Huskers Fall to No. 12 Stanford in Regional Final

Stanford, Calif. - The 16th-ranked Nebraska softball team's quest for a regional title fell short on Sunday, as 12th-ranked Stanford scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to post a 4-1 win and capture the regional title on its home field.

The Huskers ended their season with a 41-14 season, winning 40 games and advancing to a regional final for the first time since 2006. Seven of Nebraska's final 10 losses came with the Huskers ahead or tied in the seventh inning. Stanford improved to 41-15 with the win and advanced to face No. 2 national seed Alabama in a super regional.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann pitched well again in defeat, ending her season with a 31-13 record. Although she allowed four runs, Hagemann held the Cardinal to one run through the first six innings despite pitching her fourth complete game in three days. Hagemann's four runs scored on nine hits, while she walked three and struck out five. Hagemann allowed more than one run for the first time in seven career NCAA Tournament starts, while she threw exactly 500 pitches at the Stanford Regional.

Hagemann ended her season with 31 wins and 344 strikeouts, becoming the second Husker pitcher to record 30 wins and 300 strikeouts in the same season. She finished the year in second place on Nebraska's season strikeout chart, third in wins, fourth in complete games and fifth in innings pitched.

Offensively, senior Julie Brechtel produced Nebraska's lone run with a game-tying solo home run in the top of the sixth inning. The Huskers were out-hit 9-5 in the loss, with four of Stanford's nine hits coming in the seventh inning against a tiring Hagemann.

Teagan Gerhart (25-11) earned the win for Stanford, allowing one run in a complete-game effort. Pac-10 Player of the Year and top-10 finalist for the USA Softball Player-of-the-Year award Ashley Hansen led Stanford's offense with a 2-for-4 day that included two RBIs.

After Nebraska stranded a runner in each of the first two innings, Stanford loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third for the nation's leading hitter, Hansen then went after the first pitch she saw and hit a grounder to Heidi Foland at third, who threw home for the force out. Hagemann then struck out Jenna Rich, the Cardinal's No. 3 hitter, to end the threat.

In the top of the fifth, Hansen was given another RBI opportunity and she would not be denied a second time. An infield single, an error and a walk put runners on first and second with two outs for Hansen, who lined a changeup down the right-field line and the ball landed just fair for an RBI double. Trailing 1-0, Hagemann prevented any further damage by striking out Rich with runners on second and third.

Hagemann worked out of another jam in the top of the sixth to keep it a one-run game. A leadoff walk was followed by a Husker error that put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out, before a botched squeeze attempt left Caitlyn Pura hung out to dry between third and home. Catcher Taylor Edwards ran Pura down and tagged her out for the second out, before a pop out ended the inning.

Brechtel then blasted the first pitch of the bottom of the inning over the wall in left center for a game-tying solo home run.

Stanford responded in the top of the seventh. Hagemann plunked the first batter before a bunt single put runners at first and second. Hansen then delivered an RBI single through the right side to put the Cardinal on top for good. Stanford added to its lead with an RBI ground out and an RBI single.

Trailing 4-1 in its final at bat, the Huskers tried to rally. Junior Ashley Guile reached on a leadoff error and sophomore Gabby Banda doubled to the gap with one out. On the double, freshman pinch-runner Morgan McCann was thrown out at home plate before a fly out ended the game and the Huskers' season.

 Box Score

2011 Nebraska Softball #12 Stanford at #16 Nebraska May 22, 2011 at Stanford, Calif. (Smith Family Stadium)

Stanford 4 (41-15)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Hassman, Sarah cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hansen, Ashley ss........ 4 1 2 2 0 0 2 4 0 Rich, Jenna 2b........... 4 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 5 Pura, Caitlyn lf......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 Prong, Michelle dp....... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 Koutz, Melisa 1b......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 Miller, Danielle ph..... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Burns, Maya rf........... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 Becerra, Jenna 3b........ 2 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 Gerhart, Teagan p........ 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 Gerhart, Kelsey c........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 Totals................... 28 4 9 4 3 5 21 7 9

Nebraska 1 (41-14)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 Drake, Madison lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 25 1 5 1 1 4 21 7 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Stanford............ 000 010 3 - 4 9 1 Nebraska............ 000 001 0 - 1 5 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Rich; Brechtel(6); Foland(8). LOB - Cardinal 9; Huskers 5. 2B - Hansen; Edwards, Tat(8); Banda(10). HR - Brechtel(6). HBP - Becerra. SH - Prong; Koutz; Brechtel(9). SB - Hansen. CS - Pura.

Stanford IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Gerhart, Teagan..... 7.0 5 1 1 1 4 25 27 98

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 7.0 9 4 4 3 5 28 34 136

Win - Gerhart, T. (25-11). Loss - Hagemann (31-13). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Becerra). PB - Gerhart, K.. Pitches/strikes: Gerhart, T. 98/72; Hagemann 136/88. Umpires - HP: Glenda Bates 1B: David Hardage 3B: Dustin Douglass Start: 3:27 pm Time: 2:14 Attendance: Game: NU55