Huskers Rally to Defeat Wisconsin, 6-4

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat Wisconsin, 6-4, in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers fell behind 4-0 after one-half inning of play when Wisconsin scored four times in the top of the first inning on only one hit. Nebraska tied the game with four runs of its own in the bottom of the third and added two more in the bottom of the fifth to salvage a doubleheader split with the Badgers.

Sophomore right-hander Tatum Edwards (9-5) rebounded from the poor start to earn the win. After the four-run first, Edwards allowed only three base runners the rest of the game, including one who reached on an error, one who reached on a passed ball after a third strike and one who drew a walk. On the game, Edwards fired a one-hitter and allowed four runs (three earned).

Nebraska out-hit Wisconsin, 10-1. Senior Nikki Haget and juniors Gabby Banda and Courtney Breault had two hits apiece, while classmate Brooke Thomason and freshman Mattie Fowler each had a pair of RBIs.

With the win, Nebraska snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 32-22 on the season and 13-9 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin fell to 33-18 with the loss and dropped to 13-9 in conference action. Cassandra Darrah (22-12) took the loss for the Badgers, allowing two runs in 2.0 innings of relief.

The Huskers fell behind 4-0 after one-half inning of play. Wisconsin had only one hit in the four-run first inning, as a pair of errors, a wild pitch and two walks contributed to the poor start.

After stranding a base runner in both the first and second innings, Nebraska mounted a threat in the bottom of the third. Breault, Haget and junior Gabby Banda reached on consecutive singles to load the bases with none out. After Wisconsin got an out at home on a ground ball, senior Ashley Guile scored Haget with a single to center. Thomason then ripped the next pitch to the gap in right center for a two-run double that closed the gap to 4-3. The Huskers still had runners on second and third with one out before a walk loaded the bases. Senior Madison Drake then tied the game with an RBI ground out.

In the bottom of the fifth, a walk and a single put Huskers at first and second with one out. A ground out moved both runners into scoring position for Fowler, who delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle to give Nebraska a 6-4 lead.

Edwards then faced the minimum over the next two innings to wrap up the victory.

Nebraska ends its season on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Wisconsin. Before the game, the World's Largest Softball Tailgate will occur at 11 a.m. inside Bowlin Stadium, with free food to the first 2,012 fans and admission into the game for everyone.

Box Score

2012 Nebraska Softball Wisconsin at Nebraska (Game 2) May 11, 2012 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Wisconsin 4 (34-18,13-9 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Massei,Mary rf........... 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Grimm,Kendall lf......... 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 Massey,Whitney 2b........ 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 1 Blackshear,Shannel 3b.... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 Peace,Stephanie ss....... 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 Powell,Karla dp.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Tancill,Megan pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mueller,Michelle 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 Strange,Maggie c......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 1 Mersch,Marissa ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Van Abel,Maria cf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Najdek,Amanda p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Darrah,Cassandra p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Mcintosh,Meghan p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 23 4 1 2 3 4 18 10 3

Nebraska 6 (32-22,13-9 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 1 2 0 0 1 1 3 0 Edwards, Taylor dp/c..... 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Guile, Ashley 1b......... 3 1 1 1 1 1 12 1 2 Bettiol, Jordan pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum p......... 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 Drake, Madison lf........ 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 Fowler, Mattie ss........ 3 0 1 2 0 0 1 5 3 Breault, Courtney 2b..... 3 0 2 0 0 1 2 1 1 Wright, Kirby c/dp....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Totals................... 28 6 10 6 3 5 21 11 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Wisconsin........... 400 000 0 - 4 1 0 Nebraska............ 004 020 X - 6 10 3 -----------------------------------------

E - Thomason(3); Edwards, Tat(3); Breault(8). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Badgers 3; Huskers 7. 2B - Thomason(13). SH - Peace(3); Strange(13). SB - Van Abel(17); Haget 2(9).

Wisconsin IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Najdek,Amanda....... 3.0 7 4 4 2 2 16 18 61 Darrah,Cassandra.... 2.0 2 2 2 1 2 8 9 35 Mcintosh,Meghan..... 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 4 4 17

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 1 4 3 3 4 23 28 107

Win - Edwards, Tat (9-5). Loss - Darrah (22-12). Save - None. WP - Edwards, Tat(9). PB - Wright, K.(1). Pitches/strikes: Najdek 61/36; Darrah 35/24; Mcintosh 17/12; Edwards, Tat 107/67. Umpires - HP: Cathy Creighton 1B: Matt Titkemeier 3B: Tom Topping Start: 7:49 pm Time: 1:57 Attendance: 727 Najdek faced 1 batter in the 4th. Game: NEB54