Huskers Rally Past Coyotes

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team scored seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to erase a four-run deficit and rally for a 7-5 victory over South Dakota on Wednesday in the first game of the Huskers' home-opening doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

Three home runs - including two from Alain Novotny - gave the Coyotes a 3-0 lead after four innings of play. But the Huskers rallied for five runs in the fifth and took a one-run lead before South Dakota tied the game in the top of the sixth. NU then secured the victory by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to snap a two-game losing streak.

The rally allowed Nebraska to improve to 14-13 on the season heading into game two of the doubleheader. Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (7-8) earned the win. In 6.0 innings, Hagemann allowed five runs on only five hits, while striking out nine and walking four. She held seven of the Coyotes' nine batters without a hit, but Novotny and Mel Johnson - the No. 4 and 5 hitters - combined to go 5-for-5 with three home runs, a walk, four RBIs and four runs scored.

Senior right-hander Alex Hupp earned her first save of the season by pitching a perfect seventh inning.

Johnson (3-5) took the loss for South Dakota, which fell to 4-13 on the year. Johnson tossed a complete game and allowed seven runs (four earned) on nine hits.

Offensively, Hupp finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, as did junior Julie Brechtel. All told, seven Huskers finished with a hit, while four drove in at least one run.

South Dakota opened the scoring when Novotny homered on the first pitch of the second inning.

Novotny struck again in the fourth. Alexa Rudeen coaxed a leadoff walk before Novotny blasted a two-run homer just over the fence in center. Johnson then made it back-to-back homers when she hit an 0-2 pitch out to left center to extend the Coyotes' lead to 4-0.

Nebraska's first real scoring threat came in the bottom of the frame. Freshman Gabby Banda coaxed her second walk of the game with two outs before Hupp recorded the Huskers' first hit with a single through the left side. With runners on first and third, a strikeout ended the threat.

Senior Whitney Barrett and junior Heidi Foland then led off the fifth inning with back-to-back singles. Sophomore Nikki Haget then reached on an error when she laid down a sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs. Junior Ashley Guile followed a blooper to shallow right that popped out of Jasey Goedeken's glove for an error that allowed Barrett to score.

Trailing 4-1, Brechtel and freshman Brooke Thomason delivered back-to-back RBI singles through the right side to trim the lead to one. With the bases loaded and still no outs, Banda popped out to short before Hupp worked the count and grounded a 3-2 pitch back up the middle for a two-run single that gave the Huskers a 5-4 lead.

South Dakota came back and had its first four batters reach base in the top of the sixth, but one of the runners was picked off second base. With the bases loaded and one out, Hagemann walked Jessica Lussman, the No. 8 hitter, to force in the tying run. Hagemann then fell behind the next hitter 3-1 before coaxing a fly out to shallow left. She then escaped further damage by striking out Michelle Jones.

In the bottom of the sixth, Foland drew a leadoff walk and Haget followed with a bunt single. Guile then doubled down the left field line to score Foland, before Brechtel singled up the middle to bring Haget home and give Nebraska a 7-5 lead. A ground out marked the first out of the inning but put runners at second and third. Nebraska could not add to its lead however, as a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning.

The Huskers will look for a sweep in game two of the doubleheader. A win would give Nebraska back-to-back victories for the first time in nearly a month.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball South Dakota at Nebraska (Game 1) Mar 17, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

South Dakota 5 (4-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ JONES, Michelle lf....... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 ROAN, Callie ss.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 RUDEEN, Alexa 1b......... 3 1 0 0 1 2 5 0 1 NOVOTNY, Alaina 3b....... 3 2 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 SNOW, Kate pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 JOHNSON, Mel dp/p........ 3 2 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 FRICKE, Rachel c......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 EVERSLEY, Lexie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 LUSSMAN, Jessica cf...... 2 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 GOEDEKEN, Jasey rf....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 DENNEY, Erica p/dp....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 5 5 5 4 10 18 8 5

Nebraska 7 (14-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 2 2 1 0 1 1 5 0 0 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 10 2 1 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 3 0 Hupp, Alex dp/lf......... 4 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 Tyson, Tori lf........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Mackin, Robin ph/dp..... 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 27 7 9 6 5 4 21 9 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- South Dakota........ 010 301 0 - 5 5 2 Nebraska............ 000 052 X - 7 9 1 -----------------------------------------

E - JOHNSON, M.(1); GOEDEKEN, J.(1); Banda(8). LOB - Coyotes 5; Huskers 9. 2B - Guile(7). HR - NOVOTNY, A. 2(2); JOHNSON, M.(2). HBP - EVERSLEY, L.; Foland. SH - ROAN, C.(6); Haget(7). SB - Foland(5); Haget(8).

South Dakota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DENNEY, Erica....... 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - JOHNSON, Mel........ 6.0 9 7 4 5 4 27 34 131

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.0 5 5 5 4 9 22 28 115 Hupp, Alex.......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 15

Win - Hagemann (7-8). Loss - JOHNSON, M. (3-5). Save - Hupp (1). WP - Hagemann(7). HBP - by JOHNSON, M. (Foland); by Hagemann (EVERSLEY, L.). PB - FRICKE, R. 2(8). Pitches/strikes: JOHNSON, M. 131/71; Hagemann 115/72; Hupp 15/11. Umpires - HP: Andy Hahn 1B: Scott Mair 3B: Jeff Sloan Start: 2:59 pm Time: 2:18 Attendance: Game: NU27