Thomason Powers Huskers Past Pacific

Tempe, Ariz. - A six-run third inning and a pair of home runs from freshman Brooke Thomason powered the Nebraska softball team to an 11-2 six-inning victory over Pacific on Saturday afternoon at the Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

Nebraska trailed 1-0 early before the Huskers batted around in the third. Six of the first seven Husker hitters in the inning came home to score, capped by a three-run home run from Thomason. Thomason added a two-run homer in her next at bat, as she became the first Husker freshman to hit two home runs in a game since Crystal Carwile in 2006.

Thomason set career highs in hits, home runs, runs scored and RBIs, finishing 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and five RBIs. Thomason was one of five Huskers to finish with at least two hits, including junior Julie Brechtel who was 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and thee runs scored. The three runs scored tied her career high, while the four RBIs marked her second four-RBI day in four games. Overall, Brechtel has driven in a run in five straight games, totaling 14 RBIs during that stretch.

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (6-7) earned the victory, allowing two runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings. Hagemann walked only one and tied her season high with 12 strikeouts.

Gabby McDaniel (2-4) took the loss for Pacific, which fell to 7-12 on the season after upsetting 23rd-ranked BYU earlier on Saturday. McDaniel allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in 5.0 innings.

The Huskers had an immediate scoring chance in the top of the first. Junior Heidi Foland doubled on the first pitch of the game and moved to third on a sacrifice slap from sophomore Nikki Haget, but she would get no further as the next two Huskers both struck out to end the threat.

Pacific then used a two-out rally to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. A one-out infield single gave the Tigers their first base runner and a stolen base and a hit batter put runners at first and second with two outs. Nikki Armagost then blooped a single into shallow center field to bring home the game's first run.

The Huskers then exploded for their sixth-run third inning. Senior Whitney Barrett reached on an error to begin the inning and Pacific recorded an out before the hits began to fall for Nebraska. Haget reached when she slapped a hard single off the glove of a drawn-in Kellee Wilson at third base and Barrett tied the game when she came home on a hard-hit RBI single from sophomore Ashley Guile off the glove of the Tigers' second baseman.

Tied 1-1, Brechtel gave Nebraska a 2-1 lead with a double to left center that just alluded a diving Brittany Hendrickson. Junior Robin Mackin then grounded a single over the head of Wilson at third to score Guile with the third run of the inning. Thomason capped the inning with her three-run homer to center that put NU on top 6-1.

Thomason added a two-run homer with one out in the fifth to make it 8-1.

The Huskers then brought the run rule into effect with a three-run third inning. Haget and Guile recorded back-to-back, two-out singles before Brechtel blasted the first pitch she saw over the wall in right for a three-run homer.

Nebraska (13-11) returns to action on Saturday at 6 p.m. (Central), when the Huskers face 10th-ranked Arizona State.

2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Pacific Mar 13, 2010 at Tempe, Ariz. (Farrington Stadium)

Nebraska 11 (13-11)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Haget, Nikki rf/cf....... 3 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 4 1 2 1 0 1 11 1 1 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 3 2 4 0 1 2 0 1 Mackin, Robin dp......... 4 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke cf/rf... 4 2 3 5 0 0 0 0 1 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Tyson, Tori lf........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 32 11 13 11 0 5 18 3 4

Pacific 2 (7-12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Pierce, Lindsey rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 Hom, Megan cf............ 3 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Wilson, Karie c/1b....... 3 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 Wilson, Kellee 3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 1 Armagost, Nikki 1b/p..... 3 0 3 2 0 0 7 0 0 Allen, Megan ss.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 3 Moore, Amy dp/c.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Rivera, Alexa 2b......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Hendrickson,Brittany lf.. 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 McDaniel, Gabby p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 2 7 2 1 12 18 5 7

Score by Innings R H E --------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 006 023 - 11 13 0 Pacific............. 101 000 - 2 7 2 ---------------------------------------

E - Wilson, Ke.; Rivera. LOB - Huskers 4; Tigers 7. 2B - Foland(5); Brechtel(2); Mackin(1); Armagost 2. 3B - Hom. HR - Brechtel(4); Thomason 2(4). HBP - Wilson, Ke.. SH - Haget(5). SB - Barrett(2); Hom.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.0 7 2 2 1 12 25 27 127

Pacific IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- McDaniel, Gabby..... 5.0 9 8 6 0 5 25 26 95 Armagost, Nikki..... 1.0 4 3 3 0 0 7 7 18

Win - Hagemann (6-7). Loss - McDaniel (2-4). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Wilson, Ke.). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 127/86; McDaniel 95/64; Armagost 18/15. Umpires - Start: 1:23 pm Time: 2:01 Attendance: 241 Game: NU24