Huskers End Fall Season With 13-0 Win

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team used a pair of big innings and a second straight outstanding start from Tatum Edwards to conclude its fall schedule with a 13-0 victory over UNO Sunday at the Doris Bair Softball Complex.

The Huskers sent 11 batters to the plate in their first at bat, recording six hits and scoring six times. Senior Gabby Banda led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from junior Taylor Edwards. Senior Brooke Thomason followed with a double to deep center before junior Kylee Muir walked to load the bases with one out. Tatum Edwards then lined a 2-2 changeup into center field for a two-run single.

Leading 2-0, freshman Hailey Decker walked to load the bases before Alicia Armstrong delivered a clutch two-out, bases-loaded triple to extend the lead to 5-0. Senior Megan Southworth then greeted a new UNO pitcher with an RBI single up the middle to score Armstrong and give NU a 6-0 advantage. Banda followed with her second single of the inning to put runners at first and second with two outs, before UNO worked its way out of the 20-minute half inning with a pop out to the shortstop.

The big first inning provided more than enough support for Tatum Edwards in the circle. The junior right-hander was perfect through the first 3.0 innings and finished with a two-hit shutout. Edwards struck out five and allowed only two balls to leave the infield in the game. Her performance came on the heels of a one-hit shutout on Saturday against Colorado State.

The Huskers gave Edwards plenty more run support in the top of the fifth, sending nine batters to the plate and recording five two-out runs to take an 11-0 lead. After the first two batters were retired, freshmen Dawna Tyson and Armstrong reached on consecutive singles. Southworth then worked a walk to load the bases for Banda, who delivered a two-run single to left that pushed the lead to 8-0. Taylor Edwards then crushed a 2-0 offering to center for a three-run homer that allowed Nebraska to match the 11 runs it scored against UNO on Saturday.

Tyson and Armstrong ignited another two-out rally in the sixth with a single and a hit-by-pitch, respectively. Freshman pinch-runner Sammi Noland scored one batter later when Southworth reached on a throwing error by the pitcher.

Nebraska stretched the lead to 13-0 in the top of the seventh. Thomason singled for her fourth hit of the day and advanced to second on an error. Junior Kylee Muir - the victim of two earlier lineouts to center - then reached on an error before Tatum Edwards delivered an infield single off the pitcher to score Thomason.

Nebraska's offense pounded out 15 hits in the victory. Five Huskers had multi-hit games, led by a 4-for-5 day from Thomason. Thomason's big day also included two doubles. Tyson and Armstrong each had two hits, while Armstrong scored twice and drove in three. Banda went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs out of the leadoff spot, while Taylor Edwards produced three RBIs. Tatum Edwards also added two hits and three RBIs of her own.

The Huskers will now turn their attention to the spring season, which begins in February with a trip to New Mexico.