Homers Power Huskers Past Cowgirls

Stillwater, Okla. - Behind a season-high three home runs and a four-hitter from Tatum Edwards, the 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team took game one of Friday's doubleheader at Oklahoma State by a score of 4-3.

With the score tied at 1-1, sophomore Alicia Armstrong led off the top of the fifth inning with her second home run of the season. One inning later, freshman Austen Urness doubled the Huskers' lead with a one-out solo shot for her first career home run. Then in the seventh, sophomore Dawna Tyson pushed the lead to 4-1 with her first home run of the season and her third in three career games at Cowgirl Stadium.

The three solo home runs were enough support for Edwards, who was dominant in the circle. Three of the four hits Edwards allowed were infield singles, while she allowed only one earned run. In improving to 6-2 on the year, Edwards struck out a season-high 10 Cowgirls, while working around a pair of errors and five walks.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but missed a chance at a big inning. Sophomore Kiki Stokes worked a leadoff walk before senior Taylor Edwards lined a single off the top of the glove of the third baseman. Stokes took third on the hit and Edwards moved up to second to give Nebraska a pair of runners in scoring position with none out. Following a strikeout, freshman Austen Urness brought Stokes home with a single to center. Tatum Edwards then walked to load the bases, before another strikeout and a lineout ended the inning.

Oklahoma State answered in the bottom of the third. A leadoff walk was followed by an infield single before Nebraska recorded two outs at third base on back-to-back ground balls. With runners on first and second and one out, consecutive walks forced in the tying run.

Solo home runs in each of the next three innings powered the Huskers (10-5) to their 10th victory of the season. In addition to the season-high three home runs, another offensive highlight was Taylor Edwards going 1-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to 18 games, the fourth-longest streak in school history.

The home runs proved necessary during a sloppy bottom of the seventh inning. A one-out bunt single, another single and an error gave Oklahoma State a run and a runner at third. The Cowgirls pulled to within one on an RBI ground out before another error extended the inning further. But Edwards struck out Danielle Riddle to wrap up the win.

Simone Freeman (8-3) took the loss for Oklahoma State (10-6). Freeman, who entered the game with a 0.38 ERA, allowed four runs on six hits and struck out seven, well below her average of more than 10 strikeouts per seven innings.

Nebraska will look for a sweep in game two against Oklahoma State.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball #15 Nebraska at Oklahoma State (Game 1) Feb 28, 2014 at Stillwater, Okla. (Cowgirl Stadium)

Nebraska 4 (10-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 10 1 1 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 Urness, Austen lf........ 3 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum p......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 Muir, Kylee dp........... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 8 0 3 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 1 1 1 0 2 1 2 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Arthur, Rachel rf........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 25 4 6 4 2 7 21 8 4

Oklahoma State 3 (10-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Davis, Shelby cf......... 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Morrison, Ari 2b......... 3 1 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 Ettinger, Tarah 1b....... 3 0 0 2 1 2 7 0 2 Mikkelson, Tiffany 3b.... 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 Riddle, Danielle dp...... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Patton, Michaela pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hughes, Shianne rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 DeLaCruz, Gessenia ss.... 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 Cavin, Miranda c......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 7 0 0 Whitehorn, Whitney ph... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Kaufman, Shannon lf...... 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Freeman, Simone p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 27 3 4 2 5 10 21 5 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 100 011 1 - 4 6 2 Oklahoma State...... 001 000 2 - 3 4 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Edwards, Tat(1); Arthur(1). DP - Cowgirls 1. LOB - Huskers 4; Cowgirls 8. HR - Urness(1); Tyson(1); Armstrong(2). HBP - Stokes; Edwards, Tay.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 4 3 1 5 10 27 32 133

Oklahoma State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Freeman, Simone..... 7.0 6 4 4 2 7 25 29 114

Win - Edwards, Tat (6-2). Loss - Freeman, S. (8-3). Save - None. HBP - by Freeman, S. (Edwards, Tay); by Freeman, S. (Stokes). Pitches/strikes: Edwards, Tat 133/74; Freeman, S. 114/72. Umpires - HP: Larry Nagel 1B: Chad Spitler 3B: Scott Brians Start: 3:58 pm Time: 2:10 Attendance: Game: NEB15