Huskers Settle for Series Split at No. 7 Oklahoma

Norman, Okla. - Four home runs lifted No. 7 Oklahoma to a 6-3 victory over the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team on a cold Sunday afternoon at the OU Softball Complex.

While Oklahoma slugged four home runs, Nebraska was held without a homer for the first time in 11 games. The Huskers had homered in 10 consecutive games entering Sunday, tying the school record for most consecutive games with a home run. NU was held to five hits in the loss, as the Huskers were out-hit (8-5) for only the second time this season.

Left-handed All-American Keilani Ricketts was a big reason for Nebraska's struggles at the plate. Ricketts was in control in the circle, firing a five-hitter and allowing only three runs (two earned). She added 15 strikeouts and issued only two walks, including an intentional pass to freshman Taylor Edwards. Ricketts improved to 15-5 on the season with the win, while Oklahoma improved to 9-1 at home and 27-9 overall and evened its Big 12 record at 1-1.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann took the loss for Nebraska, which fell to 27-4 on the season and 1-1 in Big 12 play. In 3.0 innings of relief, Hagemann (19-3) allowed five runs on six hits, including three home runs. Freshman right-hander Tatum Edwards earned the start and allowed one run on two hits in 3.0 innings, fanning three and walking one.

Offensively for Nebraska, senior Heidi Foland reached base in three of her four plate appearances, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Junior Nikki Haget went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Edwards was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Ashley Guile was 1-for-2, scored a run and was hit by a pitch.

Neither team had a hit until Brittany Williams lined an 0-2 pitch just over the fence in left for a one-out, solo home run in the bottom of the second.

Nebraska's first base runner came one inning later, when Guile led off the top of the third with a single. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Gabby Banda and scored with two outs on a strange play. Haget hit a chopper over the shortstop's head and it hit Guile and deflected into foul territory. Guile came all the way around to score on the RBI double, and interference was not called because the ball struck the runner after it got past the fielder.

Hagemann entered the game in the top of the fourth and her second pitch of the game was a solo homer to left center off the bat of Jessica Shults, the Big 12 leader in home runs and RBIs.

The Sooners tacked on four insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Shults hit her second homer of the game with one out to stretch the lead to 3-1. A single and a hit batter then put Sooners on first and second with before Dani Dobbs lined a three-run homer just over the fence in left to push the lead to 6-1.

The Huskers then loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh on a hit batter, an error and a walk. Taylor Edwards delivered an RBI single to left field to cut the lead to 6-2 and brought the tying run to the plate. Following a strikeout, Foland reached on an infield single that scored junior Madison Drake and made it a three-run game. With the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate, Ricketts ended any hopes of  Husker comeback with her 15th strikeout of the game.

After completing the longest road trip in school history with a 6-2 record, Nebraska returns home on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. scheduled matchup with in-state rival Creighton. 

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #14 Nebraska at #7 Oklahoma Mar 27, 2011 at Norman, Okla. (OU Softball Complex)

Nebraska 3 (27-4,1-1 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 1 1 1 1 5 0 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 3 Edwards, Tatum p/lf...... 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 1 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 2 1 1 0 0 1 7 0 1 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Drake, Madison dp........ 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan lf..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 26 3 5 3 2 15 18 7 8

Oklahoma 6 (27-9,1-1 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Martinez, Destinee cf.... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 McGregor, Haley ph...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turang, Brianna 2b....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 Nix, Haley rf............ 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 Shults, Jessica c........ 3 2 2 2 0 1 15 0 0 Williams, Brittany 1b.... 2 1 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 Hughes, Cierra pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ricketts, Keilani p...... 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Quintero, Kaci pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dobbs, Dani 3b........... 3 1 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 Norris, Katie dp......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Jones, Chana'e lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Vandever, Ali ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 26 6 8 6 2 4 21 3 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 001 000 2 - 3 5 1 Oklahoma............ 010 104 X - 6 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Foland(5); Williams, B.. DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Huskers 8; Sooners 6. 2B - Haget(4). HR - Shults, J. 2; Williams, B.; Dobbs, D.. HBP - Foland; Guile; Drake; McGregor, H.; Ricketts, K.. SH - Banda(5). SB - Foland(7).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 3.0 2 1 1 1 3 11 12 48 Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.0 6 5 5 1 1 15 18 63

Oklahoma IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Ricketts, Keilani... 7.0 5 3 2 2 15 26 32 116

Win - Ricketts, K. (15-5). Loss - Hagemann (19-3). Save - None. HBP - by Ricketts, K. (Drake); by Ricketts, K. (Foland); by Hagemann (Ricketts, K.); by Hagemann (McGregor, H.); by Ricketts, K. (Guile). Pitches/strikes: Edwards, Tat 48/27; Hagemann 63/45; Ricketts, K. 116/78. Umpires - HP: John O'Meilia 1B: Larry White 3B: Scott Thomas Start: 12:03 pm Time: 2:11 Attendance: Game: NU31