NU Completes Sweep with 9-3 Win

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of South Dakota at Bowlin Stadium on Wednesday, taking the nightcap by a score of 9-3.

The Huskers pounded out 13 hits in the win - one shy of their season high - while scoring in four of their six turns at bat. The win improved the Huskers' record to 15-13 on the year, as NU won back-to-back games for the first time since Feb. 19 and 20. Nebraska also moved to 33-0 all-time against the four Dakota Division I softball programs (North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State).

In a reversal of game one, senior right-hander Alex Hupp earned the win and sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann picked up the save. In 4.1 innings, Hupp (2-0) allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out six. Hagemann earned her first save of the season by allowing one unearned run on three hits in 2.0 innings of work.

Offensively, sophomore Ashley Guile tied a career high with three hits, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Freshman Gabby Banda tied her career high with two RBIs as part of a 2-for-3 day effort that included her third double of the season. Junior Heidi Foland and sophomore Nikki Haget had two hits apiece, as the first three batters in the Husker order combined for seven hits, four RBIs and three runs scored.

Junior Julie Brechtel added one hit to extend her hitting streak to a career-best 11 games.

Melissa Blackburn (1-5) took the loss for South Dakota (4-14). Blackburn tossed a complete game and allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits.

Just like it did in game one, South Dakota scored first in the nightcap. A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt were cashed in when Alexa Rudeen flared an RBI single over the head of senior Whitney Barrett at short. The Coyotes added a third hit in the inning and had runners on first and second with only one out before Hupp retired the next two batters.

The Huskers tied the game with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. After the first two batters were retired, sophomore Kirby Wright drew a four-pitch walk before Banda doubled to the wall in center to drive in Wright with the tying run.

In the bottom of the third, Foland led off with a double and with one out, Guile and Brechtel loaded the bases with consecutive singles. Freshman Brooke Thomason then gave Nebraska a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Foland.

The Huskers scored again in the fourth. Haget scored sophomore pinch-runner Madison Drake with a two-out, RBI double. Guile then ripped a single up the middle to score two and give Nebraska a 5-1 lead.

South Dakota answered in the top of the fifth. A leadoff walk came back to hurt Hupp when Rudeen reached on an RBI double off the top of the fence in center. A single and a walk then loaded the bases with only one out and marked the end of the night for Hupp. Hagemann came on in relief and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to squelch the threat.

Nebraska scored for the fourth straight inning in the bottom of the fifth. Thomason led off with a single and scored on an RBI single from Banda. On the play, Banda wound up at third following a throwing error. Barrett then brought Banda home with an RBI single that made the score 7-2. The Huskers tacked on two more runs on an RBI single from Foland and an infield hit from Haget where Foland came around to score on a throwing error.

An error cost the Huskers a run in the sixth, when Alaina Novotny lined a two-out, RBI single to center to trim the lead to 9-3.

Nebraska is off this weekend, as the Huskers next return to the field on Wednesday, March 24, with a doubleheader against Wisconsin at Bowlin Stadium, beginning at 3 p.m.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball South Dakota at Nebraska (Game 2) Mar 17, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium) South Dakota 3 (4-14) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ JONES, Michelle lf....... 4 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 ROAN, Callie ss.......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 RUDEEN, Alexa 1b......... 4 0 3 2 0 0 6 0 0 NOVOTNY, Alaina 3b....... 4 0 2 1 0 0 2 1 0 JOHNSON, Mel dp.......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 4 FRICKE, Rachel c......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 EVERSLEY, Lexie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 0 DENNEY, Erica ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 LUSSMAN, Jessica cf...... 3 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 3 GOEDEKEN, Jasey rf....... 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 BLACKBURN, Melissa p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 32 3 10 3 3 11 18 4 12 Nebraska 9 (15-13) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 4 2 2 1 0 1 4 0 0 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley dp/c....... 4 0 3 2 0 0 5 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex p............. 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wright, Kirby c/dp....... 2 1 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 1 2 2 0 0 2 4 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 Tyson, Tori lf/pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 30 9 13 8 2 3 21 5 6 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- South Dakota........ 100 011 0 - 3 10 2 Nebraska............ 011 340 X - 9 13 2 ----------------------------------------- E - JONES, M.(2); RUDEEN, A.(4); Foland(5); Banda(9). LOB - Coyotes 12; Huskers 6. 2B - RUDEEN, A. 2(5); Haget(2); Wright(2); Banda(3). SH - ROAN, C.(7). SF - Thomason(1). SB - Brechtel(2); Barrett(3). South Dakota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- BLACKBURN, Melissa.. 6.0 13 9 8 2 3 30 33 106 Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hupp, Alex.......... 4.1 7 2 2 3 6 20 24 89 Hagemann, Ashley.... 2.2 3 1 0 0 5 12 12 46 Win - Hupp (2-0). Loss - BLACKBURN, M (1-5). Save - Hagemann (1). WP - BLACKBURN, M(2); Hupp(3). PB - Wright(1). Pitches/strikes: BLACKBURN, M 106/68; Hupp 89/53; Hagemann 46/30. Umpires - HP: Scott Mair 1B: Andy Hahn 3B: Jeff Sloan Start: 5:42 pm Time: 2:16 Attendance: 321 Game: NU28