Huskers Earn Split at Creighton

The Nebraska softball team continued its fall exhibition season by splitting a doubleheader at Creighton on Sunday. The Huskers lost game one, 5-2, before winning 5-3 in game two.

In game two, Nebraska scored first and never trailed, twice leading by three. Freshman right-hander Emily Lockman tossed a complete-game seven hitter, allowing three earned runs while walking two and striking out six. Offensively, NU hit three home runs in the win, including a pair from junior Kylee Muir.

The Huskers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Freshman Kiki Stokes began the game with an infield single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Gabby Banda. Stokes stole third and was there with two outs and senior Brooke Thomason at the plate. Thomason drew a walk and took off for second, staying in a rundown long enough for Stokes to score.

Muir doubled the Huskers' lead with a solo home run in the second inning. The Huskers made it 3-0 in the top of the third, when Banda scored on a two-out Creighton error.

Creighton cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run homer from Liz Dike.

Nebraska got both runs back in the top of the sixth on a pair of home runs. Muir hit her second solo shot of the game to give the Huskers a 4-2 lead before freshman Hailey Decker added another solo home run to put NU back on top by three.

Creighton trimmed the lead to 5-3 on Dike's second home run of the game in the bottom of the seventh, and the Bluejays had a runner on first with no outs following a Husker error. Lockman retired the next two batters before a walk put the tying runners on base and the winning run to the plate in CU's cleanup hitter Amy Baker, who lined out to short to end the game.

Muir and Decker were each 2-for-3 in the win, with the Oregon natives combining for three home runs, three runs scored and three RBIs.

In game one, a five-run first inning powered Creighton to the 5-2 victory. Junior right-hander Tatum Edwards pitched a complete game for the Huskers. After allowing five runs in the first, including a three-run homer, Edwards settled down and shut out the Bluejays over her final 5.0 innings. On the game, Edwards allowed five earned runs in 6.0 innings, walking four and striking out three.

The Huskers were scoreless until the sixth, when Stokes reached on an infield single. Junior Taylor Edwards followed with a double two batters later to put Huskers at second and third with two outs. Thomason then delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to cut the lead to three, but Nebraska would get no closer.

Thomason finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs in game one, while Stokes was also 2-for-3, and the freshman outfielder also threw out a Creighton runner at home plate.

Nebraska wraps up its fall season next weekend by hosting the Husker Fall Classic. Saturday's tournament action begins at 10 a.m. and will be played at the Doris Bair Softball Complex, located on 48th Street, north of Superior. The location for Sunday's games will be determined this week.