Huskers Fall at No. 15 Texas

Austin, Texas - Texas took a one-run lead with a controversial run in the fourth inning and added two insurance runs in the sixth, as the 15th-ranked Longhorns posted a 4-1 victory over the Nebraska softball team on a sunny Sunday afternoon at McCombs Field.

After losing 9-0 in five innings on Saturday, Nebraska battled hard on Sunday. Despite being out-hit 9-2 and committing the game's only two errors, the Huskers trailed by only one after six innings of play. But the Huskers ultimately came up short while falling to 17-15 on the season and 0-2 in conference play.

Junior right-hander Robin Mackin lost for the second straight day, while falling to 7-7 on the season. Mackin battled hard all day long, working out of several jams, as Texas stranded 10 runners in the game. In a complete game, Mackin allowed four runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking three.

Blaire Luna (15-4) earned her second win of the weekend for Texas (26-8 overall, 2-0 in Big 12). Luna tossed a two-hitter and allowed only one run. She walked four but struck out 14, five more than any team had recorded against Nebraska this season.

Offensively, for the Huskers, freshman Gabby Banda and junior Julie Brechtel produced NU's two hits, both doubles. 

Texas jumped out to a 1-0 lead one batter into the bottom of the first, when Taylor Hoagland homered to left on a 3-2 pitch. Lexy Bennett followed with a double before Mackin worked around a one-out error to prevent any further damage.

The Huskers got the run back in the top of the second with help from their freshmen. Freshmen Brooke Thomason and Megan Southworth worked back-to-back one-out walks before Banda doubled to the gap in left center. Her double scored Thomason, but on the play, Southworth was caught off the bag rounding third and was tagged out before a strikeout ended the inning.

NU then escaped a jam in the bottom of the frame. The first two Longhorns reached on ground balls that Nebraska was in position to field but could not make the play. But a failed sacrifice bunt attempt resulted in the first out before Mackin struck out back-to-back hitters to get out of the inning.

Mackin worked around another error and a hit batter in the third before a controversial play gave Texas a 2-1 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Bennett lifted a fly ball to center field that was caught on the run by junior Crystal Gonzalez. On the play, the runner tagged up and scored from third, but Hoagland passed Courtney Craig on the basepaths and was ruled out for the third out. However, the run was allowed to score as the umpires ruled that Hoagland, who had rounded second base when the ball was caught, did not pass Craig until the runner had already crossed home plate.

A double, a walk and an intentional walk then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth, before Mackin worked out of trouble again with back-to-back strikeouts.

In the bottom of the sixth, Craig led off with a double and Hoagland followed with a grounder headed back up the middle. Brechtel made a diving stop on the play, and although her throw to first was late she prevented Craig from scoring on the play. That nearly kept the deficit at one, as Mackin retired the next two batters on two pitches, before Amy Hooks lined a 3-2 pitch off the wall in right center for a two-out, two-run double that pushed the Texas lead to 4-1.

Nebraska was then retired in order in the top of the seventh.

Up next for Nebraska is a busy week that includes six home games in five days. The homestand opens with a Tuesday doubleheader with Drake beginning at 3 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #15 Texas Mar 28, 2010 at Austin, Texas (McCombs Field)

Nebraska 1 (17-15,0-2 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 2 3 2 2 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 Mackin, Robin p.......... 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 1 Haget, Nikki ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori lf........... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Wright, Kirby ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals................... 21 1 2 1 4 14 18 8 5

Texas 4 (26-8,2-0 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Hoagland, Taylor rf...... 3 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 Bennett, Lexy 1b......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 0 Taylor, Nadia 3b......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 1 0 Hooks, Amy c............. 3 0 1 2 1 0 14 0 0 Johnson, Loryn ss........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Thrasher, Tallie dp...... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 Cook, Kori pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Feight, Raygan 2b........ 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Savony, Shelby ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Chalk, Brittany cf....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 Craig, Courtney lf....... 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 Luna, Blaire p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 4 9 4 3 6 21 5 10

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 010 000 0 - 1 2 2 Texas............... 100 102 X - 4 9 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Banda(10); Barrett(10). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Huskers 5; Longhorns 10. 2B - Brechtel(3); Banda(4); Bennett; Taylor; Hooks; Craig, C.. HR - Hoagland. HBP - Tyson; Johnson, L.; Feight. SH - Barrett(2); Johnson, L.; Chalk. SF - Bennett. SB - Craig, C..

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mackin, Robin....... 6.0 9 4 4 3 6 24 32 116

Texas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Luna, Blaire........ 7.0 2 1 1 4 14 21 27 131

Win - Luna (15-4). Loss - Mackin (7-7). Save - None. HBP - by Mackin (Johnson, L.); by Mackin (Feight); by Luna (Tyson). Pitches/strikes: Mackin 116/77; Luna 131/81. Umpires - Start: 12:03 pm Time: 2:08 Attendance: Game: NU32