Huskers Drop Game One to North Dakota State

Lincoln - The 20th-ranked Nebraska softball team committed a season-high six errors, as the Huskers' eight-game win streak was snapped in a 13-0 loss to North Dakota State in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

Nebraska (19-6) lost for the first time since March 2, while falling to a non-ranked opponent for the first time this season. The Huskers also lost for the first time in 16 all-time meetings with North Dakota State and for the first time in 42 all-time games against the four Division I softball programs in North and South Dakota. Nebraska also lost at home to a non-conference opponent for the first time since 2010, while the 13 runs scored by the Bison tied for the most the Huskers have ever allowed at Bowlin Stadium.

North Dakota State improved to 13-12 on the season behind a strong performance from ace Whitney Johnson. Johnson fired a four-hit shutout to improve to 9-6 on the year. She allowed only two hits and three base runners after the second inning.

Freshman right-hander Emily Lockman (7-2) took the loss for Nebraska. Lockman allowed three runs (two earned) in 6.1 innings. Classmate Danica Bishop allowed all 10 runs of North Dakota State's 10-run seventh inning, but due to a pair of errors, all 10 runs were unearned.

Offensively, sophomore Mattie Fowler, freshman Hailey Decker, junior Taylor Edwards and senior Brooke Thomason had Nebraska's lone hits, as the Huskers did not get a runner to third base in the game. NU had two hits in the second and two hits in the sixth, but was out-hit 16-4.

North Dakota State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Maritza Lopez-Portillo led off the frame with a solo home run. A bloop double down the left field line, a sacrifice and an RBI single from Cheyenne Garcia then gave the Bison a 2-0 advantage.

Sloppy defense helped North Dakota State take a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth. A pair of infield singles and two Husker errors led to the run, but Nebraska did well to escape further damage, as the Bison had runners at second and third with no outs and were unable to add to their lead.

The Huskers brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back two-out singles from Edwards and Thomason, before a pop out ended the threat.

In the top of the seventh, North Dakota State added 10 unearned insurance runs, aided by two more Husker errors and three walks.

Nebraska and North Dakota State wrap up their doubleheader with game two.

Box Score

 

2013 Nebraska Softball North Dakota State at #20 Nebraska (Game 1) Mar 20, 2013 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

North Dakota State 13 (13-12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cheyenne Garcia 2b....... 4 1 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 Logan Moreland ss........ 5 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 0 Amanda Grable 3b......... 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 Katie Soukup pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jenina Ortega dp......... 5 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 Sam Peterson pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Sobrero cf.......... 3 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 Alyssa Reina c........... 4 1 3 3 1 0 5 1 3 M.Lopez-Portillo lf...... 4 2 2 1 1 0 4 0 0 Jenna Isbel pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brandi Enriquez 1b....... 4 2 1 1 0 1 5 0 2 Jackie Stifter ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Presley Glaser rf........ 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Whitney Johnson p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 38 13 16 10 5 4 21 3 10

Nebraska 0 (19-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 2 0 1 0 0 1 8 0 0 Noland, Sammi ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 3 0 Breault, Courtney ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 Muir, Kylee ph.......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bettiol, Jordan lf....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Bishop, Danica p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 0 4 0 1 6 21 11 5

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------------- North Dakota State.. 020 100 (10) - 13 16 1 Nebraska............ 000 000 0 - 0 4 6 --------------------------------------------

E - Moreland(5); Stokes(1); Banda 3(11); Edwards, Tay(1); Bettiol(4). DP - Bison 1; Huskers 1. LOB - Bison 10; Huskers 5. 2B - Moreland(1); Portillo(4); Enriquez(2). 3B - Reina(1). HR - Portillo(3). SH - Glaser(6). SB - Reina(3); Stokes(7). CS - Garcia(2); Reina(1).

North Dakota State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Whitney Johnson..... 7.0 4 0 0 1 6 25 26 109

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 6.1 10 3 2 2 4 28 31 136 Bishop, Danica...... 0.2 6 10 0 3 0 10 13 64

Win - Johnson (9-6). Loss - Lockman (7-2). Save - None. WP - Bishop(1). Pitches/strikes: Johnson 109/70; Lockman 136/91; Bishop 64/33. Umpires - HP: Jen Pawol 1B: Renee Williams 3B: Kevin Killingsworth Start: 2:03 pm Time: 2:40 Attendance: Game: NEB25