Huskers Power Past Pacific, 11-1

Stanford, Calif. - The Husker offense broke out in a big way on Saturday, pounding out 11 hits in an 11-1 five-inning victory over Pacific in an elimination game at the NCAA Stanford Regional.

Nebraska's 11 runs tied for its highest run total in an NCAA Tournament game, as the Huskers won their 40th game of the season and improved to 40-13 on the year. With the win, NU earned a rematch with Fresno State at 8 p.m. (Central) with a trip to Sunday's regional final on the line.

The Huskers scored early against the Tigers, striking for one run in the first, five in the second and five more in the third. Four Huskers had at least two hits in the win, while three players also produced a multi-RBI game. Sophomore Brooke Thomason went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer and a pair of walks, while freshman Tatum Edwards finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and senior Julie Brechtel was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs.

Freshman Taylor Edwards and junior Ashley Guile each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while junior Madison Drake hit her fifth home run of the season.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann was the beneficiary of the Huskers' offensive outburst, earning her 30th victory of the season. Only the third Husker pitcher to win 30 games in a season, Hagemann (30-12) allowed one run on five hits. She added seven strikeouts and worked around one walk and one hit batter.

Nikki Armagost took the loss for Pacific, which ended its season with a 37-19 record. Armagost (19-11) allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 1.2 innings.

After being frustrated in a 10-inning shutout loss to Fresno State on Friday, the Huskers found the scoreboard right away on Saturday. Taylor Edwards reached on a two-out single in the top of the first inning, before Thomason walked. Tatum Edwards then lined a 2-0 pitch into left field for an RBI single that scored her sister.

In the bottom of the first, a walk, an infield single and a hit batter loaded the bases with only one out. But Hagemann escaped the jam by coaxing a pop out and a foul out.

Junior Madison Drake then extend the Huskers' lead to 2-0 in the top of the second when she lined a 2-2 pitch off the foul pole in left for a one-out solo home run. Then with two outs, Brechtel doubled before Taylor Edwards brought her home with an RBI single up the middle. Leading 3-0, Thomason walked and a passed ball moved Taylor Edwards to third and Thomason to second. Tatum Edwards then delivered a two-run single through the left side that pushed the lead to 5-0 and marked the end of the day for Armagost.

Guile then greeted new pitcher Tori Shepard with an RBI single up the middle to give the Huskers a 6-0 advantage.

Nebraska kept scoring in the third. Sophomore Gabby Banda was hit by a pitch to begin the inning before Drake walked and junior Nikki Haget reached on an infield single. With the bases loaded and none out, Brechtel delivered a two-run single back up the middle to give Nebraska an eight-run lead. One batter later, Thomason blasted a 3-1 offering well over the fence in right center for a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 11-0.

Pacific got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Nicole Matson delivered a two-out, solo home run to left.

Neither team would score again, as Hagemann retired seven of the last nine batters she faced, working around a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the fifth. 

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

Nebraska 11 (40-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 2 2 1 0 0 6 1 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 2 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 3 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Muir, Kylee ph.......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 5 0 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 5 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Drake, Madison lf........ 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 26 11 11 11 6 2 15 5 7

Pacific 1 (37-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Hom, Megan cf............ 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Foglesong, Megan lf...... 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Armagost, Nikki p/dp..... 3 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 Matson, Nicole ss........ 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 Moore, Amy c............. 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Rodriguez, Kelsey 1b..... 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 3 Rivera, Alexa 2b......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 DeSilva, Taylor ph...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Pierce, Lindsey rf....... 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Allen, Megan 3b.......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 Collier, Amanda ph...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Shepard, Tori dp/p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 McDaniel, Gabby p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 20 1 5 1 1 7 15 5 6

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 155 00 - 11 11 0 Pacific............. 001 00 - 1 5 1 --------------------------------------

E - Allen. LOB - Huskers 7; Pacific 6. 2B - Brechtel(9). HR - Thomason(8); Drake(4); Matson. HBP - Banda; Matson. SB - Banda(6).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 5.0 5 1 1 1 7 20 22 90

Pacific IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Armagost, Nikki..... 1.2 7 6 5 2 0 12 14 50 Shepard, Tori....... 1.1 4 5 5 2 0 9 12 46 McDaniel, Gabby..... 2.0 0 0 0 2 2 5 7 36

Win - Hagemann (30-12). Loss - Armagost (19-11). Save - None. WP - Hagemann(13). HBP - by Hagemann (Matson); by Shepard (Banda). PB - Edwards, Tay(8); Moore. Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 90/67; Armagost 50/27; Shepard 46/23; McDaniel 36/16. Umpires - HP: David Hardage 1B: Ed Cooper 3B: Dustin Douglass Start: 4:57 pm Time: 1:46 Attendance: Shepard faced 1 batter in the 4th. Game: NU53