threw wildly to first trying to complete the strikeout. Leading 5-0, Scott then moved up to second on a wild pitch, as the Huskers had runners on second and third with no outs. But a foul out, a fly out and a ground out left the runners stranded in scoring position.

After being held off the scoreboard in the fourth, Nebraska wrapped up the run-rule victory with three runs in the fifth. Senior Whitney Barrett coaxed a one-out walk before Foland followed with a single. Haget then slapped a ball to the third baseman, but her throw went into the right field corner. Barrett and Foland easily scored on the throwing error and Haget showcased her speed by coming all the way around to score with a head-first slide that wrapped up the win.

Nebraska (12-10) next faces No. 23 BYU at approximately 3:30 p.m. Central.

Pacific vs Nebraska (Mar 12, 2010)

• Box score

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Pacific vs Nebraska Mar 12, 2010 at Tempe, Ariz. (Farrington Stadium)

Pacific 0 (6-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Pierce, Lindsey rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Hom, Megan cf............ 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Armagost, Nikki 1b....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 Wilson, Kellee 3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 Wilson, Karie c.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 Allen, Megan ss.......... 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Moore, Amy dp............ 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Rivera, Alexa 2b......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Hendrickson,Brittany lf.. 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 Brock, Shaina p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 McDaniel, Gabby p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 19 0 4 0 1 6 13 7 6

Nebraska 8 (12-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 3 2 1 1 0 7 0 0 Haget, Nikki rf.......... 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 7 0 0 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 1 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Mackin, Robin p.......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke cf...... 3 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 Scott, Keela dp.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 Hupp, Alex lf............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 8 9 4 3 3 15 4 8

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Pacific............. 000 00 - 0 4 3 Nebraska............ 311 03 - 8 9 0 --------------------------------------

Note: 1 out, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.

E - Wilson, Ke. 2; Wilson, Ka. LOB - Tigers 6; Huskers 8. 2B - Guile(6); Thomason(5). HR - Foland(8); Brechtel(3). HBP - Armagost; Brechtel. SH - Haget(4). SB - Foland(4); Barrett(1).

Pacific IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Brock, Shaina....... 2.0 7 5 3 2 0 13 16 51 McDaniel, Gabby..... 2.1 2 3 0 1 3 11 13 59

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mackin, Robin....... 5.0 4 0 0 1 6 19 21 91

Win - Mackin (6-4). Loss - Brock (3-5). Save - None. WP - McDaniel. HBP - by Mackin (Armagost); by McDaniel (Brechtel). Pitches/strikes: Brock 51/34; McDaniel 59/40; Mackin 91/61. Umpires - Start: 1:00 pm Time: 1:39 Attendance: Brock faced 2 batters in the 3rd. Game: NU22