Huskers Unable to Rally Past Panthers

Lincoln - A five-run fifth inning was too much for the Nebraska softball team to overcome on Tuesday, as Northern Iowa held off a late Husker rally for a 5-3 victory at Bowlin Stadium.

After falling behind 5-0, freshman Brooke Thomason hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 5-3. The Huskers had the tying runners on base with one out in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to score. Thomason finished with two of Nebraska's three hits, including a double and a home run. Nebraska was out-hit 8-3, but the Huskers benefitted from three Northern Iowa errors, six walks and two hit batters. NU was just 1-for-14 with runners on base.

Junior Julie Brechtel was 0-for-1 but she was walked once and was hit by a pitch twice. Her second hit-by-pitch marked the 24th time she had been hit in her career, a new Nebraska record. Sophomore Ashley Guile had Nebraska's third hit, as she finished 1-for-2 with a single and pair of walks.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (12-11) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings. Senior right-hander Alex Hupp was effective in relief, scattering two hits over 2.1 scoreless innings.

Jen Larsen (13-7) earned the win for Northern Iowa, which picked up its fifth straight win to improve to 25-20 on the season. Jaye Hutcheson earned the save by recording the final two outs.

Despite still searching for its first hit, Nebraska mounted its first scoring threat with two outs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Kirby Wright walked to begin the inning before the next two batters were retired. Brechtel was then hit by a two-out pitch before Guile worked a walk to load the bases. But Larsen escaped the jam with a strikeout.

Thomason then lined the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth inning off the wall in left for a leadoff double. Classmate Gabby Banda then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Thomason to third, and on the play Banda reached first base safely on an error. Freshman Megan Southworth then hit a hard liner right to the center fielder for the first out before Wright was called out on strikes. Senior Whitney Barrett followed hit a hard ground ball to third, where Sarah Bakey made a nice stop and then threw to first where Eranne Daugharthy made a nice dig to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Daugharthy led off with a single before the next batter reached base on a controversial call. Bakey fell behind in the count 0-2 and was ruled to have fouled off a pitch during a check swing. But after an umpire's conference, it was determined that Bakey had been hit by the pitch and she was awarded first base. The next batter then walked to load the bases with no outs.

Pinch-hitter Kim Wachholder then drove in the game's first run with an RBI single through the left side. After Nebraska recorded a force out at home, Hagemann fell behind Mackenzie Daigh 3-1 before Daigh drilled the next pitch to right for a grand slam that pushsed the Panther lead to 5-0.

In the bottom of the inning, Brechtel and Guile drew back-to-back one out walks. Junior Heidi Foland then flew out to center before Thomason blasted a three-run homer to center to pull Nebraska within 5-3.

The Huskers were positioned nicely for a comeback in the top of the seventh with the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters due up. Guile singled with one out before Foland walk to put the tying runners on base for Thomason. Thomason fouled off four two-strike pitches before just getting under a pitch as she flew out to the warning track in right center. A ground out to first then ended any chance of a comeback.

Nebraska (27-23) returns to action tomorrow at 6 p.m. when the Huskers host Creighton at Bowlin Stadium

2010 Nebraska Softball Northern Iowa at Nebraska Apr 27, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Northern Iowa 5 (25-20)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Machovec, Megan cf....... 4 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Daigh, Mackenzie ss...... 3 1 1 4 1 0 0 2 3 Larsen, Jen p/1b......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 0 Abney, Livi 2b........... 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 4 1 Kriener, Haley pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Callanan, Lindsay lf..... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Daugharthy, Eranne 1b/p.. 4 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 3 Bakey, Sarah 3b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 Reimer, Samantha c....... 2 1 2 0 1 0 3 1 0 Waters, Samantha pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Galvin, Allison rf....... 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Wachholder, Kim ph...... 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Carlson, McKena dp/pr.... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hutcheson, Jaye p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 28 5 8 5 4 4 21 11 7

Nebraska 3 (27-23)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 3 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 1b......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 6 1 3 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Southworth, Megan lf..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Wright, Kirby c.......... 2 0 0 0 1 2 5 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 Gay, Jamie ph........... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hupp, Alex p/pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 3 3 3 6 4 21 7 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Northern Iowa....... 000 050 0 - 5 8 3 Nebraska............ 000 030 0 - 3 3 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Abney(8); Daugharthy 2(6). DP - Panthers 1; Huskers 1. LOB - Panthers 7; Huskers 9. 2B - Abney(8); Thomason(11). HR - Daigh(2); Thomason(11). HBP - Bakey; Brechtel 2. SH - Banda(4). SB - Banda(5); Barrett(5).

Northern Iowa IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Larsen, Jen......... 5.0 2 3 3 4 2 17 24 93 Daugharthy, Eranne.. 1.1 1 0 0 1 2 5 6 24 Hutcheson, Jaye..... 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 19

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 4.2 6 5 5 3 2 19 23 93 Hupp, Alex.......... 2.1 2 0 0 1 2 9 10 41

Win - Larsen (13-7). Loss - Hagemann (12-11). Save - Hutcheson (3). HBP - by Larsen (Brechtel); by Larsen (Brechtel); by Hagemann (Bakey). Pitches/strikes: Larsen 93/56; Daugharthy 24/12; Hutcheson 19/12; Hagemann 93/53; Hupp 41/23. Umpires - HP: Andy Hahn 1B: Scott Mair 3B: Jeff Sloan Start: 5:01 pm Time: 2:18 Attendance: 264 Game: NU50