NU Completes Doubleheader Sweep at Oklahoma State

Stillwater, Okla. - The Husker offense exploded for 10 runs against one of the nation's top pitching staffs, helping the 25th-ranked Nebraska softball team complete a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma State with a 10-5 in game two on Sunday afternoon.

The 10 runs were the most the Cowgirls have allowed this season, doubling the five runs they surrendered to 16th-ranked UCLA. OSU entered Sunday with a team ERA of 1.62. The offense powered Nebraska to its third straight victory and capped a 3-1 weekend, while handing 21st-year Head Coach Rhonda Revelle a milestone victory, as she became Nebraska's all-time wins leader.

The win was the 768th of Revelle's career, as she moved past former baseball coach John Sanders atop Nebraska's all-time, all-sport coaching wins chart.

Leading the offensive charge that pushed Revelle to the milestone victory were home runs from senior Brooke Thomason and freshmen Alicia Armstrong and Dawna Tyson. Thomason finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Tyson was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, while Armstrong's homer was a solo shot, the first of her career and her only hit in the game. Classmate Kiki Stokes collected two hits, scored three runs and stole a pair of bases out of the leadoff spot, while senior Gabby Banda was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Freshman right-hander Emily Lockman (6-1) earned the win, helping Nebraska improve to 14-5 on the year. After a rough first inning in which she allowed five runs on a three-run homer and a two-run shot, Lockman settled in and did not give up a run over her final 6.0 innings. Overall in a complete-game effort, Lockman surrendered five runs on eight hits.

Simone Freeman (5-6) took the loss for Oklahoma State, which lost its sixth straight game to fall to 7-11 on the season.

Nebraska struck quickly, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Stokes and Banda began the game with consecutive bunt singles. Then with one out, Thomason doubled over the center fielder's head to score Stokes with the game's first run. Tyson then blasted a 2-0 pitch to deep left center for a three-run homer.

Freshman Hailey Decker then walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, before scoring on an RBI single from sophomore Mattie Fowler that capped the five-run inning.

Oklahoma State answered in the bottom of the frame, using a double, an infield single and a three-run homer to cut the lead to 5-3 just three batters into the inning. The Cowgirls then tied the game on a two-run homer from Amy Graham.

The Huskers regained the lead in the top of the second. Stokes began the inning with another bunt single. She stole second and was there with two outs, until Thomason brought her home with an RBI single. Tyson followed with another single before Decker drew her second walk of the game to load the bases. Fowler then hit a hard ground ball that the shortstop mishandled, allowing Thomason to score on the error and take a 7-5 lead.

Nebraska pushed the lead to 8-5 with another run in the top of the third. Stokes got things started again with a one-out walk, before stealing second. Banda then lined an RBI single off the wall in left to bring Stokes home.

Armstrong made it 9-5 in the fifth when she connected on a monstrous solo home run, a leadoff shot that landed 50 feet beyond the fence in left center.

Nebraska scored in five of seven innings on Saturday, ending hte game with five unanswered runs.

The Huskers remain on the road next weekend, traveling to Wichita, Kan., for three games on Saturday and Sunday against the Wichita State Shockers.

Box Score

2013 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Oklahoma State (Game 2) Mar 03, 2013 at Stillwater, Okla. (Cowgirl Stadium)

Nebraska 10 (14-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 4 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 1 2 1 0 0 1 5 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 3 3 3 0 0 2 0 1 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 4 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 2 1 0 0 2 0 4 2 0 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 4 0 1 1 0 1 10 0 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 4 1 1 1 0 1 2 3 3 Bettiol, Jordan lf....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Totals................... 34 10 12 9 3 2 21 14 6

Oklahoma State 5 (7-11)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Brown, Tamara c.......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hughes, Shianne pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woodall, Taylor c....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Kaufman, Shannon lf...... 4 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 Ettinger, Tarah dp....... 4 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 Chrisman, Samantha rf.... 4 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 Mikkelson, Tiffany 3b.... 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 Graham, Amy 2b........... 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 Davis, Shelby cf......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 Brewer, Stephanie 1b..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 DeLaCruz, Gessenia ss.... 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 Freeman, Simone p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 31 5 8 5 1 1 21 4 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 521 011 0 - 10 12 2 Oklahoma State...... 500 000 0 - 5 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Banda(7); Armstrong(3); DeLaCruz. LOB - Huskers 6; Cowgirls 6. 2B - Thomason(5); Brown; Mikkelson. HR - Thomason(5); Tyson(2); Armstrong(1); Ettinger; Graham. SB - Stokes 2(6); Banda(3).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 7.0 8 5 5 1 1 31 32 108

Oklahoma State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Freeman, Simone..... 7.0 12 10 9 3 2 34 37 131

Win - Lockman (6-1). Loss - Freeman (5-6). Save - None. WP - Freeman. Pitches/strikes: Lockman 108/74; Freeman 131/87. Umpires - Start: 2:27 pm Time: 2:06 Attendance: Game: livegame