NU Ties Record in 11-7 Win over Creighton

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team tied its Bowlin Stadium record by scoring 11 times in an 11-7 victory over Creighton on an offensive Wednesday night in Lincoln.

All 11 runs came in the first three innings as Nebraska jumped all over Creighton All-America pitcher Tara Oltman. Oltman (25-10) took the loss while allowing a season high six earned runs, as she allowed seven total runs in only 2.0 innings. Entering the game, Nebraska's roster had only 14 hits off the All-American in her eight career starts against the Huskers, but on Wednesday, NU went 9-for-13 against Oltman.

The Huskers batted around while scoring four times in the first before adding three more runs in the second. Nebraska then scored four times in the third against reliever Kylie Hovinga to tie for the Huskers' highest run total since Bowlin Stadium opened in 2002. The 11 runs also tied Nebraska's season high.

Freshman Brooke Thomason led the offensive charge with a 3-for-4 day. Thomason tied her career highs with two runs scored, two doubles and five RBIs. Sophomore Nikki Haget set a career high in hits with a perfect 4-for-4 day - one shy of the school hit record - while junior Julie Brechtel produced three RBIs and freshman Gabby Banda went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

The Huskers out-hit the Bluejays 13-10, even though Creighton hit four home runs and Nebraska was kept in the park the entire game. After leading 11-3 through three innings, Creighton hit a solo home run in the fourth and a three-run shot in the fifth to cut the deficit to 11-7, but the Bluejays would get no closer.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann earned the win to improve to 13-11 on the season. Hagemann allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out 11 batters in 7.0 innings. Senior Alex Hupp entered the game in the fifth and did not retire a batter while allowing three runs on three hits.

Behind the effort of Hagemann and the Husker offense, Nebraska snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 28-23 on the season. The Huskers also defeated Creighton at home for the first time since 2006, while sweeping the season series from the Bluejays for the first time since that same season.

After Creighton stranded a pair of base runners in the top of the first, Nebraska struck quickly in the bottom of the frame, scoring four times and sending nine batters to the plate. The Huskers had five hits in a span of six batters during the inning, including three straight run-scoring hits.

Junior Heidi Foland drew a leadoff walk before Haget followed with an infield single. The runners moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Ashley Guile. Brechtel then ripped the next pitch she saw over the head of the center fielder for a two-run double.

Thomason made it 3-0 with an RBI double down the right field line. She then came home on an RBI single from Banda. Leading 4-0, freshman Megan Southworth reached on an infield single before a pair of ground outs ended the inning.

In the second, Foland again drew a leadoff walk but was caught stealing. Haget and Guile then followed with singles to put runners on first and second before a strikeout marked the second out. Thomason then ripped another double down the right field line to score two and push the lead to 6-0. On the play, Thomason advanced to third on an error before an infield single from Banda scored Thomason to make it 7-0.

Creighton answered with three runs of its own in the top of the third. Amy Baker launched a towering two-run homer over the scoreboard in left to put the Bluejays on the board. Two batters later Lauren Larson hit another towering homer to left center to cut the lead to 7-3.

Nebraska came back with four runs in the bottom of the frame aided by three Creighton errors. Senior Whitney Barrett singled off new pitcher Kylie Hovinga with one out. She moved to second on an illegal pitch and scored one batter later on a Creighton error. The error, a single and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Brechtel, who brought Foland home with a sacrifice fly to left. With two outs, Thomason blooped a two-run single to shallow center to make the score 11-3.

Michelle Koch then hit Creighton's third home run of the game, a two-out solo shot to center in the fourth to make it 11-4.

After Nebraska was held scoreless for the first time in the bottom of the fourth, Creighton continued to chip away at the deficit in the fifth. Hupp started the inning and gave up a single and a walk. Sara Loeffelholz then hit a high fly ball to center that the breeze helped carry over the fence for a three-run homer that cut the lead to 11-7. Another single spelled the end of the night for Hupp, as Hagemann re-entered the game.

Hagemann recorded back-to-back strikeouts before a two-out single and hit batter brought the tying run to the plate in Creighton career and single-season home run leader Renae Sinkler. But Hagemann escaped further damage when Sinkler flew out just short of the warning track in center.

After Sinkler's deep fly ball, Hagemann retired the final six batters of the game, including four by strikeout.

Following an eight-game homestand, Nebraska hits the road for the final time this weekend, when the Huskers travel to 11th-ranked Oklahoma State for a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday.

2010 Nebraska Softball Creighton at Nebraska Apr 28, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Creighton 7 (29-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Koch, Michelle ss........ 3 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 Sinkler, Renae 1b........ 4 1 1 0 0 2 7 0 3 Baker, Amy dp............ 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Martin, Danai pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Graner, Michelle 3b...... 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 Loeffelholz, Sara lf..... 4 1 1 3 0 3 1 0 2 Larson, Lauren c......... 4 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 McKewon, Liz pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ruf, Christa cf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Frutos, Ashley 2b........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 3 0 Sakamoto, Kari pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jadlowski, Jessi rf...... 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Oltman, Tara p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Hovinga, Kylie p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 7 10 7 2 11 18 10 7

Nebraska 11 (28-23)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 2 2 0 0 2 0 3 0 1 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 3 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 2 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 1 3 0 1 3 3 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 2 3 5 0 0 1 0 1 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 Southworth, Megan lf..... 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 Wright, Kirby c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 Gay, Jamie ph........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hupp, Alex p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 11 13 10 4 2 21 4 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Creighton........... 003 130 0 - 7 10 5 Nebraska............ 434 000 X - 11 13 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Koch(9); Sinkler(8); Loeffelholz(4); Ruf(5); Jadlowski(1). LOB - Bluejays 7; Huskers 6. 2B - Brechtel(8); Thomason 2(13). HR - Koch(3); Baker(13); Loeffelholz(4); Larson(4). HBP - Koch; Jadlowski. SH - Baker(2); Guile(1). SF - Brechtel(3). SB - Banda(6). CS - Foland(4).

Creighton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Oltman, Tara........ 2.0 9 7 6 2 1 13 16 60 Hovinga, Kylie...... 4.0 4 4 0 2 1 16 19 72

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 7 4 4 1 11 27 31 130 Hupp, Alex.......... 0.0 3 3 3 1 0 3 4 15

Win - Hagemann (13-11). Loss - Oltman (25-10). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Jadlowski); by Hagemann (Koch). BK - Hovinga(5). Pitches/strikes: Oltman 60/36; Hovinga 72/45; Hagemann 130/92; Hupp 15/5. Umpires - HP: Matt Titkemeier 1B: Andy Hahn 3B: Kevin Killingsworth Start: 6:03 pm Time: 2:23 Attendance: 682 Hupp faced 4 batters in the 5th. Game: NU51