Huskers Top Maryland to Improve to 16-2

Clearwater, Fla. - The 16th-ranked Nebraska softball team pounded out 12 hits in a 6-4 victory over Maryland to close out a perfect first day in Clearwater, Fla., on Friday.

The Husker offense continued to surge against the Terrapins, producing at least 10 hits for the third straight game and scoring at least six runs for the fourth straight contest. The win improved Nebraska's record to 16-2, as the 2011 Huskers are the first team in program history to win 16 of their 18 games. Nebraska has won four straight and 14 of its last 15.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann won her 12th consecutive decision to improve to 13-1 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Hagemann worked around a pair of home runs, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits. She added eight strikeouts and did not walk a batter.

Offensively, junior Nikki Haget was 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored. In both games Friday, Haget finished 6-for-7 with five runs scored. Three other Huskers had multi-hit games against Maryland, including senior Heidi Foland (2-fo-4) and sophomores Megan Southworth (2-for-4) and Gabby Banda (2-for-3).

Kerry Hickey (3-5) took the loss for Maryland, which fell to 9-9 on the season. Hickey pitched a complete game, allowing six runs (three earned).

The Huskers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Haget began the game with an infield single and she quickly stole second. Senior Julie Brechtel then brought Haget home when she lined a 3-0 pitch off the glove of the diving second baseman for an RBI single.

Nebraska added to its lead in the second. Junior Ashley Guile was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and was at second with two outs for Banda. Banda delivered a single to left field to put runners at the corner before an illegal pitch brought Guile home to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.

Maryland got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Bree Hanafin launched a wind-aided solo home run just over the centerfield fence.

The Huskers answered back with some help in their next at bat. Haget began the top of the fifth with an infield single before Brechtel reached on an error to put runners at first and second. After a pair of pop outs, Foland hit a pop up to first that Hanafin had trouble judging and it fell for an infield single to put Nebraska on top 3-1.

Maryland used another solo home run, this one from Lexi Carroll, to again pull within one in the bottom of the fifth.

Nebraska again answered in a big way in the top of the sixth. Southworth reached on a one-out infield single and Banda followed with a double. With runners on second and third, Haget reached on an RBI infield single that scored Southworth and gave the Huskers a 4-2 lead. Taylor Edwards then delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single that pushed the lead to 6-2.

Maryland attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, as an error and a single put Terps at first and second with only one out. After a strikeout marked the second out, a pair of RBI singles cut the lead to 6-4 with Hanafin stepping to the plate as the winning run. But Hagemann got her to pop out to Guile at first to end the game.

Nebraska returns to action at the Under Armour Showcase on Saturday, with a pair of games against La Salle and top-ranked Florida.

2011 Nebraska Softball
#16 Nebraska vs Maryland
Mar 11, 2011 at Clearwater, Fla. (Eddie C. Moore Cmplx)

Nebraska 6 (16-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Haget, Nikki cf.......... 3 3 3 1 1 0 1 0 0
Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 2
Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 1 2 0 0 7 0 0
McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1
Foland, Heidi 3b......... 4 0 2 1 0 1 2 2 1
Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 7 0 3
Drake, Madison pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Edwards, Tatum dp........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Southworth, Megan lf..... 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 1
Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0
Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 33 6 12 5 1 4 21 4 8

Maryland 4 (9-9)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Sara Acosta cf........... 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1
Vangie Galindo lf........ 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0
Bree Hanafin 1b.......... 4 1 2 1 0 0 9 0 2
Kerry Hickey p........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Marisha Branson 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2
Lexi Carroll 3b.......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 4 0
Candice Beards dp........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Lauren Ghent pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kathy McLaughlin ss...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0
Courtney Kane pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Amanda McCann rf......... 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0
Samantha Mallory c....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0
Totals................... 30 4 8 4 0 7 21 7 5

Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Nebraska............ 110 013 0 - 6 12 1
Maryland............ 000 110 2 - 4 8 2
-----------------------------------------

E - Banda(5); Galindo; Carroll. LOB - Huskers 8; Terrapins 5. 2B - Banda(2).
HR - Hanafin; Carroll. HBP - Guile. SB - Haget(7); Foland(3). CS -
Southworth(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 8 4 2 0 7 30 30 108

Maryland IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Kerry Hickey........ 7.0 12 6 3 1 4 33 35 121

Win - Hagemann (13-1). Loss - Hickey (3-5). Save - None.
HBP - by Hickey (Guile). BK - Hickey. Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 108/80; Hickey
121/76.
Umpires -
Start: 2:50 pm Time: 1:52 Attendance:
Game: NU18