Huskers Post Seventh Straight Victory

Clearwater, Fla. - The 16th-ranked Nebraska softball team wrapped up a perfect 5-0 weekend in Clearwater, Fla., with an 8-3 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The win was Nebraska's seventh straight, as the Huskers improved to 19-2 on the season. NU has won 17 of its last 18 games.

Junior right-hander Haley Workman earned her second victory of the weekend with a fine relief effort. Workman (3-1) allowed only one hit in 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. Freshman right-hander Tatum Edwards earned the start and saw her 13.1-inning scoreless streak snapped, allowing three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.

Offensively, Nebraska scored in four of its six innings at bat and pounded out 13 hits. Four Huskers produced multi-hit games, while senior Heidi Foland produced a season-high three RBIs. Freshman Taylor Edwards was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and she hit her ninth home run of the season. Senior Julie Brechtel and sophomore Brooke Thomason were each 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Julie Marks (3-3) took the loss for Central Connecticut State, which fell to 6-9-1 on the year. Marks entered the game with the score tied at 3-3 and allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3.0 innings of work.

A little more than 10 hours after upsetting No. 1 Florida late Saturday night, Nebraska trailed for the first time in seven games after Central Connecticut State scored twice in the top of the first inning. A bad-hop infield single, a walk and a bloop double just inside the left-field foul line led to the Blue Devils' first run and an RBI ground out gave CCSU a 2-0 lead.

The Huskers got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Taylor Edwards blasted a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left for a two-out, solo home run.

Nebraska then took the lead with a two-run second inning. Junior Ashley Guile began the frame with a single before the next two batters were retired. Classmate Nikki Haget doubled with two outs and Foland then delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to center field to put the Huskers on top 3-2.

Central Connecticut State tied the game in the top of the third. A leadoff hit batter came back to hurt Nebraska when Kelsey Barlow produced a one-out RBI single.

The Huskers scored two more runs again in the bottom of the third. Tatum Edwards reached on an error to start the frame and scored on an RBI single from sophomore Brooke Thomason. Two more singles from Guile and sophomore Gabby Banda loaded the bases with one out for Haget, who made it 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to center that scored freshman pinch-runner Morgan McCann.

After being held scoreless in the fourth, Nebraska found the scoreboard again in the bottom of the fifth. Southworth drew a walk, Banda followed with a single and both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Foland brought Southworth home with a sacrifice fly and Taylor Edwards then scored Banda with an RBI single to make it 7-3. The Huskers added another run when junior pinch-runner Saige Wright stole second and scored on an RBI double from senior Julie Brechtel.

After playing their first 21 games on the road, the Huskers open the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday with a doubleheader against South Dakota. First pitch at Bowlin Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

2011 Nebraska Softball Cen. Connecticut St. vs #16 Nebraska Mar 13, 2011 at Clearwater, Fla. (Eddie C. Moore) Cen. Connecticut St. 3 (6-9-1) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ BRUNO, Arielle lf........ 4 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 4 MUSSATTI, Becca cf....... 0 2 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 BROWN, Tessa 1b.......... 4 0 2 1 0 1 6 0 0 BARLOW, Kelsey rf........ 4 0 1 2 0 2 1 0 0 DILWORTH, Amanda 2b...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 KNOWLES, Kat dp.......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 KOEHLER, Erica dp....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 STEFANSKI, Macy 3b....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 COLLINS, Courtney c...... 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 EMERY, Sarah pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VLAHOS, Sarah ss......... 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 MONTEMURRO, Liz p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MARKS, Julie p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 TINGLEY, Jordan p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 23 3 5 3 7 7 18 4 9 Nebraska 8 (19-2) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 0 1 3 1 0 2 2 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 1 2 2 1 0 7 1 3 Wright, Saige pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 2 1 0 0 3 1 2 Edwards, Tatum p/dp...... 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 Drake, Madison pr/rf.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 1 2 0 0 0 4 1 1 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan lf..... 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 Workman, Haley dp/p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 30 8 13 8 5 0 21 7 11 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Cen. Connecticut St. 201 000 0 - 3 5 1 Nebraska............ 122 030 X - 8 13 0 ----------------------------------------- E - BRUNO. LOB - Blue Devils 9; Huskers 11. 2B - BROWN; Haget(3); Brechtel(4). HR - Edwards, Tay(9). HBP - MUSSATTI. SH - DILWORTH; COLLINS. SF - Haget(1); Foland(1). SB - MUSSATTI; EMERY; Wright, S.(1). CS - COLLINS. Cen. Connecticut St. IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- MONTEMURRO, Liz..... 2.0 5 3 3 2 0 11 13 43 MARKS, Julie........ 3.0 7 5 3 2 0 15 19 64 TINGLEY, Jordan..... 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 4 5 16 Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 2.1 4 3 3 2 1 10 13 53 Workman, Haley...... 4.2 1 0 0 5 6 13 20 95 Win - Workman (3-1). Loss - MARKS (3-3). Save - None. HBP - by Edwards, Tat (MUSSATTI). PB - COLLINS; Edwards, Tay(1). Pitches/strikes: MONTEMURRO 43/23; MARKS 64/40; TINGLEY 16/9; Edwards, Tat 53/35; Workman 95/60. Umpires - Start: 9:29 am Time: 2:17 Attendance: Game: NU21