Huskers Cruise to 9-0 Win

Las Cruces, N.M. - Sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards fired a one-hit shutout, and the Husker offense scored in every inning of a 9-0, five-inning victory over Stephen F. Austin in the first of two games on Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M.

Edwards (4-1) fired a one-hitter and did not allow a walk while striking out five. The shutout was the third of Edwards' career and the first by a Husker pitcher this season.

Offensively, Nebraska pounded out 12 hits and scored a run in all five innings, including a four-run third inning. The Huskers' No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters - junior Gabby Banda, sophomore Taylor Edwards and senior Ashley Guile - had two hits and two RBIs apiece. Junior Brooke Thomason also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

While Nebraska (6-3) won its third straight game, Stephen F. Austin lost for the second straight game to fall to 2-6 on the year. Carlie Thomas (1-4) took the loss, allowing eight runs in 4.0 innings, but only two of the runs were earned.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, scoring in the first frame for the fourth straight game. Senior Nikki Haget led off with an infield single, before Taylor Edwards reached on a one-out walk. Guile then delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Haget with the game's first run.

The Huskers pushed the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second. Haget reached on a two-out error, then scored from first on a hit-and-run single from Banda. Banda then scored on an RBI double from Taylor Edwards.

NU added four more runs in the third. Thomason began the inning with a single and was at third base with two outs. After freshman Jordan Bettiol walked, Haget lined a ball to right field that bounced out of the glove of the Brittany Lee, allowing Thomason to score. Bettiol then scored on an RBI infield single from Banda, before back-to-back RBI singles from Taylor Edwards and Guile made it 7-0.

Nebraska brought the run-rule into effect with another run in the fourth. Senior Madison Drake reached on a one-out double and moved to third on a single from freshman Mattie Fowler. Drake then came home to make it 8-0 on an RBI single from Bettiol.

The Huskers added another run in the fifth. Junior Megan Southworth worked a leadoff walk and scored on a two-out, RBI single from Thomason.

Tatum Edwards then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning to post the shutout.

Nebraska wraps up Saturday play at the Troy Cox Classic against Weber State.

Box Score 2012 Nebraska Softball #22 Nebraska vs Stephen F. Austin Feb 18, 2012 at Las Cruces, N.M. (NMSU Softball Cmplx)

Nebraska 9 (6-3)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki 2b.......... 4 3 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 2 2 2 0 0 0 4 2 Edwards, Taylor dp....... 2 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan dp/rf. 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 0 2 2 1 0 7 0 0 Edwards, Tatum p......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Thomason, Brooke rf/dp... 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 Drake, Madison lf........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 Fowler, Mattie ss........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bettiol, Jordan cf....... 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Wright, Kirby c.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Totals................... 28 9 12 9 5 1 15 7 10

Stephen F. Austin 0 (2-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Price, Amber cf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 Arana, Jessica dp........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brown, Bethany lf........ 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Arana, Elizabeth 2b...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Weaver, Cadie 3b......... 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 Nattinger, Landre c...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Mixon, Kaitlyn 1b........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 0 Linares, Linda ss........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Lee, Brittany rf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomas, Carlie p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 White, Angela p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 17 0 1 0 0 5 15 8 3

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 124 11 - 9 12 2 Stephen F. Austin... 000 00 - 0 1 2 --------------------------------------

E - Haget 2(4); Lee; Thomas. LOB - Huskers 10; Ladyjacks 3. 2B - Edwards, Tay(4); Drake(2). SH - Drake(1); Arana, J.. SB - Haget(1); Brown.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 5.0 1 0 0 0 5 17 18 66

Stephen F. Austin IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Thomas, Carlie...... 4.0 11 8 2 4 1 24 29 110 White, Angela....... 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 4 5 19

Win - Edwards, Tat (4-1). Loss - Thomas (1-4). Save - None. Pitches/strikes: Edwards, Tat 66/51; Thomas 110/67; White 19/10. Umpires - HP: Bubba Ewald 1B: Cody Little 3B: Gary Mitchell Start: 10:26 am Time: 1:38 Attendance: Game: NEB9