Huskers Advance to Regional Final

Columbia, Mo. - The 19th-ranked Nebraska softball team advanced to an NCAA Regional final for the third time in four years late Saturday night, edging Kansas 2-1 in an elimination matchup in Columbia, Mo.

With the win, the Huskers will play No. 15 seed Missouri on Sunday for the regional title. First pitch is set for Noon, and Nebraska would need to beat the Tigers twice in order to advance to an NCAA Super Regional for the second straight year.

Nebraska earned a shot at Missouri by avenging Friday's opening-round loss to Kansas. Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning Saturday against the Jayhawks. Freshman Kat Woolman reached on a one-out infield single and scored on a two-out, RBI double from sophomore Hailey Decker.

The Huskers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Senior Taylor Edwards began the inning with a leadoff single before freshman MJ Knighten put down a sacrifice bunt that was booted by Kansas pitcher Alicia Pille. The error allowed Taylor Edwards to move to third and Knighten to advance to second. Pille then retired the next two hitters before sophomore Dawna Tyson delivered a clutch two-out, RBI single through the left side to score Taylor Edwards.

Nebraska stranded a pair of runners in the top of the fifth before Kansas got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff double and a one-out RBI single trimmed the Husker lead to 2-1. An error then put Jayhawks on first and second with one out before Tatum Edwards entered the game in relief and struck out the next two batters.

The Huskers missed a chance to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh, failing to score with runners on first and third and only one out. In the bottom of the seventh, Tatum Edwards worked around a two-out walk to pick up her fourth save of the year.

Sophomore right-hander Emily Lockman had a quality start for Nebraska, earning the win to improve to 19-4 on the year. Lockman allowed one run on only three hits in 4.1 innings to win her ninth consecutive decision. Edwards completed a near-perfect Saturday by striking out four in 2.2 innings of shutout, hitless relief. Edwards tossed 7.2 innings on Saturday and did not allow a hit, as she has allowed only one hit in her last 14.0 innings in Columbia.

The Huskers improved to 42-16 with the win. In addition to her RBI, Decker recorded the game's lone multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a double.

Box Score

 

2014 Nebraska Softball #19 Nebraska at Kansas May 17, 2014 at Columbia, Mo. (University Field)

Nebraska 2 (42-16)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Decker, Hailey 2b........ 4 0 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 Edwards, Tatum dp/p...... 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 1 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 1 1 0 1 1 7 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 5 Muir, Kylee rf........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 6 0 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 2 6 2 2 5 21 6 9

Kansas 1 (34-23)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Newman, Ashley 2b........ 4 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 1 Behrmann, Lily rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 Brickey, Chaley ss....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Stein, Maddie 1b......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 7 1 0 McGinley, Shannon pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hatfield, Taylor lf...... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 Naudin, Chanin 3b........ 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 Ridling, Harli c......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 Dodson, Taylor dp........ 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 McElhaney, Taylor cf..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Jones, Alex pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pille, Alicia p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 25 1 3 1 3 7 21 6 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 001 100 0 - 2 6 1 Kansas.............. 000 010 0 - 1 3 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Knighten(19); Brickey; Pille. LOB - Huskers 9; Jayhawks 6. 2B - Decker(20); Naudin. HBP - Woolman. SH - Armstrong(3); Knighten(3).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 4.1 3 1 1 1 3 17 18 77 Edwards, Tatum...... 2.2 0 0 0 2 4 8 10 46

Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Pille, Alicia....... 7.0 6 2 1 2 5 27 32 134

Win - Lockman (19-4). Loss - Pille (12-7). Save - Edwards, Tat (4). HBP - by Pille (Woolman). Pitches/strikes: Lockman 77/49; Edwards, Tat 46/26; Pille 134/80. Umpires - HP: Royce Eller 1B: John Baca 3B: Scott Thomas Start: 8:30 pm Time: 2:28 Attendance: Game: NEB58