Husker Blank Michigan State, 2-0

East Lansing, Mich. - Behind a third straight shutout, the 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team earned its eighth consecutive victory with a 2-0 victory at Michigan State on Friday afternoon.

Senior right-hander Tatum Edwards (18-9) fired a five-hit shutout to earn win her fourth straight decision and record her second consecutive shutout. With its third straight shutout and 13th of the season, Nebraska stretched its streak to 22.0 consecutive scoreless innings. The pitching staff has allowed only five total runs in the Huskers' eight game winning streak.

Nebraska improved to 34-13 with the win. The Huskers remained in second place in the Big Ten Standings, as NU improved to 12-4 in league play with its ninth consecutive conference victory.

Offensively, senior Taylor Edwards drove in the game-winning run with an RBI double. The double was the 40th of Edwards' career, as she became just the second Husker and only the 12th Big Ten player to produce 40 career doubles and 40 career home runs. Freshman MJ Knighten was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, and junior Kylee Muir drove in Nebraska's second run as part of a 1-for-3 day.

Valerie Kaff (5-15) pitched well for Michigan State but took the loss. In a complete-game effort, Knaff allowed only two runs on just five hits. With the loss, MSU fell to 12-31 on the year and dropped to 4-14 in conference play.

It was the Spartans who had the early scoring chances. Michigan State stranded a pair of runners in the bottom of the first inning before threatening again in the third. With two outs, an infield single was followed by a single to left. The second single got past Husker freshman left fielder Kat Woolman and Alyssa McBride attempted to score from first base on the play, but sophomore center fielder Kiki Stokes backed up the play and threw a strike to catcher Taylor Edwards to record the third out at home.

The Spartans then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth on a single, a hit batter and a Husker error, before a pop out and a ground out kept the game scoreless.

Nebraska then scored the game's first run with a two-out rally in the top of fifth. Stokes drew a two-out walk and came home on an RBI double from Taylor Edwards.

The Huskers added to their lead with another run in the top of the sixth. Tatum Edwards worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a one-out single from Knighten. Muir then delivered an RBI single through the right side to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.

Edwards then preserved the victory by working around a sixth-inning single and a seventh-inning walk.

The Huskers and Spartans continue their series Saturday at 11 a.m. (Central).

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #19 Michigan State Apr 25, 2014 at East Lansing, Mich. (Secchia Stadium)

Nebraska 2 (34-13,12-4 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 1 1 0 0 5 2 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 Edwards, Tatum p......... 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 Muir, Kylee rf........... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 Urness, Austen dp........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 Totals................... 26 2 5 2 3 2 21 12 6

Michigan State 0 (12-31,4-14 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Freimuth, McKinzie 1b.... 4 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 McBride, Alyssa cf....... 3 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 Sanders, Stephanie rf.... 2 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 Gutknecht, Sarah 3b...... 3 0 2 0 0 1 4 1 0 Briggs, Dana pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kujawa, Kassidy lf....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 Bowling, Sarah dp........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nielsen, Carly pr/dp.... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luna, Destinee ss........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 Stoffer, Ellie c......... 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 Reiser, Jacquie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Thomas, Shanin ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Kaff, Valerie p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 24 0 5 0 4 4 21 7 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 011 0 - 2 5 3 Michigan State...... 000 000 0 - 0 5 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Decker(10); Armstrong(10); Woolman(2). LOB - Huskers 6; Spartans 8. 2B - Edwards, Tay(7). HBP - Bowling, S.. SB - Edwards, Tat(4). CS - McBride, A.; Stoffer, E..

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 7.0 5 0 0 4 4 24 29 108

Michigan State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kaff, Valerie....... 7.0 5 2 2 3 2 26 29 115

Win - Edwards, Tat (18-9). Loss - Kaff, V. (5-15). Save - None. HBP - by Edwards, Tat (Bowling, S.). BK - Kaff, V.. Pitches/strikes: Edwards, Tat 108/65; Kaff, V. 115/69. Umpires - HP: Jim Connors 1B: Joseph Squires 3B: Mark Sefcik Start: 3:59 pm Time: 2:04 Attendance: Game: NEB47