Nebraska Falls to No. 23 BYU

Tempe, Ariz. - The Nebraska softball team lost a 5-1 decision to 23rd-ranked BYU on Saturday afternoon in the Huskers' second game of the day at the Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

The Husker offense was held to just one run in the loss, although Nebraska had at least one hit in five of the seven innings, stranding a total of six runners. Junior Robin Mackin led the Huskers' six-hit attack with a 2-for-3 day, while junior Heidi Foland extended her career-best hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-2 day that included scoring Nebraska's lone run of the game. Classmate Julie Brechtel drove in Foland with an RBI single, as she finished 1-for-3 while picking up her 10th RBI in her last four games.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (5-7) took the loss for Nebraska, which fell to 12-11 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Hagemann allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out nine in only 6.0 innings.

Paige Affleck (11-3) earned the win for BYU, which improved to 16-4 on the season, with each of the Cougars' four losses coming to ranked teams. Affleck scattered six hits, while allowing only one run and striking out five.

After both teams stranded a runner in the top of the first, a pair of singles gave Nebraska runners at first and third with only one out in the second, but the Huskers were unable to plate a run.

In the bottom of the frame, back-to-back singles and a wild pitch put Cougars on second and third with no outs. Hagemann bounced back to strike out the next two hitters before Delaney Willard grounded a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a two-run single that gave BYU a 2-0 lead.

The Huskers saw their leadoff batter reach base for the third straight inning in the top of the third. Foland worked a leadoff walk and was at third with two outs when Brechtel lined a 3-2 pitch into center field for an RBI single that cut the lead to 2-1.

BYU answered in the bottom of the frame when Angeline Quicho hit a towering, two-run home run to left center to push the Cougars' lead to 4-1.

Hagemann then settled down and did not allow another hit until a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth. That cost her a run, as a one-out ground out by Kristin Delahoussaye gave BYU a 5-1 lead.

Nebraska returns to action at the Diamond Devil Invitational on Saturday, with a pair of games against Pacific and 10th-ranked Arizona State. The Huskers open play on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Tigers.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs #23 BYU Mar 12, 2010 at Tempe, Ariz. (Farrington Stadium)

Nebraska 1 (12-11)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 1 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 Haget, Nikki rf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 Mackin, Robin dp......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Hupp, Alex lf............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke cf...... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 Wright, Kirby ph........ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 26 1 6 1 2 5 18 6 6

BYU 5 (16-4)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ DELAHOUSSAYE,Kristin 2b.. 4 0 0 1 0 2 1 4 1 CLAYTON, J.C. ss......... 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 5 0 QUICHO, Angeline 3b...... 4 1 2 2 0 1 0 1 4 PURCELL-FITU, Jess. c.... 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 1 RAMIREZ, Andrea 1b....... 3 1 2 0 0 0 11 0 0 VANCE-KELLUM, Amanda dp.. 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUDSON, Alexandra cf..... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 DUGAS, Jessica pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DAVIS-ATAGI,Caschjen lf.. 2 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 WILLARD, Delaney rf...... 3 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 AFFLECK, Paige p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 27 5 9 5 3 9 21 12 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 001 000 0 - 1 6 0 BYU................. 022 001 X - 5 9 0 -----------------------------------------

DP - Cougars 1. LOB - Huskers 6; Cougars 7. 2B - QUICHO; RAMIREZ; HUDSON. HR - QUICHO. SB - Haget(7); CLAYTON; DAVIS-ATAGI; WILLARD.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.0 9 5 5 3 9 27 30 110

BYU IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- AFFLECK, Paige...... 7.0 6 1 1 2 5 26 28 112

Win - AFFLECK (11-3). Loss - Hagemann (5-7). Save - None. WP - Hagemann(6). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 110/69; AFFLECK 112/69. Umpires - Start: 3:29 pm Time: 1:57 Attendance: 274 Game: NU23