Huskers Fall to No. 16 Minnesota

Lincoln - A patient approach and timely hitting powered No. 16 Minnesota to a 13-4 victory over the 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.

The Golden Gophers scored their 13 runs on only eight hits, but six of the hits went for extra bases, including a three-run double and a grand slam. Minnesota also drew eight walks and was hit by three pitches.

Minnesota grabbed control of the game with a four-run fourth inning and then ended any hopes of a Husker comeback with a seven-run seventh. The Gophers scored 11 of their 13 runs in those two innings, despite recording only two combined hits in the two frames.

NU walked two and hit a pair of batters in the fourth to allow one run, before Tyler Walker delivered a clutch two-out, three-run double to cap the four-run inning. Then in the seventh, Minnesota used three walks, a hit batter, a Husker error and an RBI ground out to score three runs without the aid of a hit. Sara Groenewegen then delivered the Gophers' lone hit of the frame, a grand slam that closed out the seven-run inning.

After giving up four runs in the top of the fourth, Nebraska's offense got two runs back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman MJ Knighten became the Huskers' first base runner when she began the frame with a single, before sophomore Hailey Decker hit a towering two-run homer of the left-field foul pole two batters later.

Walker answered Decker's blasts with a two-run homer of her own in the top of the sixth to give Minnesota more cushion. Walker doubled, homered and drove in six for the Gophers in the game after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seven-run seventh.

The Huskers added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, as Decker led off with a double before senior Tatum Edwards hit a two-run homer to account for the final margin.

The 13 runs were more than enough for Sara Groenewegen, who improved to 6-0 on the year. In 6.1, Groenewegen allowed four runs on five hits, striking out 12.

Sophomore right-hander Emily Lockman (10-4) took the loss for Nebraska, which fell to 19-10 on the year and dropped to 0-2 in conference play. Lockman allowed six runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings, as she saw her personal six-game win streak snapped. Sophomore Danica Bishop relieved Lockman in the seventh and allowed seven runs (two earned) on one hit. Lockman and Bishop each walked four, while Lockman hit two batters and Bishop plunked one.

Offensively, Decker finished 1-for-2 with her third homer of the spring, while Tatum Edwards also hit her third homer. Senior Taylor Edwards went 0-for-3, as she failed to reach base for the first time this season.

Nebraska looks to salvage a split in game two of the doubleheader.

Box Score 2014 Nebraska Softball #16 Minnesota at #15 Nebraska (Game 1) Mar 23, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Minnesota 13 (24-3,2-0 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Walker, Tyler ss......... 4 1 3 6 0 0 0 2 0 Meyer, Erica 2b.......... 5 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 Richardson, Kaitlyn 3b... 4 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 Groenewegen, Sara p...... 3 1 1 4 2 0 1 3 1 Klucas, Kelsey pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Blanchette, Bree cf...... 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 LeMay, Taylor c.......... 2 2 0 0 2 0 13 0 0 Fabian, Sydney lf........ 4 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 Macken, Sam dp........... 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenner, Kayla rf......... 2 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 Palkovich, Paige 1b...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Anderson, Nikki p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 30 13 8 13 8 1 21 7 7

Nebraska 4 (19-10,0-2 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 3 2 2 2 0 1 3 4 0 Edwards, Tatum cf........ 3 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 0 Stokes, Kiki lf.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Muir, Kylee rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 10 0 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Bishop, Danica p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Totals................... 26 4 5 4 0 13 21 10 2

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Minnesota........... 000 402 7 - 13 8 0 Nebraska............ 000 200 2 - 4 5 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Armstrong(7). LOB - Gophers 7; Huskers 2. 2B - Walker(6); Meyer(5); Richardson(9); Macken(1); Decker(10). HR - Walker(3); Groenewegen(5); Decker(3); Edwards, Tat(3). HBP - Walker; Blanchette; Macken; Stokes.

Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Groenewegen, Sara... 6.1 5 4 4 0 12 24 25 106 Anderson, Nikki..... 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 4

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 6.0 7 6 6 4 1 25 31 95 Bishop, Danica...... 1.0 1 7 2 4 0 5 10 45

Win - Groenewegen (6-0). Loss - Lockman (10-4). Save - None. WP - Lockman(2). HBP - by Lockman (Blanchette); by Lockman (Macken); by Bishop (Walker); by Groenewegen (Stokes). BK - Bishop 2(2). Pitches/strikes: Groenewegen 106/75; Anderson 4/4; Lockman 95/54; Bishop 45/21. Umpires - HP: Richard Boyer 1B: Mike Brewer 3B: Destini Robinson Start: 12:06 pm Time: 2:20 Attendance: Game: livegame