Huskers Win Series With 6-3 Victory

Las Cruces, N.M. - Senior Heidi Foland doubled, homered and drove in four to power the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 6-3 victory over New Mexico State in the series finale on Sunday in Las Cruces, N.M.

The win gave the Huskers a 3-1 series victory over the Aggies, as Nebraska won the final three games after dropping the series opener on Friday. The Huskers are now 24-3 on the season and improved their road record to 4-1, matching their road-win total from last season (4-13).

Foland went 2-for-3 with a season-high four RBIs. She teamed with freshman Tatum Edwards for back-to-back home runs in Nebraska's three-run fifth inning, which provided NU with the winning runs. Junior Madison Drake also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3, while classmate Nikki Haget singled to extend her hitting streak to 12 games.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann earned the win for Nebraska to improve to 17-2 on the season. Hagemann took a shutout into the sixth inning and allowed three runs on seven hits in a complete-game effort. She struck out nine and did not walk a batter.

Alex Newman took the loss, falling to 12-2 on the season. Newman allowed four runs on five hits in 4.1 innings for New Mexico State (19-10).

In the top of the first, freshman Taylor Edwards, sophomore Brooke Thomason and senior Julie Brechtel drew consecutive walks to load the basese with only one out. Following a strikeout, Foland lined an 0-1 pitch over the center fielder's head for a bases-clear, three-run double.

The Huskers stranded five runners over the next three innings before Tatum Edwards stretched the lead to 4-0 with a one-out solo home run to left center in the top of the fifth. Celisha Walker then came on to pitch for the Aggies and her first pitch was lined over the fence in center for a solo home run by Foland. A pair of New Mexico State errors led to a two-out insurance run, as the Huskers pushed the lead to 6-0.

Ashley Maroda then led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to become the first Aggie to reach second base in the game. But she was stranded there, as Hagemann retired the next three batters, including two strikeouts.

The Aggies finally got to Hagemann in the sixth. A pair of one-out singles brought Hoku Nohara to the plate, and she hit her third home run of the weekend and her 18th of the season to cut the lead in half at 6-3.

After Nebraska was retired in order in the top of the seventh, Valerie Swedberg began the bottom of the seventh with a single, but Hagemann sat down the next three batters to wrap up her 17th win of the season.

Nebraska continues its eight-game road trip - the longest in school history - with a doubleheader on Tuesday at UTEP. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. (Central). 

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #14 Nebraska at New Mexico State Mar 20, 2011 at Las Cruces, N.M. (NMSU Softball Cmplx)

Nebraska 6 (24-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 2 1 1 0 2 0 9 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 1 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 2 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 Drake, Madison lf........ 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 6 8 5 5 4 21 3 8

New Mexico State 3 (19-10)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jones, Kandis cf......... 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 1 Jennings, Tiare lf....... 3 1 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 Nohara, Hoku 1b.......... 3 1 1 3 0 0 7 0 0 Conrad, Teresa ss........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Maroda, Ashley 3b........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Olive, Amber rf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Swedberg, Valerie rf.... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Randall, Kylie 2b........ 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Autry, Tiffany dp........ 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 Clifton, Brittany c...... 3 0 1 0 0 1 5 1 1 Newman, Alex p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Walker, Celisha p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 3 7 3 0 9 21 7 3

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 300 030 0 - 6 8 1 New Mexico State.... 000 003 0 - 3 7 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Guile(1); Nohara(8); Randall(6). LOB - Huskers 8; Aggies 3. 2B - Foland(4); Maroda(7). HR - Edwards, Tat(6); Foland(3); Nohara(18). SH - Banda(4). SB - Haget(13); Drake(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 7 3 3 0 9 27 27 125

New Mexico State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Newman, Alex........ 4.1 5 4 4 5 2 18 23 82 Walker, Celisha..... 2.2 3 2 1 0 2 11 12 25

Win - Hagemann (17-2). Loss - Newman (12-2). Save - None. WP - Newman(4). PB - Edwards, Tay(4). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 125/88; Newman 82/44; Walker 25/19. Umpires - HP: Scott Sparks 1B: John Baca 3B: Gary Mitchell Start: 11:58 am Time: 2:19 Attendance: 183 Game: NU27