Huskers Complete Doubleheader Sweep

Lincoln - Freshman Taylor Edwards hit her 10th home run of the season to power the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 6-5 win over South Dakota and complete a doubleheader sweep of the Coyotes in front of 744 fans at Bowlin Stadium on Wednesday.

The win was Nebraska's ninth straight victory, as the Huskers continued the best start in school history while improving their season record to 21-2.

Freshman right-hander Tatum Edwards earned the win in relief to improve to 3-0 in her Husker career. Edwards allowed one run on one hit in 3.0 innings of work. Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann picked up her second save of the season in 2.0 innings of action. Hagemann retired all six batters she faced, including five strikeouts. Junior right-hander Haley Workman earned the start, allowing four runs on six hits in 2.0 innings.

Offensively, eight of Nebraska's nine starters had a hit. Edwards finished 1-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs, while sophomore Gabby Banda was 2-for-2.

Erica Denney (3-2) took the loss for South Dakota (9-10). In a complete-game effort, Denney allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits.

After being shutout and held to only two hits in game one, South Dakota struck for two runs on four hits in the top of the first inning of game two. Mel Johnson opened the scoring with a one-out, RBI double and Christine Broders added an RBI single two batters later.

The Huskers answered back in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-2 lead. Junior Nikki Haget led off with a single and stole second. With one out, Taylor Edwards hit a grounder to short and South Dakota attempted to get Haget on the play, but she beat the throw. With runners on first and second, senior Julie Brechtel lined an RBI single to right to score Haget. On the play, the ball was misplayed by the right fielder, allowing Edwards to score the tying run. Brechtel moved up to third on the error and scored one batter later on an RBI single from sophomore Brooke Thomason.

The Coyotes quickly regained the lead in the top of the second on a two-run homer from Lindsey Boyd three batters into the inning.

Nebraska again answered in the bottom of the frame with a home run of its own. Sophomores Megan Southworth and Gabby Banda reached on back-to-back infield singles to begin the inning. With two outs, Taylor Edwards blasted the first pitch she saw to the flagpoles in left center for a three-run homer.

Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings, but the Coyotes trimmed the lead to one on a two-out solo home run from Bre Zmolek in the top of the fifth. That would prove to be South Dakota's last base runner of the game as Nebraska held on for the win.

Nebraska returns to the road this weekend, when the Huskers travel to Las Cruces, N.M., for a four-game series with the New Mexico State Aggies.

2011 Nebraska Softball South Dakota at #14 Nebraska (Game 2) Mar 16, 2011 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium) South Dakota 5 (9-10) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ BOYD, Lindsey 3b......... 4 2 2 2 0 1 0 3 0 HALL, Stephanie cf....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 JOHNSON, Mel rf.......... 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 RUDEEN, Alexa 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 9 0 1 BRODERS, Christine ss.... 3 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 ZMOLEK, Bre c............ 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 LOE, Kassie 2b........... 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 POLICKY, Paige dp........ 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 LUSSMAN, Jessica lf...... 3 1 1 0 0 1 4 0 2 DENNEY, Erica p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Totals................... 27 5 7 5 3 11 18 7 5 Nebraska 6 (21-2) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 2 1 3 0 0 11 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp/p...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 Southworth, Megan lf..... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Workman, Haley p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 6 9 5 0 0 21 6 2 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- South Dakota........ 220 010 0 - 5 7 1 Nebraska............ 330 000 X - 6 9 0 ----------------------------------------- E - JOHNSON, M(2). DP - Coyotes 2. LOB - Coyotes 5; Huskers 2. 2B - BOYD, L(3); JOHNSON, M(3). HR - BOYD, L(3); ZMOLEK, B(3); Edwards, Tay(10). SH - HALL, S(4); Haget(3). SB - Haget(11). South Dakota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DENNEY, Erica....... 6.0 9 6 5 0 0 25 26 69 Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Workman, Haley...... 2.0 6 4 4 1 2 11 13 44 Edwards, Tatum...... 3.0 1 1 1 2 4 10 12 56 Hagemann, Ashley.... 2.0 0 0 0 0 5 6 6 38 Win - Edwards, Tat (3-0). Loss - DENNEY, E (3-2). Save - Hagemann (2). Pitches/strikes: DENNEY, E 69/43; Workman 44/26; Edwards, Tat 56/34; Hagemann 38/28. Umpires - Start: 4:56 pm Time: 1:50 Attendance: 744 Game: NU23