Huskers Fall to No. 1 Arizona

Tempe, Ariz. - The Nebraska softball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 6-1 to No. 1 Arizona on Friday night at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

The loss dropped Nebraska to 2-1 on the season and 0-9 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams. Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4.0. She added six strikeouts and walked four. Junior right-hander Haley Workman worked the final 3.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Together, the duo combined for nine strikeouts.

Offensively, Nebraska had its leadoff batter reach base in six of the seven innings but only capitalized on one of those opportunities. Junior Nikki Haget drew a pair of walks out of the leadoff spot and scored Nebraska's lone run. Classmate Ashley Guile was 1-for-3 with an RBI, while sophomores Brooke Thomason and Megan Southworth and senior Heidi Foland added the Huskers' other two hits.

Arizona All-American Kenzie Fowler (2-0) earned the win for the 3-0 Wildcats. Fowler fired a four-hitter and added nine strikeouts but saw her season-opening scoreless inning streak snapped at more than 15.0 innings.

Arizona loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first, but Hagemann escaped the jam with a three-pitch strikeout that ended the inning.

In the top of the third, Arizona scored three times despite only one ball leaving the infield. An infield single, a stolen base and a walk put runners at first and second with no outs. Both runners moved into scoring position on a ground out before an intentional walk loaded the bases. Hagemann then narrowly missed on a pair of close pitches to Kristen Arriola before walking her to force in the game's first run. Karissa Buchanan followed with a two-run single that bounced off the third-base bag against a drawn-in Husker infield.

Nebraska saw its leadoff runner reach base for the third consecutive inning in the bottom of the the third and had a runner reach second base for the first time on a stolen base from junior Nikki Haget. But a pair of strikeouts left Haget stranded in scoring position and the Huskers still trailing 3-0.

The Wildcats added to their lead in the top of the fourth. Lauren Schutzler reached on a one-out walk before Brigette Del Ponte blased a two-run homer to left to give Arizona a 5-0 lead.

Senior Heidi Foland began the bottom of the fifth with a single, but Nebraska was unable to take advantage.

All-American Brittany Lastrapes then led off the sixth inning with a solo home run to make it 6-0.

Nebraska finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Haget drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Guile then brought her home with an RBI single to center field.

NU had two baserunners in the bottom of the seventh when Thomason walked and Southworth singled, but Fowler ended the game with

The Huskers return to action on Saturday with a pair of games against Cal State Fullerton and No. 18 Stanford.

2011 Nebraska Softball #1 Arizona vs Nebraska Feb 11, 2011 at Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe Sports Complex)

Arizona 6 (3-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Lastrapes, Brittany lf... 5 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 3 Schutzler, Lauren cf..... 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 Del Ponte, Brigette 3b... 3 2 2 2 1 0 1 2 0 Chambers, Stacie c....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 9 2 0 Koria, Lini 1b........... 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 Arriola, Kristen 2b...... 3 0 0 1 1 1 5 0 4 Buchanan, Karissa rf..... 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Lavine, Alex ss.......... 3 0 2 0 1 1 3 0 2 Tikey, Becca dp......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Suitos, Chelsea dp....... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 Fowler, Kenzie p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 6 9 6 5 9 21 5 10

Nebraska 1 (2-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 3 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 1 Wright, Kirby c......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Edwards, Tatum 1b........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Southworth, Megan lf..... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Workman, Haley p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 23 1 4 1 4 9 21 5 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Arizona............. 003 201 0 - 6 9 0 Nebraska............ 000 001 0 - 1 4 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Foland 2(2). LOB - Wildcats 10; Huskers 5. HR - Lastrapes; Del Ponte. HBP - Buchanan. SB - Schutzler; Lavine; Haget(2). CS - Lavine; Foland(1).

Arizona IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Fowler, Kenzie...... 7.0 4 1 1 4 9 23 27 109

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 4.0 7 5 4 4 6 20 24 101 Workman, Haley...... 3.0 2 1 1 1 3 11 13 61

Win - Fowler (2-0). Loss - Hagemann (1-1). Save - None. WP - Fowler. HBP - by Workman (Buchanan). Pitches/strikes: Fowler 109/69; Hagemann 101/64; Workman 61/34. Umpires - Start: 7:51 pm Time: 2:21 Attendance: Game: NU3