Huskers Complete Sweep with 7-1 Win

Lawrence, Kan. - The 13th-ranked Nebraska softball team scored runs in each of the final four innings to rally from an early one-run deficit and post a 7-1 victory over Kansas on a windy Sunday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark.

The win completed a two-game sweep for the Huskers, who improved to 30-4 on the season and 3-1 in Big 12 Conference play. Nebraska reached 30 wins faster than any other team in school history, while matching its win total from all of last season (30-29) and recording 30 wins for the 13th time in the past 14 seasons.

Freshman Tatum Edwards and sophomore Brooke Thomason each homered for the second straight game to pace Nebraska's 12-hit attack. NU trailed 1-0 early, before Tatum Edwards hit her 10th home run of the season, a solo shot in the top of the fourth inning. Tatum Edward's home run not only opened the scoring for the Huskers, but it also highlighted a 4-for-4 day for the freshman. Edwards recorded a career high in hits and added a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Thomason's home run led off the seventh inning and was her fourth of the season. Eight of Nebraska's nine starters had a hit, with junior Nikki Haget finishing 2-for-5 to join Tatum Edwards with a multi-hit game. Freshman Taylor Edwards also matched her twin sister with two RBIs in the game.

While the Husker offense came alive late, junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann was in control from start to finish for the second straight game. After tossing a shutout in Saturday's win, Hagemann allowed only one run on five hits on Sunday. She added 11 strikeouts, while throwing only 85 pitches.

Kristin Martinez (12-4) took the loss for Kansas, which fell to 27-10 overall and 0-6 in conference play, with all six losses coming to top-15 teams. Martinez allowed five runs on nine hits in 6.0 innings.

The first scoring threat for either team came in the top of the second. Tatum Edwards reached on a one-out single and a two-out walk to junior Ashley Guile put Huskers on first and second. Sophomore Gabby Banda then hit a high fly ball to center that the wind kept pushing deeper before Alex Jones reached up to make the catch before running into the wall.

Liz Kocon then lifted the first pitch of the bottom of the inning to deep right and the wind helped carry it over for a leadoff homer to give Kansas a 1-0 lead.

Nebraska found the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Tatum Edwards homered just inside the left field foul pole to tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the fifth, Banda led off with a double to the gap in left center. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Southworth and Haget followed with a bunt single where Banda held up at third. Taylor Edwards then worked a full count before lining an RBI single to right to score Banda and give Nebraska a 2-1 lead.

Kansas nearly tied the game in the bottom of the frame. A one-out hit batter was followed by a sacrifice bunt to put a runner at second with two outs. Alex Jones then reached on an infield single just in front of home plate, but on the play, Taylor Edwards threw to third, where pinch-runner Elsa Moyer had rounded the base too far. Moyer was caught in a short rundown, before being tagged out by Banda to end the inning.

The first two Huskers then reached in the top of the sixth, as Tatum Edwards and Foland recorded back-to-back singles. Following a strikeout, Banda was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Southworth then scored Tatum Edwards with a sacrifice foul out to left to extend the lead to 3-1. After an infield single from Haget loaded the bases, Nebraska had an opportunity to blow the game open but Taylor Edwards flew out to the warning track in right.

Thomason then led off the seventh with a line-drive, opposite-field homer to left to make it 4-1. Senior Julie Brechtel was then hit by a 3-1 pitch before Tatum Edwards doubled to right center off new pitcher Allie Clark to score Brechtel and extend the lead to 5-1. Edwards then advanced to third on a passed ball and was joined on the base paths by senior Heidi Foland, who walked. Junior Ashley Guile made it 6-1 with an RBI single, before Taylor Edwards walked on five pitches four batters later to score junior pinch-runner Saige Wright and give Nebraska its final 7-1 margin of victory.

Hagemann worked around a one-out triple in the bottom of the seventh by striking out the final two batters she faced.

Following the two-game series at Kansas, Nebraska hopes to next return to action on Wednesday. The Huskers were scheduled to host a doubleheader with North Dakota State, but those games have been canceled, as unplayable field conditions have forced the Bison to play all of their home games on the road this season, leaving NDSU unable to make the trip to Lincoln.

Nebraska hopes to find a replacement opponent and still play Wednesday's doubleheader as scheduled. More information on the status of the doubleheader will be posted on Huskers.com on Monday. 

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #13 Nebraska at Kansas Apr 03, 2011 at Lawrence, Kan. (Arrocha Ballpark) Nebraska 7 (30-4,3-1 Big 12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 1 2 1 1 11 1 3 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 5 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 4 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 4 3 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 4 0 0 Wright, Saige pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 2 Southworth, Megan lf..... 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals................... 31 7 12 7 3 4 21 7 11 Kansas 1 (27-10,0-6 Big 12) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jones, Alex cf........... 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hull, Rosie rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 Montgomery, Mariah 2b.... 2 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 1 Hull, Maggie lf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 Kocon, Liz dp............ 3 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 Hile, Brittany c......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 Newman, Ashley ss........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Ingle, Marissa 3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 Moyer, Elsa pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cullum, Kendra 1b........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 Vickers, Laura ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Martinez, Kristin p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Clark, Allie p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 1 5 1 1 11 21 4 5 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 111 4 - 7 12 0 Kansas.............. 010 000 0 - 1 5 0 ----------------------------------------- LOB - Huskers 11; Jayhawks 5. 2B - Edwards, Tat(6); Banda(6). 3B - Newman. HR - Thomason(4); Edwards, Tat(10); Kocon. HBP - Brechtel; Banda; Southworth; Ingle. SH - Southworth(1); Cullum. SF - Southworth(2). SB - Foland(8). Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 5 1 1 1 11 24 27 85 Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Martinez, Kristin... 6.0 9 5 5 1 4 25 31 107 Clark, Allie........ 1.0 3 2 2 2 0 6 8 24 Win - Hagemann (22-3). Loss - Martinez (12-4). Save - None. WP - Clark. HBP - by Martinez (Southworth); by Hagemann (Ingle); by Martinez (Banda); by Martinez (Brechtel). PB - Hile. Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 85/67; Martinez 107/71; Clark 24/11. Umpires - HP: Kevin Killingsworth 1B: Tim Kasate 3B: Dustin Douglass Start: 1:04 pm Time: 2:03 Attendance: 671 Martinez faced 2 batters in the 7th. Game: NU34