Huskers Sweep Creighton in Fall Finale

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team swept a doubleheader from Creighton on Sunday in the Huskers' final competition of the fall exhibition season. NU shut out the Bluejays 8-0 in game one, before an 11-run fourth inning powered the Huskers to a 14-2 win in game two.

Nebraska's offense totaled 22 runs and 24 hits in the two games. Senior Ashley Guile had three hits and four RBIs in the two victories, while classmate Nikki Haget had three hits and three RBIs. Freshman Jordan Bettiol totaled four hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, while sophomore Tatum Edwards had three hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. Senior Madison Drake went 3-for-4 in game one, while sophomore Kylee Muir went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in game two.

Guile, Muir and Tatum Edwards all homered on the day, while Taylor Edwards and Haget added doubles and freshman Mattie Fowler added a double and a triple.

In the circle, senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann fired a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in game one. In game two, sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards tossed a three-hitter of her own and did not allow an earned run.

Nebraska finished its fall season with a 7-1 victory with wins over Colorado State (twice), Creighton (twice), Nebraska-Omaha and Wayne State (twice) and a loss to Colorado State. In eight games, the Huskers outscored their opponents 64-17.

Game 1
Nebraska - 8
Creighton - 0

Senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann tossed a three-hit shutout and senior Ashley Guile homered and produced three RBIs at the plate to lead Nebraska to an 8-0 win in game one.

Hagemann allowed only three signles and struck out eight while walking only one. Guile finished 2-for-3, while classmate Madison Drake was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Freshmen Mattie Fowler and Jordan Bettiol combined for four hits and two RBIs.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Senior Nikki Haget and freshman Jordan Bettiol began the inning with back-to-back singles before the next two batters were retired. But Guile walked to load the bases, before junior Gabby Banda drew another walk to score Haget with the game's first run.

In the bottom of the third, Guile made it 3-0 with a two-run homer to right center. Then with two outs, sophomore Tatum Edwards, freshman Mattie Fowler and senior Madison Drake strung together consecutive singles, with Drake's hit scoring Edwards to push the lead to 4-0.

Nebraska tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Bettiol began the inning with a single and scored on an RBI double from sophomore Taylor Edwards. Sophomore pinch-runner Morgan McCann then made it 6-0 when she scored on an RBI single from Guile.

Fowler then closed out the scoring with a two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Game 2
Nebraska - 14
Creighton - 2

An 11-run fourth inning propelled the Nebraska softball team to a 14-2 win over Creighton in game two of a doubleheader sweep for the Huskers at Bowlin Stadium. In the fourth inning, the Huskers sent 16 batters to the plate and totaled eight hits, four walks and one hit batter.

Leading the offensive charge in the inning and the game was sophomore Kylee Muir. Muir singled, homered and drove in three in the fourth inning. On the game, Muir finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Senior Nikki Haget added a 2-for-4 day with three RBIs of her own, while freshmen Jordan Bettiol and Mattie Fowler each had two hits and two RBIs.

Sophomore Tatum Edwards homered and went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Edwards also earned the win in the circle, pitching a complete game, allowing only three hits and no earned runs.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a leadoff home run from Tatum Edwards. Later in the frame, Haget stretched the lead to 3-0 with a two-out, two-run double.

Creighton cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the third. After a Husker error prolonged the inning, Alexis Cantu recorded the Bluejays' first hit of the game, a two-run double to the fence in right center.

The Huskers answered in the bottom of the fourth when  Fowler began the inning with a single before Muir launched a towering, two-run homer to right. Sophomore Megan Southworth then walked, before Haget and Bettiol recorded back-to-back singles to load the bases.

Senior Ashley Guile made it 6-2 when her fly ball to shallow center turned into an RBI single that scored Southworth. After Creighton recorded the first out, Tatum Edwards was hit by the next pitch to bring Haget home. Sophomore Gabby Banda then worked a four-pitch walk to score Bettiol and put the Huskers on top 8-2. Fowler then extended the lead with a two-run single to left. In her second at bat of the inning, Muir delivered another run-scoring hit with an RBI single through the left side that scored Banda to stretch the lead to 11-2.

A walk to Southworth re-loaded the bases before Haget worked another walk to force in another run. Bettiol then delivered a two-run single to cap the 11-run inning and push the lead to 14-2.