Four-Run First Inning Dooms Huskers

Lincoln - A disastrous first inning doomed the Nebraska softball team on Tuesday night, as the Huskers fell behind Iowa State 4-0 and could never recover in a 6-3 loss to the Cyclones at Bowlin Stadium.

Iowa State sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first and scored four runs, despite recording only a single. The Huskers helped out the Cyclones by walking five and hitting one batter in the inning.

Trailing 6-1, Nebraska rallied for two runs in the bottom of the fourth and had numerous scoring chances over the final three innings. The Huskers out-hit the Cyclones 6-5, but Nebraska stranded eight runners over the final three innings, including coming up empty with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, two on and two out in the sixth and the bases loaded with one out again in the seventh.

A bright spot for the Huskers was a pair of home runs from freshmen Gabby Banda and Brooke Thomason. The second-inning solo home run was Banda's third of the season and her first in conference play. For Thomason, her two-run shot in the fourth was her 10th of the season and her fifth in Big 12 play. Her five home runs in conference play this season have tied Crystal Carwile's Husker freshman record for most home runs during a conference season.

Junior right-hander Robin Mackin (12-11) took the loss, as she was unable to make it out of the first inning. Mackin faced nine batters and recorded only two outs, walking five, hitting a batter and allowing one single, while being charged with four runs. Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann pitched well in relief. In 6.1 innings, Hagemann allowed two runs on four hits, but a pair of fly balls the Huskers were unable to field led to both runs. Hagemann also retired the final 10 batters of the game to give the Husker offense a chance to come back.

Rachel Zabriskie (20-13) earned the win for Iowa State, becoming the Cyclones' first 20-game winner since 1985. Zabriskie allowed three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings to help Iowa State improve to 25-21 on the year and 3-7 in Big 12 play. Lauren Kennewell earned her first career save, working around four walks and a pair of hits over 3.0 scoreless innings.

With the loss, Iowa State posted its first sweep of Nebraska in the Big 12 era, while the Huskers dropped to 26-20 overall and 5-6 in conference action.

After walking the final four batters she faced on Sunday, Mackin again struggled with her control on Tuesday. She walked the first two batters on nine pitches and fell behind the No. 3 hitter 3-0 before coming back to strike her out. Courtney Wray then hit a hard grounder toward the right side that junior Heidi Foland lunged for at first but was only able to deflect into the outfield. The single scored two runs, as an earlier passed ball had put the runners on second and third. Mackin then hit the next batter before her third walk of the inning loaded the bases.

An RBI ground out made it 3-0 before another walk re-loaded the bases. Mackin's fifth walk of the inning forced in the fourth run of the frame and marked the end of Mackin's day. Hagemann then came on and got a ground out to end an inning that saw the Cyclones score four runs on only one hit - a single.

After Nebraska threw 50 pitches in the top of the first, Zabriskie retired Nebraska in order in the bottom of the frame on only 10 pitches.

In the second inning, Banda started a nice inning-ending double play in the top of the frame, before putting Nebraska on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning by hitting a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left for a two-out solo home run.

The Huskers continued to be their own worst enemy in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff single, Hagemann retired the next two batters. With a runner on second, Hagemann coaxed a fly ball to shallow right center but Nebraska was unable to make the catch. The next batter then hit a shallow fly ball to center that junior Tori Tyson got a late break on and was unable to catch, allowing a run to score. A wild pitch then made it 6-1 before a third fly ball was caught by Tyson to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, sophomore Nikki Haget led off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. The next two batters were retired before Thomason blasted a two-run home to right to get the runs back and make the score 6-3.

After ISU was retired in order for the first time in the top of the fifth, Nebraska missed a golden opportunity to cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Megan Southworth and sophomore pinch-hitter Jamie Gay began the inning with back-to-back walks. Lauren Kennewell then came into the game for Zabriskie and struck out senior Whitney Barrett on a called strike three on a 3-2 pitch that drew the ire of the Husker faithful.

A one-out walk to Foland then loaded the bases with one out before Haget grounded back to Kennewell, who threw home for the second out. Sophomore Ashley Guile then hit a blooper up the middle that nearly fell for a hit, but Iowa State second baseman Amanda Bradberry made a nice running catch behind the the bag before falling to the ground.

Nebraska had another chance to cut into the lead when a walk to Banda and an infield single from Southworth put runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, before a soft line out to third ended the inning.

In the seventh, Barrett drew a leadoff walk and a one-out walk to Haget and a one-out single from Guile loaded the bases before a fly out and a ground out ended the game.

The Huskers return to action on Thursday when they host the Kansas Jayhawks at 5 p.m.

Box Score 2010 Nebraska Softball Iowa State at Nebraska Apr 20, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Iowa State 6 (25-21,3-7 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Kidwell, Heidi rf........ 3 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 3 Kidwell, Kelsey cf....... 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Miller, Erica dp......... 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Wray, Courtney 3b........ 3 1 2 3 1 0 1 0 0 Jones, Sydni 1b.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 5 0 1 Johnson, Alex c.......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 1 2 Bradberry, Amanda 2b..... 3 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 0 Monroe, Carrie ss........ 2 0 0 0 1 2 3 3 0 Berry, Carleigh lf....... 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Zabriskie, Rachel p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kennewell, Lauren p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 6 5 5 7 4 21 8 6

Nebraska 3 (26-20,5-6 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 7 0 0 Haget, Nikki lf/cf....... 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 3 Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 3 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 2 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 0 Southworth, Megan dp..... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori cf........... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Gay, Jamie ph........... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex ph/lf........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 1 0 1 1 3 4 0 Mackin, Robin p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 26 3 6 3 6 3 21 7 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Iowa State.......... 400 200 0 - 6 5 1 Nebraska............ 010 200 0 - 3 6 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Jones(3). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Cyclones 6; Huskers 8. 2B - Wray(8). HR - Thomason(10); Banda(3). HBP - Jones. CS - Barrett(3).

Iowa State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Zabriskie, Rachel... 4.0 4 3 3 2 2 15 17 73 Kennewell, Lauren... 3.0 2 0 0 4 1 11 15 63

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Mackin, Robin....... 0.2 1 4 4 5 1 3 9 45 Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.1 4 2 2 2 3 22 24 84

Win - Zabriskie (20-13). Loss - Mackin (12-11). Save - Kennewell (1). WP - Zabriskie(5); Kennewell(11); Hagemann(9). HBP - by Mackin (Jones). PB - Guile(6). Pitches/strikes: Zabriskie 73/48; Kennewell 63/32; Mackin 45/16; Hagemann 84/56. Umpires - HP: Diane Beasley 1B: Jeff Sloan 3B: Andy Hahn Start: 5:02 pm Time: 2:22 Attendance: 215 Zabriskie faced 2 batters in the 5th. Game: NU46