Huskers Top Host Titans, 9-2

Fullerton, Calif. - A solid all-around effort helped the 14th-ranked Nebraska softball team hand Cal State Fullerton its worst home loss of the season with a 9-2 victory over the host Titans at the Judi Garman Classic.

The Huskers improved to 14-7 with their second straight win. Nebraska also moved to 5-1 in true road games. Cal State Fullerton fell to 15-8 with the loss and dropped to 11-3 at Anderson Family Field this season.

Senior right-hander Tatum Edwards (7-4) snapped a personal two-game losing streak, as she fired a six-hitter and allowed only one earned run in a complete-game victory. Edwards added six strikeouts. Monique Wesley (1-1) took the loss for the Titans. Wesley started the game and then re-entered in relief, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings.

After being retired in order in the first, Nebraska plated three runs in the top of the second. Freshman Austen Urness led off the inning with a single to right center before Tatum Edwards followed with a double. Junior Kylee Muir then lined a two-run single to right to score both Urness and Edwards. Freshman MJ Knighten kept the hitting going with a single that forced the Titans to make a pitching change. Sophomore Dawna Tyson greeted new pitcher Christina Washington with a ground out that moved Muir up to third and Knighten to second with only one out. Another ground out failed to bring home a run before a two-out walk to sophomore Kiki Stokes loaded the bases. Taylor Edwards then extended her hitting streak to 24 games with an RBI single to left that scored Muir with the third run of the inning.

Tatum Edwards ran into some trouble in the bottom of the second as a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. But she coaxed a ground out to escape the inning unscathed.

In the top of the third, three consecutive Cal State Fullerton errors loaded the bases with Huskers. Knighten then lined a bases-clearing, three-run double to the gap in right center to stretch the lead to 6-0. Nebraska then re-loaded the bases on back-to-back walks to freshman Kat Woolman and Taylor Edwards but had to settle for the six-run lead.

Cal State Fullerton got its first hit and only run in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on first and two outs, Lauren Mario blooped a ball down the right field line and Woolman came up short on a diving catch, as the ball rolled past her and all the way to the wall for an RBI triple.

The Huskers responded with two more runs in the top of the fifth. Tyson led off with a single before another Cal State Fullerton error put runners on first and second. Stokes moved the runners into scoring position with a ground out before Taylor Edwards was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sophomore Hailey Decker then grounded the first pitch she saw into center field for an RBI single that pushed the lead to 7-1. The Titans went back to Wesley before Urness hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give Nebraska a seven-run lead.

Cal State Fullerton got a run back with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Huskers answered the Titans' run in the top of the seventh. Stokes worked a one-out walk before Taylor Edwards singled. Then with two outs, Urness lined an RBI single into left field to stretch the lead to 9-2.

Urness finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored, while Knighten was 2-for-4 with a double and a career-high three RBIs. Together, the two Husker freshmen California natives produced five hits and five RBIs, while scoring two runs. Muir produced her second multi-RBI game of the season with two driven in, as she established a career high with eight RBIs on the year. Taylor Edwards added two hits - her ninth multi-hit game of the year - while moving within two games of Anne Steffan's school-record 26-game hitting streak.

Nebraska is back in action later tonight against No. 6 Washington.

Box Score 2014 Nebraska Softball #14 Nebraska at Cal State Fullerton Mar 08, 2014 at Fullerton, Calif. (Anderson Field)

Nebraska 9 (14-7)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 0 2 1 2 1 6 0 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 5 0 1 1 0 2 3 3 6 Urness, Austen lf........ 4 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Tatum p......... 4 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 Arthur, Rachel pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Muir, Kylee dp........... 5 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 4 0 2 3 0 1 2 3 1 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 7 0 1 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat rf.......... 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Totals................... 34 9 11 9 6 5 21 10 12

Cal State Fullerton 2 (15-8)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Taukeiaho, Missy 3b...... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Rippy, Delynn pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tsuchiyama, Ariel c...... 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 0 Martinez, Olivia c...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Estacio, Megan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Crawford, Eliza dp....... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Vizcarra, Emily pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aragon, Gabby ss......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 Colenzo, Sydney 2b...... 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Sechrest, Melissa 1b..... 3 0 1 0 1 2 6 0 2 Rubio, Jena pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Galarza, Samantha 2b..... 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Blanco, Kayla ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Mario, Lauren rf......... 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Kisling, Paige cf........ 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 Harris, Leesa lf......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 5 Wesley, Monique p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Washington, Christin p.. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 2 6 2 3 6 21 9 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 033 020 1 - 9 11 1 Cal State Fullerton. 000 101 0 - 2 6 5 -----------------------------------------

E - Decker(5); Taukeiaho, M; Aragon, G 3; Galarza, S. LOB - Huskers 12; Titans 9. 2B - Edwards, Tat(2); Knighten(4); Crawford, E. 3B - Mario, L. HBP - Aragon, G; Mario, L. SH - Stokes(1). SF - Urness(2). CS - Edwards, Tay(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 6 2 1 3 6 27 32 120

Cal State Fullerton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Wesley, Monique..... 3.2 6 4 4 2 3 16 19 75 Washington, Christin 3.1 5 5 1 4 2 18 23 81

Win - Edwards, Tat (7-4). Loss - Wesley, M (1-1). Save - None. HBP - by Edwards, Tat (Mario, L); by Edwards, Tat (Aragon, G). Pitches/strikes: Edwards, Tat 120/72; Wesley, M 75/40; Washington, 81/44. Umpires - Start: 2:34 pm Time: 2:28 Attendance: Game: livegame