Huskers Top Creighton, 5-2

Lincoln - Small ball lifted the 20th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 5-2 victory over Creighton on a damp Wednesday evening at Bowlin Stadium.

Each team had five hits in the game, but Nebraska used a season-high four sacrifices, including a squeeze bunt, to win for the fifth time in its past sixth games. Neither team recorded an extra-base hit in the game. With the victory, the Huskers improved to 24-11 on the season.

Nebraska also drew five walks, including two from senior Taylor Edwards. Taylor's twin sister Tatum drove in a pair, while junior Kylee Muir scored a career-high three runs.

Tatum Edwards (13-7) earned the victory, striking out nine and allowing only four hits in 6.0 innings. Sophomore right-hander Emily Lockman came on in the seventh and earned her first career save by shutting out Creighton in its final at bat.

The Bluejays lost for the fourth straight game, falling to 19-14 on the year. Lincoln native Becca Changstrom (11-8) took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) in a complete-game effort.

Creighton jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Tatum Edwards walked the first two batters of the game and then hit a batter with one out to load the bases. A single then scored the game's first run, but Nebraska recorded the second out on the play when sophomore Kiki Stokes unleashed a perfect throw to Taylor Edwards to nail Blair Lowe at the plate. A pop out then ended the inning.

Nebraska mounted its first threat in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 1-1. Muir began the frame with a single to become the Huskers' first base runner. Freshman Kat Woolman was then asked to bunt, and she put down a perfect bunt and wound up safe at first with a single. Sophomore Dawna Tyson moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt before Taylor Edward was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. After a fly ball to left failed to score Muir, Tatum Edwards hit a grounder off the end of that bat that spun away from the first baseman for an infield single. On the play, Woolman tried to score from second, but was thrown out at home.

The Huskers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth with help from Creighton. A leadoff error prolonged the inning after the next two batters were retired. Taylor Edwards and sophomore Hailey Decker both drew walks to load the bases with two outs. Tatum Edwards made it three consecutive walks and brought Muir home with her second RBI of the game. Sophomore Alicia Armstrong then reached on an RBI infield single to stretch the lead to two. Armstrong's single was Nebraska's lone hit in the two-run inning.

In the top of the sixth, Edwards walked a pair and hit a batter to load the bases with two outs before Kelsey Allender grounded the ninth pitch of her at bat through the left side for an RBI single. Edwards then struck out leadoff hitter Ellen Homan to keep Nebraska in front, 3-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Stokes was hit by a pitch, Muir walked and Woolman moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Tyson then put down a successful squeeze bunt to score Muir and on the play, Tyson reached first safely and advanced to second on an error. Taylor Edwards then recorded an RBI ground out to give Nebraska a 5-2 cushion.

Lockman then worked around a walk and a single to retire the next three hitters and preserve the victory.

Nebraska continues Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Illinois.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball Creighton at #20 Nebraska Apr 02, 2014 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Creighton 2 (19-14)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Homan, Ellen lf.......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 4 McGonigal, Erin pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lowe, Blair 3b........... 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 1 0 Dike, Liz ss............. 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 1 Cantu, Alexis rf......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Michael, MaKenzie pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pascuzzi, Katie pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kingsley, Kassidy ph.... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Ringle, Blake dp......... 4 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 Lingl, Bri c............. 4 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 4 Daro, Jen 1b............. 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 Lewis, Jessica 2b........ 2 0 1 0 0 1 4 2 0 Allender, Kelsey cf...... 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 Changstrom, Becca p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 2 5 2 7 11 18 6 10

Nebraska 5 (24-11)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Edwards, Taylor c........ 2 1 0 1 2 0 12 1 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 3 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 Edwards, Tatum p......... 2 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 3 Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 Muir, Kylee rf........... 2 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lockman, Emily dp........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 19 5 5 5 5 6 21 5 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Creighton........... 100 001 0 - 2 5 2 Nebraska............ 001 022 X - 5 5 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Lewis(11); Changstrom(3); Decker(7). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Bluejays 10; Huskers 6. HBP - Cantu; Lewis; Stokes. SH - Woolman 2(4); Tyson 2(5). CS - Lowe(4); Knighten(3).

Creighton IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Changstrom, Becca... 6.0 5 5 3 5 6 19 29 116

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Edwards, Tatum...... 6.0 4 2 2 6 9 20 28 136 Lockman, Emily...... 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 4 5 22

Win - Edwards, Tat (13-7). Loss - Changstrom (11-8). Save - Lockman (1). HBP - by Edwards, Tat (Cantu); by Edwards, Tat (Lewis); by Changstrom (Stokes). Pitches/strikes: Changstrom 116/61; Edwards, Tat 136/73; Lockman 22/13. Umpires - HP: John Orlowski 1B: Raquel Bushman 3B: Robert Blatcher Start: 6:05 pm Time: 2:15 Attendance: 328 Game: livegame