Huskers Complete Sweep with 12-2 Win

West Lafayette, Ind. - Behind a solid outing from freshman right-hander Emily Lockman and a 12-run effort out of the Husker offense, the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Purdue with a 12-2 victory in game two Saturday afternoon.

Offensively, five Huskers produced multi-hit games, as Nebraska out-hit Purdue 16-8. Senior Courtney Breault led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included her second home run in as many games, two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman leadoff hitter Alicia Armstrong was 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, as she stretched her hitting streak to 11 games. Junior Taylor Edwards was 3-for-5 with a double, a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored, while sophomore Jordan Bettiol was 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI. Bettiol's three hits were a career high, while freshman Hailey Decker finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

In the circle, Lockman fired an eight-hitter to improve to 13-3 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Lockman allowed two run while striking out three.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 34-9 on the year, and the Huskers remained in second place in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 12-3 record in league play.

Lily Fecho (8-14), the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, took the loss for Purdue (20-25, 7-9 Big Ten), allowing nine runs on 14 hits in 6.1 innings.

Nebraska carried over its momentum from a 5-2, nine-inning win in game one by scoring twice in the top of the first inning of game. Armstrong began game two with a single to extend her hitting streak to 11 games. She stole second and scored the game's first run on an RBI double from Taylor Edwards. Senior Brooke Thomason then brought Edwards home with an RBI single through the right side.

In the top of the second, a one-out single off the wall in left by Breault was followed by a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt from freshman Kiki Stokes where no out was recorded. Bettiol then lined a single to left to load the bases with only one out. But Nebraska could not plate a run, as Armstrong hit a hard line drive right at the shortstop before a ground out left the bases loaded.

After the Huskers hit into hard luck with the bases loaded in the top of the second, Purdue left the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, despite not recording a hit.

Nebraska added to its lead with three runs in the top of the third.  Taylor Edwards began the inning with a single before Thomason walked. Freshman Hailey Decker then brought Edwards home with an RBI double to right center. Following the first out, Breault scored Thomason with an RBI single. The Huskers then made it 5-0 when Bettiol lined a two-out RBI single to left to score Decker. Armstrong walked following Bettiol's single, before the Huskers left the bases loaded for the second straight inning.

The Huskers made it 7-0 with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth. Bettiol worked a two-out walk before Armstrong belted a two-run home run to center field.

Purdue loaded the bases for the second time in the game with one out in the top of the sixth. Lockman recorded the second out without allowing a run to score before Maia Moncheck delivered a two-out RBI single that cut the lead to 7-1.

Nebraska got the run back and more in the top of the seventh when Breault led off the frame with a solo home run to left field. After an out was recorded, Bettiol and Armstrong recorded back-to-back singles. Junior pinch-hitter Kylee Muir scored Bettiol with an RBI fielder's choice before Taylor Edwards launched the next pitch over the fence in left field for a three-run homer that capped the five-run inning and gave NU a 12-1 lead.

Lockman wrapped up her 13th victory in the bottom of the seventh, despite allowing back-to-back two-out singles that produced a second run for Purdue.

Nebraska and Purdue wrap up their three-game series with the Sunday finale at 10 a.m. (Central).

Box Score

 

2013 Nebraska Softball #18 Nebraska at Purdue (Game 2) Apr 20, 2013 at West Lafayette, Ind. (Boilermaker Complex)

Nebraska 12 (34-9,12-3 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 4 3 3 2 1 0 0 3 0 Banda, Gabby 3b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 6 Muir, Kylee ph.......... 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 5 3 3 4 0 0 4 0 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 4 1 2 1 0 0 5 2 0 Tyson, Dawna ph......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 5 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 1 Breault, Courtney dp..... 5 1 3 2 0 1 0 0 2 Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Bettiol, Jordan lf....... 3 2 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 38 12 16 12 4 2 21 10 10

Purdue 2 (20-25,7-9 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rains, Lindsey cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 Burkhardt, Ashley 2b..... 4 1 1 0 0 0 4 1 0 Varsho, Andie rf......... 4 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 Fletcher, Danielle c..... 2 0 1 1 2 1 3 0 0 Pencek, Sydney pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chiodo, Tori 3b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 2 Andrew, Paris ss......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Monchek, Maia lf......... 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Grant, Lauren 1b......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 3 Gooding, Mary dp......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 Fecho, Lilly p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Whittemore, Alex p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 2 8 2 3 3 21 6 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 203 020 5 - 12 16 0 Purdue.............. 000 001 1 - 2 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Burkhardt. DP - Huskers 1; Boilermakers 1. LOB - Huskers 10; Boilermakers 9. 2B - Edwards, Tay(12); Decker(7). HR - Armstrong(3); Edwards, Tay(11); Breault(3). HBP - Monchek, M.. SH - Stokes(6); Andrew, P.. SB - Armstrong(5); Varsho, A..

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 7.0 8 2 2 3 3 27 32 105

Purdue IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Fecho, Lilly........ 6.1 14 9 9 3 1 32 36 118 Whittemore, Alex.... 0.2 2 3 3 1 1 6 7 21

Win - Lockman (13-2). Loss - Fecho, L. (8-14). Save - None. HBP - by Lockman (Monchek, M.). PB - Fletcher, D.. Pitches/strikes: Lockman 105/67; Fecho, L. 118/73; Whittemore 21/12. Umpires - HP: Steve Gould 1B: Bill Gomoluch 3B: Rick Havercroft Start: 2:56 pm Time: 2:04 Attendance: Game: NEB43