Nebraska Defeats No. 12 Minnesota, 5-3

Nebraska  5 3 minnesota
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Minnesota	0	0	1	0	0	0	2		3	8	1
Nebraska	2	0	1	1	0	1	X		5	8	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - E. Lockman (10-8)	7.0	8	3	3	0	3
L - Groenewegen (18-3)	4.0	7	4	2	1	2
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Steph Pasquale	3	0	2	1	0	0
Kiki Stokes	3	1	2	1	1	0

Game Notes
Nebraska snapped Minnesota's 15-game winning streak...the Huskers earned their second win over a top-15 opponent this season...Nebraska turned two double plays in the game, marking the fourth time this season the Huskers have turned multiple double plays in a game...MJ Knighten had an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend her hitting streak to 13 games.

Lincoln - Behind an impressive outing from junior right-hander Emily Lockman and several timely hits from the Husker offense, the Nebraska softball team defeated No. 12 Minnesota, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

Lockman tossed a complete game, allowing only three runs to a Minnesota offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring. She tossed her seventh complete game of the season while improving to 10-8 on the year.

Offensively, four of the Huskers' eight hits came with runners in scoring position. Each of the first five hitters in the lineup produced an RBI. Junior Kiki Stokes finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while senior Steph Pasquale was also 2-for-3 with an RBI.

The balanced team effort helped Nebraska improve to 18-14 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Minnesota saw its 15-game winning streak snapped and fell to 29-5 on the season and 5-1 in league action. Reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Sara Groenewegen (18-3) took the loss for the Golden Gophers, allowing four runs (two earned) in 4.0 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with help from a Minnesota error. Stokes began the inning with a single before a Golden Gopher error put Huskers at second and third with no outs. Junior Alicia Armstrong then brought Stokes home with an RBI squeeze bunt before sophomore Cassie McClure scored classmate MJ Knighten with an RBI ground out.

Minnesota cut the lead in half in the top of the third. With two outs and a runner on third, Nebraska nearly escaped the inning when Sydney Fabian was caught in a rundown between third and home following a pitch in the dirt, but Fabian was ruled to have beaten the throw back to third. Tyler Walker then delivered a clutch RBI single to trim the lead to 2-1.

In the bottom of the third, an Armstrong single, a wild pitch and a McClure single gave Nebraska runners at first and third with no outs. Pasquale then lined an RBI single to center to put the Husker on top 3-1.

Nebraska added another run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Senior Kylee Muir began the inning with a single, and she moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Laura Barrow.  Knighten then produced a two-out, RBI single to extend her hitting streak to 13 games.

The Huskers added a final insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Muir drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on another sacrifice bunt from Barrow and scored on an RBI double from Stokes to give Nebraska a 5-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, the first two batters were quickly retired before a two-out single, a hit batter and an infield single brought the tying run to the plate. A two-run single that bounced off the third-base bag pulled Minnesota to with 5-3 before Walker drew a walk to load the bases. With the tying run in scoring position, Lockman struck out Sam Macken looking to end the game.

Nebraska wraps up a five-game homestand with a Tuesday doubleheader against North Dakota State beginning at 3 p.m.. The game was added earlier this month and with the addition, attendance into both games will be free.

Box Score

 

2015 Nebraska Softball #12 Minnesota at Nebraska Mar 29, 2015 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Minnesota 3 (29-5,5-1 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Tyler Walker ss.......... 3 0 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 Sam Macken 3b............ 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 4 Kaitlyn Richardson 1b.... 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 1 Kayla Wenner pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sara Groenewegen p/dp.... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Ellie Cowger pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hannah Granger rf........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 Erika Smyth ph.......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Danielle Parlich 2b...... 3 1 2 0 0 0 4 3 0 Sydney Fabian dp......... 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Erika Rozell c.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Erica Meyer cf........... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Madie Eckstrom ph....... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Paige Palkovich lf....... 3 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Taylor LeMay c........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Kylie Stober p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 26 3 8 3 1 3 18 8 5

Nebraska 5 (18-14,6-2 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 4 1 1 1 0 1 1 3 2 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 2 1 1 1 1 0 2 3 1 McClure, Cassie dp....... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 Pasquale, Steph c........ 3 0 2 1 0 0 3 1 0 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 1 Otte, Taylor pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 Muir, Kylee rf........... 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Metzler, Gina pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 0 Lockman, Emily p/pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 23 5 8 5 3 3 21 10 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Minnesota........... 001 000 2 - 3 8 1 Nebraska............ 201 101 X - 5 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Macken(4); Woolman(1). DP - Gophers 1; Huskers 2. LOB - Gophers 5; Huskers 8. 2B - Macken(5); Stokes(8). HBP - Richardson; Rozell; Stokes; Tyson. SH - Armstrong(2); Barrow 2(2). SB - Fabian(4); Stokes(10); Knighten(6); Woolman(6). CS - Wenner(1).

Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Sara Groenewegen.... 4.0 7 4 2 1 2 17 21 71 Kylie Stober........ 2.0 1 1 1 2 1 6 10 43

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 7.0 8 3 3 1 3 26 29 115

Win - Lockman (10-8). Loss - Groenewegen (18-3). Save - None. WP - Groenewegen(10); Lockman(5). HBP - by Groenewegen (Stokes); by Lockman (Richardson); by Stober (Tyson); by Lockman (Rozell). Pitches/strikes: Groenewegen 71/44; Stober 43/25; Lockman 115/66. Umpires - HP: Naomi Erdahl 1B: Leah Bowen 3B: Larry Nagel Start: 12:02 pm Time: 2:16 Attendance: 474 Game: NEB32