Husker Rally Falls Short in Loss to No. 8 Missouri

Lincoln - The 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning but could not complete a comeback attempt in a 4-1 loss to No. 8 Missouri on Saturday in front of 1,158 fans at Bowlin Stadium.

Chelsea Thomas, the nation's ERA leader, stymied the Husker offense for the second straight game, after Nebraska turned one hit into a 3-2 victory over the Tigers on Friday. On Saturday, Thomas allowed one run on two hits in a complete-game effort, striking out nine.

Thomas allowed only one hit and two base runners through the first six innings before Nebraska attempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh. After the first two batters were retired on two pitches, junior Ashley Guile drew her second walk of the game and freshman Tatum Edwards followed with a walk. Senior Heidi Foland then drove in the Huskers' lone run with an RBI single.

Trailing 4-1 with runners on first and third, Thomas preserved her 21st victory of the season with a strikeout. Foland and Haget each finished 1-for-3 to pace the Husker offense, as Nebraska was out-hit 9-2.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann (23-8) took the loss for Nebraska. Hagemann tossed her second straight complete game, allowing four runs on nine hits. Hagemann allowed only one run over her first 6.1 innings and finished with six strikeouts.

With the loss, Nebraska fell to 32-9 on the season and 4-6 in conference play. Missouri improved to 38-6 overall and 10-2 in Big 12 action.

Junior Madison Drake nearly put the Huskers on the board in the bottom of the third. With one out, Drake hit a fly ball to deep center field that Rhea Taylor tracked, reached up and caught with her glove extended over the fence to bring back the potential home run.

Abby Vock then did get one over the fence in the top of the fifth, as her one-out solo shot to left gave Missouri a 1-0 lead.

Haget became Nebraska's second base runner of the game when she reached on a two-out, infield single in the bottom of the sixth inning. That broke up Thomas' no-hit bid, but the Huskers were still held scoreless when freshman Taylor Edwards grounded out to end the inning.

Missouri then tacked on three much-need insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back singles put Tigers on first and second with none out before a one-out single loaded the bases. Ashley Fleming then delivered a two-run single up the middle to push the lead to 3-0. A sacrifice fly one batter later closed out the scoring and put Missouri on top 4-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Huskers tallied a run and brought the tying run to the plate before the comeback attempt was thwarted.

Nebraska continues its homestand this week. Tuesday's scheduled game with Northern Iowa has been canceled, so the Huskers will next play on Wednesday in a doubleheader against South Dakota State. 

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #8 Missouri at #14 Nebraska Apr 23, 2011 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Missouri 4 (38-6,10-2 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Taylor, Rhea cf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Marston, Jenna ss........ 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Fleming, Ashley 1b....... 3 0 1 2 0 1 8 0 2 Hudson, Nicole 3b........ 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 Duplechain, Taylor pr... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ruggeberg, Maddison dp... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Krebs, Princess lf....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Lee, Catherine ph....... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Simmons, Lisa rf......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 Schweisberger, Marla ph. 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Christopher, Megan c..... 2 1 1 0 0 0 9 0 1 Sykes, Mackenzie ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Vock, Abby 2b............ 3 2 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Thomas, Chelsea p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 28 4 9 4 1 6 21 7 7

Nebraska 1 (32-9,4-6 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 1 0 0 0 2 1 4 0 0 Wright, Saige pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 1 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 Drake, Madison lf........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 23 1 2 1 3 9 21 5 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Missouri............ 000 010 3 - 4 9 0 Nebraska............ 000 000 1 - 1 2 0 -----------------------------------------

LOB - Tigers 7; Huskers 4. 2B - Marston(11). HR - Vock A.(4). HBP - Fleming. SH - Ruggeberg(3). SF - Hudson(1). SB - Taylor(27); Wright, S.(3).

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Thomas, Chelsea..... 7.0 2 1 1 3 9 23 26 114

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 9 4 4 1 6 28 32 112

Win - Thomas (21-4). Loss - Hagemann (23-8). Save - None. WP - Thomas(4); Hagemann 2(10). HBP - by Hagemann (Fleming). Pitches/strikes: Thomas 114/76; Hagemann 112/78. Umpires - HP: Philip Freers 1B: David Rheinecker 3B: Phil Grom Start: 4:02 pm Time: 1:57 Attendance: 1158 Game: NU41