NU Comes Up Just Short against No. 2 Tennessee

Cathedral City, Calif. - The No. 11 Nebraska softball team gave undefeated and second-ranked Tennessee all it could handle Saturday night, but the Huskers' upset bid came up just short in a 5-3 loss to the Lady Vols.

Nebraska faced a tall task, squaring off against last year's Women's College World Series runner-up and one of the nation's best pitchers in All-American Ellen Renfroe. Renfroe entered the game with four shutouts in four starts this spring, having not allowed a run in 26.2 innings.

After Tennessee jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a two-out single in the top of the first, the Huskers quickly spoiled Renfroe's scoreless start with a run of their own. Sophomore Kiki Stokes began the bottom of the first with a walk before senior Taylor Edwards singled to left center on an 0-2 pitch to extend her hitting streak to 15 games. Stokes was able to take third on the play, and Edwards moved up to second on the throw. Following a strikeout, freshman Austen Urness lined a ball to third that was mishandled by UT third baseman Taylor Koenig for an error that loaded the bases. Renfroe bounced back with another strikeout before freshman MJ Knighten kept her at bat alive long enough for a wild pitch to score Stokes and tie the game at 1-1.

The Lady Vols regained the lead with a two-run second inning. Rainey Gaffin hit a one-out solo home run, before a two-out walk was followed by an RBI double that Tennessee on top 3-1.

Nebraska answered back in the top of the third, tying the game at 3-3 and scoring the first earned run against Renfroe this season. Taylor Edwards was hit by a pitch to begin the frame and advanced to second on a ground out from sophomore Hailey Decker. An error then put Huskers on first and second before senior Tatum Edwards delivered an RBI single to right field that scored her sister. With Tatum Edwards on first base and Urness at third, Edwards stole second and Urness came home with the tying run following a throwing error by the Tennessee catcher.

After being held scoreless in the third and fourth innings, another two-out rally gave Tennessee a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth. Following a leadoff walk, Tatum Edwards retired the next two batters before a single and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. Megan Geer then ripped the first pitch of her at bat to the gap in left center for a two-out, ground-rule double.

That proved to be enough support for Renfroe in a battle of All-America pitchers. Renfroe (5-0) retired 11 of the final 12 batters she faced to wrap up a complete-game victory for Tennessee (10-0). Tatum Edwards (4-2) took the loss for Nebraska, which fell to 8-4 on the season with its third loss to a top-15 team. Edwards allowed more than one earned run for just the second time in six starts this season, giving up a season-high five runs on a season-high eight hits. Edwards added six strikeouts but walked seven, while Renfroe struck out nine, just below her season average of 10.5 strikeouts per seven innings.

Offensively, Nebraska managed four hits against Renfroe, who had allowed only 10 singles in 26.0 innings entering the game. Nebraska had at least one base runner in each of the first five innings. Tatum Edwards produced the Huskers' lone RBI as part of a 1-for-3 day.

Nebraska wraps up action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a pair of games on Sunday against No. 8 UCLA and Boise State.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball #2 Tennessee vs #11 Nebraska Feb 22, 2014 at Cathedral City, CA (Big League Dreams)

Tennessee 5 (10-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Megan Geer 2b............ 5 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Madison Shipman ss....... 2 2 1 0 3 0 0 3 0 Melissa Davin lf......... 4 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 4 Annie Aldrete dp......... 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 4 Lexi Overstreet rf....... 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 Cheyanne Tarango 1b...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 Jennifer Burroughs pr... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Koenig 3b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 3 Hannah Akamine c......... 3 1 1 0 1 0 10 0 2 Hannah Devotie pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rainey Gaffin cf......... 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 Ellen Renfroe p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 5 8 5 7 6 21 5 13

Nebraska 3 (8-4)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 1 1 0 0 2 5 1 1 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 Urness, Austen lf........ 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum p......... 3 0 1 1 0 2 1 6 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 Muir, Kylee rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 11 0 0 Lockman, Emily dp........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 3 4 1 2 9 21 15 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Tennessee........... 120 020 0 - 5 8 3 Nebraska............ 102 000 0 - 3 4 1 -----------------------------------------

E - T. Koenig 2; H. Akamine; Stokes(1). LOB - Lady Vols 13; Huskers 6. 2B - M. Geer; M. Davin. HR - R. Gaffin. HBP - M. Davin; C. Tarango; Edwards, Tay. SH - R. Gaffin. SB - L.Overstreet; Edwards, Tat(2).

Tennessee IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Ellen Renfroe....... 7.0 4 3 1 2 9 27 30 120

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 8 5 5 7 6 29 39 151

Win - E. Renfroe (5-0). Loss - Edwards, Tat (4-2). Save - None. WP - E. Renfroe. HBP - by Edwards, Tat (C. Tarango); by E. Renfroe (Edwards, Tay); by Edwards, Tat (M. Davin). Pitches/strikes: E. Renfroe 120/78; Edwards, Tat 151/88. Umpires - HP: Brett Higgins 1B: Bill Plante 3B: Katrina Kershaw Start: 7:09 pm Time: 2:29 Attendance: Game: livegame