Huskers Advance to Regional Final with 5-0 Win

Stanford, Calif. - Behind a three-hit shutout from junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann and clutch hitting from the Edwards twins, the 16th-ranked Nebraska softball team clinched a spot in the NCAA Stanford Regional final with a 5-0 victory over Fresno State Saturday night.

Hagemann's shutout was the first of her postseason career, while she improved to 31-12 on the year. In addition to allowing only three hits, Hagemann issued just two walks and struck out 10.

Offensively, Tatum and Taylor Edwards each had two RBIs. Taylor was 1-for-1 with three walks, while Tatum's lone hit was an RBI single that capped Nebraska's three-run fourth inning.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 41-13 on the season. The Huskers will now face Stanford at 3:30 p.m. (Central) on Sunday in the regional final. Nebraska must defeat the Cardinal twice to advance to a super regional. Sunday's action can be heard live in Lincoln on 1400 KLIN.

Fresno State, which defeated Nebraska 1-0 in 10 innings on Friday, ended its season with a 35-19 record. Mackenzie Oakes (18-7) took the loss, allowing all five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4.0 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with help from a Fresno State error. Junior Nikki Haget began the game with an infield single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Julie Brechtel. Taylor Edwards then walked on four pitches, before sophomore Brooke Thomason hit a grounder to third. Nicole Angene fielded it cleanly, but her throw to first was wild, allowing Haget to score the game's first run.

Fresno State threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the second. A two-out double was followed by a pair of walks to load the bases before Hagemann escaped the jam with a foul out.

The Huskers then took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Brechtel got the rally started with a one-out walk before Taylor Edwards worked another walk. Thomason then singled to load the bases before Tatum Edwards hit a slow ground ball to second. Fresno State second baseman Brooke Ortiz decided to come home, but Brechtel easily beat the throw home. A pop out to short marked the second out and Nebraska though it had added to its lead when senior Heidi Foland appeared to beat out an infield single, but she was called out to end the inning.

Nebraska did add to its lead in the fourth. Sophomore Gabby Banda began the inning with a single and was replaced on the basepaths by junior Madison Drake. Haget then reached on a single, before a ground out from Brechtel moved the runners to second and third. Taylor Edwards then delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single up the middle. Leading 4-0, Thomason walked before Tatum Edwards scored her sister with an RBI single into center field to stretch the lead to 5-0.

NU had a chance to further add to its lead in the top of the fifth with runners on second and third and one out, but Michelle Moses escaped the jam.

The insurance runs would not be needed, as Hagemann retired the final eight batters she faced and 15 of the final 17. 

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball #16 Nebraska vs Fresno State May 21, 2011 at Stanford, Calif. (Smith Family Stadium)

Nebraska 5 (41-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 5 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 Edwards, Taylor c........ 1 1 1 2 3 0 10 0 0 Wright, Saige pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 4 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 Drake, Madison lf........ 4 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 30 5 9 4 5 6 21 3 11

Fresno State 0 (35-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Gilleland, Haley ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 5 1 3 Ortega, Andrea lf........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Moses, Michelle 1b/p..... 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 1 Moore, Courtney dp....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Stiglich, Caitlin c/1b... 3 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 0 Pollard, Kaylan pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Angene, Nicole 3b........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Walker, Demi cf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Runge, Diane rf.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Ortiz, Brooke 2b......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 Oakes, Mackenzie p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Griffin, Kaitlin c...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Totals................... 25 0 3 0 2 10 21 8 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 101 300 0 - 5 9 1 Fresno State........ 000 000 0 - 0 3 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Foland(7); Ortega, A; Angene, N. LOB - Huskers 11; Bulldogs 6. 2B - Banda(9); Walker, D. SH - Brechtel(8); Banda(8). SB - Ortiz, B.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 3 0 0 2 10 25 27 117

Fresno State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Oakes, Mackenzie.... 4.0 7 5 4 4 3 20 25 93 Moses, Michelle..... 3.0 2 0 0 1 3 10 12 43

Win - Hagemann (31-12). Loss - Oakes, M (18-7). Save - None. WP - Oakes, M. Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 117/83; Oakes, M 93/59; Moses, M 43/32. Umpires - HP: Ed Cooper 1B: Glendaa Bates 3B: David Hardage Start: 7:59 pm Time: 2:12 Attendance: 691 Oakes, M faced 1 batter in the 5th. Game: NU54