Huskers Fall to No. 12 Florida State

Las Cruces, N.M. - The third out was hard to come by for the Nebraska softball team on Sunday, as No. 12 Florida State scored all five of its runs with two outs to upset the ninth-ranked Huskers, 5-1, at the NMSU Softball Complex.

Florida State (4-1) turned a two-on, two-out situation into a run in the top of the third thanks to a walk and a hit batter that forced in the game's first run.

An FSU error helped Nebraska tie the game in the bottom of the third. Senior Taylor Edwards was hit by a two-out pitch before sophomore Hailey Decker hit a chopper to third base. Briana Hamilton made a nice leaping stop, but her throw to first was wild, allowing Decker to reach safely and Edwards to move to third. Junior Kylee Muir then went after the next pitch and delivered an RBI single through the right side to score Edwards with the tying run.

The Seminoles used another two-out rally to regain the lead in the top of the fourth. FSU had runners at first and second with two outs when Hamilton atoned for her error by lacing an RBI double to left field. The runner from first also attempted to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate.

FSU then mounted its biggest two-out rally to break the game open in the top of the fifth. The Seminoles had only a runner on first with two outs, before back-to-back singles loaded the bases. Tiffani Brown then lined a three-run triple to the gap in left center to give Florida State a 5-1 lead.

The Huskers threatened in the bottom of the fifth but were unable to cut into the lead. Sophomore Kiki Stokes worked a one-out walk before Taylor Edwards singled. Following a foul out, Muir hit a ground ball to the right side that got past the first baseman. But Brown, FSU's speedy second baseman, was able to get the ball and win a footrace to the bag on a bang-bang play to end the threat.

Lockman finally got the best of Florida State in a two-out situation in the top of the sixth. An infield single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, before Lockman dug down and coaxed a ground ball to keep the game close.

Despite not having her best stuff, Lockman (1-1) was able to grind out a complete-game, 146-pitch effort. Lockman allowed five runs on 11 hits, while walking six, hitting a pair of batters and striking out five. The five earned runs allowed tied Lockman's career high, while the 11 hits allowed were the most Lockman has surrendered in her Husker career.

On the other side, Florida State All-American Lacy Waldrop (2-1) was outstanding in avenging her Friday loss to the Huskers. In a complete-game effort, Waldrop allowed only an unearned run while giving up just four hits to an NU lineup that had produced double-digit hits in each of its first three games.

Offensively for NU, Muir drove in the Huskers' lone run as part of a 1-for-3 day. Stokes, Taylor Edwards and Decker produced Nebraska's other hits. Edwards and Stokes also reached base via a hit-by-pitch and walk, respectively.

After finishing with a 3-1 record in its opening weekend, the Huskers travel to Houston, Texas, next weekend for five games in three days at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic.

Box Score 2014 Nebraska Softball #12 Florida State vs #9 Nebraska Feb 09, 2014 at Las Cruces, N.M. (NMSU Softball Cmplx)

Florida State 5 (4-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Tiffani Brown 2b......... 5 0 3 3 0 1 3 2 2 Courtney Senas cf........ 4 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 Maddie O'Brien ss........ 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 Briana Hamilton 3b....... 3 0 2 1 1 0 1 3 0 Victoria East dp......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 Stephanie Hartness lf.... 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 Ellie Cooper 1b.......... 3 1 0 1 0 0 10 0 3 Macey Cheatham c......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Celeste Gomez ph........ 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 3 Lauren Harris pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alex Kossoff rf.......... 3 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 Lacey Waldrop p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 5 11 5 6 5 21 7 11

Nebraska 1 (3-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 1 0 Muir, Kylee lf........... 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 2 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 4 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 Urness, Austen rf........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Totals................... 26 1 4 1 1 3 21 14 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Florida State....... 001 130 0 - 5 11 1 Nebraska............ 001 000 0 - 1 4 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Hamilton, B.. LOB - Seminoles 11; Huskers 7. 2B - Brown, T.; Hamilton, B.. 3B - Brown, T.. HBP - O'Brien, M.; Cooper, E.; Edwards, Tay; Urness. CS - Kossoff, A..

Florida State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lacey Waldrop....... 7.0 4 1 0 1 3 26 29 113

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 7.0 11 5 5 6 5 29 37 146

Win - Waldrop, L. (2-1). Loss - Lockman (1-1). Save - None. HBP - by Lockman (O'Brien, M.); by Lockman (Cooper, E.); by Waldrop, L. (Edwards, Tay); by Waldrop, L. (Urness). Pitches/strikes: Waldrop, L. 113/74; Lockman 146/83. Umpires - HP: Matt Johnson 1B: David Willems 3B: Michael Hernandez Start: 10:03 am Time: 2:16 Attendance: Game: livegame