Nebraska Falls to No. 14 Missouri

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team managed only three hits on Sunday, as 14th-ranked Missouri avoided a sweep with a 5-0 win at Bowlin Stadium.

A clutch two-out, two-run single in the top of the first gave the Tigers the only runs they would need. Missouri then added three insurance runs in the seventh to secure its 17th win in the past 19 games. Kristin Nottelmann (18-6) earned the victory with a three-hit shutout for the Tigers, who improved to 44-10 on the season and finished fifth in the Big 12 Conference standings with an 11-7 record in league play.

Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hagemann (14-13) took the loss for the Huskers, allowing two runs on four hits in 3.0 innings. Sophomore right-hander Madison Drake made her second career appearance in the circle and allowed three runs on four hits in 3.0 innnings. She was effective her first time through the order, when she retired seven of the nine hitters she faced. Upon entering the game, Drake recorded three outs on her first pitch and picked up four outs on her first two pitches of the game. Senior right-hander Alex Hupp closed out the top of the seventh after the first four batters reached against Drake. In 1.0 scoreless inning, Hupp did not allow a hit and worked around a pair of walks.

With the loss, Nebraska fell to 29-26 on the season and finished sixth in the Big 12 standings with a 7-11 league record. Offensively, sophomore Ashley Guile went 0-for-1 but drew a pair of walks. She finished the Big 12 season with a .404 average, the fourth-best mark by a Husker during the Big 12 era (1996 to present).

In the top of the first, All-American Rhea Taylor led off with a triple after seeing her 18-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday. A one-out walk and a stolen base put runners at second and third with one out and Nicole Hudson delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single through the right side to give the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

The Huskers then threatened in the bottom of the second. A leadoff walk to freshman Brooke Thomason was followed by a bunt single from classmate Gabby Banda to put runners on first and second with no outs. A pop up and an error then loaded the bases with one out before a strikeout and a foul out ended the threat.

Missouri threatened again in the fourth. Hagemann walked the first two batters of the inning before being relieved by Drake. On Drake's first pitch, she got Marla Schweisberger to hit into a double play in which the Huskers got both lead runners out. After the double play, Schweisberger left first base and headed back to the dugout and was called out, as Drake threw one pitch and recorded three outs to get the Huskers out of a jam.

Nebraska was retired in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings before Guile and junior Julie Brechtel coaxed back-to-back one-out walks in the bottom of the sixth to put the tying runners on base. But a fly out and a ground out ended the threat.

Missouri then added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. An RBI double made it 3-0 before a wild pitch pushed the lead to 4-0. Another RBI single gave the Tigers a five-run lead and marked the end of the day for Drake. Hupp came on and got out of the inning without any further damage.

In the bottom of the seventh, sophomore pinch-hitter Jamie Gay delivered a one-out single that was followed by a single from senior Whitney Barrett. But the next two batters were retied to end the game.

With the regular season complete, the Huskers head to Oklahoma City this weekend for the Big 12 Championship. Nebraska, the No. 6 seed, will face third-seeded and 20th-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in a first-round matchup.

 

2010 Nebraska Softball #14 Missouri at Nebraska May 09, 2010 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Missouri 5 (44-10,11-7 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Taylor, Rhea cf.......... 4 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 Lee, Catherine c......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Christopher, Megan c.... 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Marston, Jenna ss........ 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 2 0 Fleming, Ashley rf....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 Hudson, Nicole 3b........ 3 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 Vock, Abby 3b........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Schneider, Gina 2b....... 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 Ortega, Ashlie dp........ 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Krebs, Princess dp...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 White, Shana pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Schweisberger, Marla 1b.. 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Muller, Lindsey 1b...... 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Young, Jaydee pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Koontz, Katy 1b......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Poet, Kathryn lf......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Nottelmann, Kristin p.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Totals................... 24 5 8 4 7 2 21 6 5

Nebraska 0 (29-26,7-11 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Foland, Heidi 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 3 Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 Guile, Ashley dp......... 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Tori pr/lf....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 Hupp, Alex lf/p.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 Wright, Kirby c.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Gay, Jamie ph........... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Southworth, Megan ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Drake, Madison p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 0 3 0 4 4 21 7 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Missouri............ 200 000 3 - 5 8 1 Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 3 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Schneider(2). DP - Huskers 2. LOB - Tigers 5; Huskers 8. 2B - Muller(6). 3B - Taylor(6). SB - Marston(15); S. White(16).

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Nottelmann, Kristin. 7.0 3 0 0 4 4 25 29 111

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.0 4 2 2 4 2 12 16 56 Drake, Madison...... 3.0 4 3 3 1 0 11 12 37 Hupp, Alex.......... 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 14

Win - Nottelmann (18-6). Loss - Hagemann (14-13). Save - None. WP - Drake 3(3). Pitches/strikes: Nottelmann 111/64; Hagemann 56/28; Drake 37/22; Hupp 14/5. Umpires - HP: Jeff Sloan 1B: Matt Titkemeier 3B: Winn Garrett Start: 12:03 pm Time: 2:01 Attendance: 402 Hagemann faced 2 batters in the 4th. Drake faced 4 batters in the 7th. Game: NU55