Huskers Beat San Jose State, 4-1

Fullerton, Calif. - Taylor Edwards homered and Tatum Edwards pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, as the senior twins led the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 4-1 victory over San Jose State on Friday.

Taylor Edwards hit her team-leading fourth home run of the game to extend her hitting streak to 23 games, three shy of the school record. She also drew a walk, scored a run and produced one RBI. Freshman Austen Urness also contributed offensively, producing her second career multi-RBI game. Urness finished 1-for-2 with a double, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. Four of Nebraska's six hits in the game went for extra-bases.

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Emily Lockman earned the win to improve to 7-3 on the year. In 4.1 innings, Lockman allowed one run on seven hits and struck out one. Tatum Edwards came on in relief to pick up her first save of the year. She worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the fifth inning and pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief while striking out two.

Katelyn Linford (3-3) took the loss for San Jose State, which fell to 11-8 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Linford allowed only two earned runs on six hits.

Taylor Edwards gave Nebraska a 1-0 lead two batters into the game, as she belted a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole.

The Huskers added to their lead with another run in the top of the second. Tatum Edwards led off with a single to right center and advanced to second on an error. She moved up to third on a productive ground out from sophomore Dawna Tyson, before scoring when a grounder off the bat of freshman MJ Knighten was misplayed by the San Jose State defense.

In the bottom of the third, the Huskers ran into some hard luck. An infield single and an illegal pitch call put a Spartan at first base with one out. A blooper then just eluded Nebraska's middle infielders and dropped in shallow center to put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly to right field then trimmed the lead to 2-1.

Nebraska answered the run in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Hailey Decker began the inning with a double and moved up to third on a passed ball. Urness then brought her home with a sacrifice fly, giving NU a 3-1 lead.

San Jose State left a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the fourth and then left the bases loaded in the fifth, failing to score in either inning.

The Huskers then cashed in a scoring opportunity of their own in the top of the sixth. Taylor Edwards drew a leadoff walk and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Rachel Arthur. Following a pop out, Urness drove in her second run of the game with an RBI double to the gap in right center.

Leading 4-1, Tatum Edwards closed out her first save of the season, but not before working out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff single and a walk put runners at first and second with none out before a ground out marked the first out but moved both runners into scoring position. But a pair of ground outs to Knighten at third ended the game.

Nebraska (13-7) continues action at the Judi Garman Classic on Saturday, with game one against host Cal State Fullerton and game two against No. 6 Washington.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball #14 Nebraska vs San Jose State Mar 07, 2014 at Fullerton, Calif. (Anderson Field)

Nebraska 4 (13-7)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 Edwards, Taylor c........ 2 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 0 Arthur, Rachel pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Urness, Austen lf........ 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum rf........ 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 15 0 1 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 1 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 Woolman, Kat dp.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 4 6 3 2 2 21 16 3

San Jose State 1 (11-8)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ CALDWELL, Devin 2b....... 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 COX, Michelle rf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 RODRIGUEZ, Erin 1b...... 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 HUFSTETLER, Jessie dp.... 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 WATT, Casey pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 GARCIA, Jessica c........ 3 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 MARTINEZ, Alyssa ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 MASUTANI, Kryn ss....... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 ESTRADA, Sharon-Rena 1b.. 3 0 0 0 1 1 7 1 2 JENNER, Chelsea pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 SCHULTZ, Nicole cf....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 AKEY, Brittanie 3b....... 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 MEYER, Jessie lf......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 LINFORD, Katelyn p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 29 1 8 1 2 3 21 11 11

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 110 101 0 - 4 6 1 San Jose State...... 001 000 0 - 1 8 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Armstrong(5); COX; ESTRADA. DP - Spartans 1. LOB - Huskers 3; Spartans 11. 2B - Decker(5); Urness(4); Woolman(1). HR - Edwards, Tay(4). HBP - HUFSTETLER. SF - Urness(1); GARCIA. CS - Stokes(3).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 4.1 7 1 1 0 1 20 22 84 Edwards, Tatum...... 2.2 1 0 0 2 2 9 11 38

San Jose State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- LINFORD, Katelyn.... 7.0 6 4 2 2 2 25 28 97

Win - Lockman (7-3). Loss - LINFORD (3-3). Save - Edwards, Tat (1). HBP - by Lockman (HUFSTETLER). BK - Lockman(1). PB - GARCIA. Pitches/strikes: Lockman 84/52; Edwards, Tat 38/21; LINFORD 97/60. Umpires - Start: 4:57 pm Time: 1:57 Attendance: Game: livegame