Walk-Off Homer Powers Huskers Past Iowa

Lincoln - Tatum Edwards hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 5-2 win in game one of a Friday doubleheader against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Nebraska trailed 1-0 through five innings, after Iowa's Brianna Luna led off the game with a solo home run. After missing several scoring chances, the Huskers finally found the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Tatum Edwards got things started by reaching on a one-out single before freshman MJ Knighten drew a one-out walk. With two outs, sophomore Kiki Stokes then grounded a ball that appeared headed up the middle, but Iowa shortstop Megan Blank made a great sliding stop. Blank then delivered a throw from her knees to second base attempting to get the third out, but the ball was dropped by the second baseman, allowing Edwards to score the tying run. Junior Kylee Muir then lined an RBI single that tipped off the glove of the Iowa first baseman to give the Huskers a 2-1 lead.

That lead would not hold up, as a one-out error kept Iowa alive in the top of the seventh. With two outs, a wild pitch put the tying run in scoring position before Luna delivered again for the Hawkeyes, this time with an RBI single through the left side. A hit batter and an intentional walk then loaded the bases, before Edwards kept the game tied with a ground out.

Sophomore Dawna Tyson then began the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single. After freshman Lotte Sjulin pinch ran for Tyson, senior Taylor Edwards singled to put runners on first and second. Sophomore Hailey Decker got Sjulin to third with a fly out to deep right field. Tatum Edwards then stepped to the plate with runners on first and third and one out and blasted a deep home run down the left field line for the walk-off winner.

Edwards was 2-for-4 in the game with three RBIs and two runs scored. She also earned the victory in the circle, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in a complete-game effort. Edwards improved to 15-9 on the season with the win, while Nebraska moved to 28-13 overall and 6-4 in Big Ten Conference play.

Kayla Massey (6-12) took the loss for Iowa, which fell to 10-21 on the season and 5-7 in league play. Massey allowed five runs on 10 hits in a complete-game effort.

Nebraska will look for a sweep in game two of the doubleheader.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball Iowa at #19 Nebraska (Game 1) Apr 11, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Iowa 2 (10-21,5-7 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Luna, Brianna lf......... 3 1 2 2 1 1 2 0 0 Fritsch, Claire 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 1 Blank, Megan ss.......... 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 Massey, Kayla p.......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 3 Hansel, Haley pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hoffman, Holly c......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 Zoeller, Michelle 3b..... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 Navarro, Alyssa rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Erickson, Erin cf........ 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Mullarkey, Kaitlyn 1b.... 2 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 0 Repole, Whitney ph...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Whitney, Micaela......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 2 5 2 3 7 19 8 8

Nebraska 4 (28-13,6-4 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 7 1 1 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 1 Edwards, Tatum p......... 4 2 2 2 0 1 1 3 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 1 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 Muir, Kylee rf........... 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lockman, Emily........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 4 10 3 1 2 21 12 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Iowa................ 100 000 1 - 2 5 2 Nebraska............ 000 002 2 - 4 10 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Fritsch 2(16); Decker(8); Tyson(2). LOB - Hawkeyes 8; Huskers 6. HR - Luna(1); Edwards, Tat(6). HBP - Fritsch. SB - Woolman(3). CS - Hoffman(1).

Iowa IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Massey, Kayla....... 6.1 10 4 4 1 2 29 30 110

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 5 2 1 3 7 27 31 127

Win - Edwards, Tat (15-9). Loss - Massey (6-12). Save - None. WP - Edwards, Tat(7). HBP - by Edwards, Tat (Fritsch). Pitches/strikes: Massey 110/70; Edwards, Tat 127/82. Umpires - HP: Robert Shelton 1B: Cathy Creighton 3B: Jim Connors Start: 4:03 pm Time: 2:00 Attendance: Game: livegame