Huskers Fall at No. 22 Texas A&M

College Station, Texas - The 12th-ranked Nebraska softball team stranded nine base runners and was unable to produce a clutch hit in a 3-0 loss at No. 22 Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Softball Complex.

Nebraska stranded six runners over the first four innings and hit into a double play. Texas A&M was more efficient with its scoring opportunities, as the Aggies' first hit of the game gave them a 2-0 lead that would be all the run support that ace right-hander Melissa Dumezich would need. Dumezich fired a five-hitter and tossed her ninth shutout of the season to improve to 18-7 on the year.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann suffered her third straight loss to fall to 22-6 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Hagemann tossed a four-hitter and allowed three runs, while striking out seven. Offensively, Nebraska out-hit Texas A&M, 5-4, but the Huskers were just 2-for-13 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

The loss dropped Nebraska to 31-7 on the season and 3-4 in Big 12 Conference play. Texas A&M improved to 32-11 and even its league record at 4-4 by remaining undefeated at home. The Aggies are 16-0 at home this season and have won 18 consecutive home games dating to last year, the fifth-longest home winning streak in the country.

Neither team had a hit until the third inning, when junior Nikki Haget reached on a one-out, infield single. Back-to-back walks to sophomore Brooke Thomason and senior Julie Brechtel loaded the bases with two outs, before Dumezich delivered a well-timed changeup to strike out junior Ashley Guile swinging.

One inning later, singles from freshman Tatum Edwards and sophomore Gabby Banda put Huskers on first and second with one out, before redshirt freshman Kylee Muir grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Texas A&M remained hitless until the bottom of the fourth, when the Aggies' first hit produced two runs. A hit batter and walk put runners on first and second with one out for Nicole Morgan, who doubled off the wall in left to clear the bases and give Texas A&M a 2-0 lead. Each of the three batters that reached fell behind in the count and reached safely on a two-strike pitch. An infield single and a stolen base then put Aggies at second and third with one out, before Hagemann recorded a timely strikeout. A walk then loaded the bases, but Hagemann avoided further damage by coaxing a fly out to left.

Nebraska was then retired in order for the first time in the top of the fifth before Rhiannon Kliesing launched a towering solo home run in the bottom of the frame to push the lead to 3-0.

The Huskers had another scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth. Brechtel began the inning with an infield single before Guile followed with another single. But the Huskers were still unable to plate a run, as a fielder's choice, a fly out and a strikeout ended the inning.

Texas A&M was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Nebraska's hopes of a come-from-behind as Dumezich preserved the shutout by retiring three of the four batters she faced.

Nebraska and Texas A&M wrap up their two-game series on Sunday at Noon.

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #12 Nebraska at #22 Texas A&M Apr 16, 2011 at College Station, Tex (Aggie Softball Cmplx)

Nebraska 0 (31-7,3-4 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 0 0 1 1 7 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 2 0 1 0 1 1 4 0 3 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 3 Muir, Kylee dp........... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 24 0 5 0 5 8 18 5 9

Texas A&M 3 (32-11,4-4 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Villarreal, Natalie 2b... 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 3 Tysarczyk, Cassie rf..... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Kliesing, Rhiannon 1b.... 3 1 1 1 0 0 6 2 0 Dumezich, Melissa p...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 Albus, Emily pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Garza, Amber 3b.......... 2 1 1 0 1 1 2 3 0 Morgan, Nicole c......... 3 0 1 2 0 1 8 0 0 Rayburn, Kaydee pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Spittler, Kelsey lf...... 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Orsak, Kelsea cf......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Walker, Brittany ss...... 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Sisk, Lindsey dp......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 20 3 4 3 4 7 21 9 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 5 0 Texas A&M........... 000 210 X - 3 4 0 -----------------------------------------

DP - Aggies 1. LOB - Huskers 9; Aggies 5. 2B - Morgan. HR - Kliesing. HBP - Dumezich. SH - Foland(1); Tysarczyk. SB - Spittler.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 6.0 4 3 3 4 7 20 26 136

Texas A&M IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Dumezich, Melissa... 7.0 5 0 0 5 8 24 30 138

Win - Dumezich (18-7). Loss - Hagemann (22-6). Save - None. WP - Hagemann(7). HBP - by Hagemann (Dumezich). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 136/85; Dumezich 138/85. Umpires - HP: Kevin Davis 1B: Lenny Fly 3B: Rodney Smith Start: 4:01 pm Time: 2:05 Attendance: Game: NU38