Huskers Edge UNO, 1-0, in Eight Innings

Omaha - Senior right-hander Ashley Hagemann tossed a four-hit shutout and sophomore Taylor Edwards drove in the game's only run with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, as the Nebraska softball team edged in-state rival UNO, 1-0 in extra innings Wednesday night in Omaha.

Hagemann tossed her seventh shutout of the season to improve to 19-13 on the year. She added a season-high 17 strikeouts to mark her 11th double-digit strikeout game in 2012. Hagemann allowed just four singles and worked around a pair of walks and a hit batter.

Hagemann's effort was nearly matched by UNO ace Dana Elsasser. Elsasser (11-7) scattered seven hits, struck out three and did not allow a walk. She took a shutout into the eighth inning, before Taylor Edwards' game-winning hit.

Edwards finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, as Nebraska out-hit UNO, 7-4. Freshman Mattie Fowler also had a pair of hits and scored the game-winning run. Seniors Madison Drake and Nikki Haget and junior Brooke Thomason had Nebraska's other three hits.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 27-16 on the year, while UNO fell to 19-14.

Through the first six innings, each team stranded five runners. UNO wasted a pair of one-out singles in the second and a two-out walk and hit batter in the fourth in its best scoring chances. For the Huskers, Thomason produced a two-out double in the top of the second, but was stranded there. Nebraska had a pair of runners on base with only one out in both the third and the fifth innings, but came up empty each time. Taylor Edwards then led off the sixth with a single, before UNO turned a double play.

In the bottom of the seventh, Molly Negrete was jammed on a pitch, but had enough strength to bloop a leadoff single to shallow left. A sacrifice bunt moved her to second with one out before Hagemann struck out the next two batters.

Fowler then began the top of the eighth with a leadoff single. Haget moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt and Fowler moved to third on a ground out. Taylor Edwards then brought her home when she grounded an 0-1 pitch through the left side for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the eighth, Hagemann retired the first two batters before Lauren Larson singled to left with two outs. But Hagemann ended the game with her 17th strikeout against Katelyn Hinton.

Nebraska continues its eight-game road trip this weekend with a three-game series at Ohio State.

Box Score

2012 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at UNO Apr 18, 2012 at Omaha, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Nebraska 1 (27-16)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 2 1 0 0 17 0 2 Bettiol, Jordan pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Edwards, Tatum dp........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Breault, Courtney 2b..... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Drake, Madison lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fowler, Mattie ss........ 3 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 1 7 1 0 3 24 3 6

UNO 0 (19-14)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Peterson, Tonya ss....... 4 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 0 Redding, Lindsay rf...... 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Larson, Lauren c......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 2 1 Jones, Mollie pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hinton, Katelyn cf....... 4 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 Lutmer, Amber dp......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Gilliland, Lindsay pr... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Negrete, Molly 3b........ 2 0 2 0 1 0 2 5 0 Wright, Emma 1b.......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 0 Eeman, Mara lf........... 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 Thalken, Kiley ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Lynch, Ashley 2b......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 1 Elsasser, Dana p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 0 4 0 2 17 24 16 7

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------ Nebraska............ 000 000 01 - 1 7 0 UNO................. 000 000 00 - 0 4 1 ------------------------------------------

E - Peterson,T. DP - Mavericks 1. LOB - Huskers 6; Mavericks 7. 2B - Thomason(11). HBP - Wright,E. SH - Haget 2(5); Wright,E.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 8.0 4 0 0 2 17 27 31 127

UNO IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Elsasser, Dana...... 8.0 7 1 1 0 3 29 31 93

Win - Hagemann (19-13). Loss - Elsasser,D (11-7). Save - None. HBP - by Hagemann (Wright,E). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 127/86; Elsasser,D 93/69. Umpires - HP: Kevin Killingsworth 1B: Matt Titkiemeier 3B: Jeff Sloan Start: 5:57 pm Time: 1:55 Attendance: 457 Game: NEB43