Huskers Rally Past Roadrunners

Las Cruces, N.M. - A six-run sixth inning rallied the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team to an 11-7 victory over UTSA on Sunday, as the Huskers closed the opening weekend of the 2015 season with a 4-1 record.

The Huskers trailed 7-5 heading to the bottom of the sixth, but the offense scored six times, producing its fourth inning in five games with six-or-more-runs. Nebraska scored at least 11 runs for the fourth consecutive game and totaled at least 13 hits for the fourth straight contest.

Sophomore right-hander Cassie McClure earned the win in relief to improve to 3-0 in her first weekend as a Husker. McClure allowed one run on only three hits in 4.0 innings. Junior right-hander Emily Lockman earned the start and allowed six runs on seven hits in 3.0 innings.

Offensively, junior Kiki Stokes and sophomore MJ Knighten each produced three-hit games. Stokes was 3-for-4 and picked up her 100th career hit. Stokes hit .650 (13-for-20) in the opening weekend with 10 RBIs. Knighten was also 3-for-4 against the Roadrunners with an RBI. Junior Alicia Armstrong added her team-leading third home run of the season, producing a game-high three RBIs. Freshman Kaylan Jablosnki also produced a multi-RBI effort with a pair of RBI with a pinch-hit, two-run double that capped Nebraska's six-run sixth inning.

UTSA jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-out, two-run double from Randy Crawford.

In the bottom of the frame, Stokes led off with a single and stole second. With one out, Knighten lined a single into center field, but Stokes was thrown out at home attempting to score on the play.

After wasting a leadoff double in the top of the second, UTSA cashed in a leadoff double in the top of the third to take a 3-0 lead.

Nebraska roared back in the bottom of the third. Junior Mattie Fowler led off with a single and Stokes reached on a one-out single. Armstrong then crushed a 2-2 pitch to left center for a game-tying three-run homer. Knighten and McClure followed the homer with back-to-back singles. Then with runners at the corners and two outs, senior Kylee Muir and Knighten perfectly executed a double steal, with Muir swiping second and Knighten stealing home to give the Huskers a 4-3 lead.

UTSA answered in the top of the fourth. The inning began with back-to-back singles before an RBI double from Kendall Burton tied the game at 4-4. With runners at second and third and no outs, McClure entered the game and was greeted by an RBI single from Megan Low. The Roadrunners then grabbed a 7-4 lead on another two-run double.

In the bottom of the frame, Nebraska was able to get one run back. Fowler and Stokes walked before an error loaded the bases with only one out. Fowler scored on an RBI ground out from Knighten to trim the lead to 7-5, but the Huskers could pull no closer, leaving the bases loaded.

Both teams were kept off the scoreboard in the fifth before Nebraska rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the win. After the leadoff batter was retired, Stokes, Armstrong and Knighten produced three consecutive singles to load the bases. McClure then worked a walk to score Stokes before a wildi pitch brought Armstrong home with the tying run. Sophomore Kat Woolman then delivered a clutch, RBI single that plated Knighten and gave Nebraska an 8-7 advantage.

The Huskers tacked on an insurance run when Barrow produced a two-out, RBI single. Jablonski then came off the bench and delivered a pinch-hit, two-run double to push the NU lead to 11-7.

Nicole Merrill (1-1) took the loss for UTSA, which fell to 4-1 on the season. Merrill allowed five runs in 2.1 innings of relief.

After winning the Hotel Encanto Invitational, Nebraska travels to Tallahassee, Fla., next weekend for five games in three days at Florida State's Unconquered Invitational.

Box Score

 

2015 Nebraska Softball UTSA vs #18 Nebraska Feb 08, 2015 at Las Cruces, N.M. (NMSU Softball Cmplx)

UTSA 7 (4-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ BURTON, Kendall cf....... 3 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 BUCHMAN, Courtney ss..... 4 1 1 1 0 3 3 5 0 LOW, Megan 1b............ 4 1 1 1 0 0 8 1 3 NINO, Angelica pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TIJERINA, Vivian 3b...... 3 1 3 2 1 0 1 1 0 WHITE, Lauren pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 CRAWFORD, Randee dp...... 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 SOEFJE, Tess c........... 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 KNOWLES, Lindsie rf...... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 KINLEY, Madison 2b....... 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 1 SMITH, Jade lf........... 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 OTT, Kelsi p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 THOMAS, Amanda p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MERRILL, Nicole p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 FOX, Lizzy p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 7 10 7 3 5 18 12 7

Nebraska 11 (4-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 4 2 3 0 1 0 4 0 2 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 4 2 2 3 0 1 0 4 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 4 2 3 1 0 0 2 1 0 McClure, Cassie dp....... 2 1 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 Otte, Taylor pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Muir, Kylee rf........... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Woolman, Kat rf......... 2 1 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 Pasquale, Steph c........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 2 2 1 0 2 0 4 0 0 Arthur, Rachel pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Metzler, Gina lf......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Jablonski, Kaylan ph.... 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 32 11 14 9 5 2 21 7 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- UTSA................ 201 400 0 - 7 10 3 Nebraska............ 004 106 X - 11 14 0 -----------------------------------------

E - BURTON; KNOWLES; KINLEY. LOB - Roadrunners 7; Huskers 8. 2B - BUCHMAN; TIJERINA 3; CRAWFORD; KNOWLES; Jablonski(3). HR - Armstrong(3). HBP - SOEFJE. SB - NINO; Stokes(3); Knighten(2); Muir(1).

UTSA IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- OTT, Kelsi.......... 2.1 6 4 4 0 2 12 12 48 PARKER, Chelsea...... 0.2 2 1 0 1 0 4 5 18 MERRILL, Nicole..... 2.1 4 5 5 3 0 12 15 51 FOX, Lizzy.......... 0.2 2 1 1 1 0 4 5 27

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 3.0 7 6 6 3 4 16 20 86 McClure, Cassie..... 4.0 3 1 1 0 1 15 15 48

Win - McClure (3-0). Loss - MERRILL (1-1). Save - None. WP - MERRILL. HBP - by Lockman (SOEFJE). PB - Pasquale(1). Pitches/strikes: OTT 48/28; THOMAS 18/9; MERRILL 51/26; FOX,L 27/15; Lockman 86/49; McClure 48/34. Umpires - HP: Michael Parker 1B: Cody Little 3B: Steve McCown Start: 10:33 am Time: 2:52 Attendance: 300 Game: livegame