Huskers Rally Past No. 8 Missouri

Lincoln - The 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to post a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over No. 8 Missouri on Friday night at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers were held to only one hit in the game, as Missouri out-hit Nebraska, 6-1. Patient at bats were the key to the victory, as the Huskers won for the first time this season when being out-hit. In the decisive fifth inning, the Huskers drew three walks and were hit by a pitch, which led directly to their first two runs.

With the win, Nebraska avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season. The Huskers improved to 32-8 overall and moved to 4-5 in Big 12 play. The 32-8 start matches the second-best 40-game record in school history.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hageman snapped a personal four-game losing streak with her fourth win over a top-10 team this season. In a complete-game effort, Hagemann (23-7) allowed two runs on six hits, striking out four and working around four walks.

Offensively, freshman Tatum Edwards had the Huskers' only hit, a leadoff double that ignited Nebraska's three-run fifth inning. Her twin sister Taylor added the game-winning RBI, while junior Madison Drake produced NU's other RBI.

The win snapped Missouri's 10-game win streak, as the Tigers fell to 37-6 on the season and 9-2 in conference play. Ace right-hander Chelsea Thomas took the loss, despite throwing a one-hitter. All three of the runs Thomas allowed were earned and she struck out 10, while walking a season-high five batters.

Both teams were retired in order in the first inning before Missouri jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. A leadoff double and a walk put the first two Tigers on, before a one-out RBI single from Lisa Simmons plated the game's first run.

The first two Huskers then reached in the bottom of the second when senior Julie Brechtel and junior Ashley Guile both walked. But the Huskers were unable to advance the runners as Thomas struck out the next three batters.

Back-to-back singles then gave Missouri runners at second and third with no outs in the top of the third, but Hagemann was able to work out of the jam without allowing a run to score.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth when a pair of two-out walks came back to hurt Hagemann, as Rhea Taylor lined an RBI single to right field.

In the bottom of the frame, Tatum Edwards doubled before back-to-back walks to senior Heidi Foland and sophomore Gabby Banda loaded the bases. Drake was then hit by a pitch to scored Tatum Edwards. Junior Nikki Haget then worked a walk to force in Foland and tie the game at 2-2.

With the bases loaded and still none out, Taylor Edwards lined a ball to deep right center, where Rhea Taylor made a leaping grab for the out. But on the play, Banda came home to score on a sacrifice fly to give the Huskers a 3-2 lead. Haget then stole second to put runners on second and third with only one out, before Thomas rebounded to strikeout the next two hitters.

The Huskers took the 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning, where a one-out walk and a single put Tigers on first and second. But Hagemann preserved the win by coaxing a line out to right and a game-ending flare out to Banda at short.

Nebraska and Missouri wrap up their two-game series on Saturday at 4 p.m.  

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball
#8 Missouri at #14 Nebraska
Apr 22, 2011 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Missouri 2 (37-6,9-2 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Taylor, Rhea cf.......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0
Marston, Jenna ss........ 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 4 2
Fleming, Ashley 1b....... 4 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 0
White, Shana pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hudson, Nicole 3b........ 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Ruggeberg, Maddison dp... 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4
Krebs, Princess lf....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Simmons, Lisa rf......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
Christopher, Megan c..... 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 0 0
Duplechain, Taylor pr... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Poet, Kathryn ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lee, Catherine c........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Vock, Abby 2b............ 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2
Thomas, Chelsea p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 28 2 6 2 4 4 18 5 9

Nebraska 3 (32-8,4-5 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0
Edwards, Taylor c........ 2 0 0 1 0 1 4 0 0
Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0
Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 1 1 4 2 2
Guile, Ashley 1b......... 2 0 0 0 1 2 6 0 0
Edwards, Tatum dp........ 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
Banda, Gabby ss.......... 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 2
Drake, Madison lf........ 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 18 3 1 3 5 10 21 3 4

Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Missouri............ 010 100 0 - 2 6 0
Nebraska............ 000 030 X - 3 1 0
-----------------------------------------

LOB - Tigers 9; Huskers 4. 2B - Hudson(7); Edwards, Tat(7). HBP - Drake. SF
- Edwards, Tay(2). SB - Taylor(26); Haget(14).

Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Thomas, Chelsea..... 6.0 1 3 3 5 10 18 25 110

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 6 2 2 4 4 28 32 112

Win - Hagemann (23-7). Loss - Thomas (20-4). Save - None.
WP - Hagemann(8). HBP - by Thomas (Drake). Pitches/strikes: Thomas 110/63;
Hagemann 112/69.
Umpires - HP: Phil Grom 1B: Philip Freers 3B: David Rheinecker
Start: 6:02 pm Time: 1:50 Attendance: 741
Game: NU40