Big Inning Powers Nebraska to 8-0 Win

Nebraska  8 0 Illinois
Box Score

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Lockman (15-12)	5.0	2	0	0	1	1
L - Vecvanags (18-11)	3.2	4	8	3	5	0
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HBP
Alicia Armstrong	2	1	1	3	1	1
Kat Woolman	2	1	1	2	0	0

Game Notes

Nebraska clinched the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament with the win...the win was the Huskers' 16th run-rule victory...the win was NU's fifth straight win and 11th win in the last 12 games...the Huskers won for the eighth time in their last nine Big Ten games...NU run-ruled a Big Ten opponent for the fifth time in its last seven wins...Nebraska produced eight RBIs to set a new school record with 331 this season...Nebraska's five-run fourth inning marked the 20th time this season the Huskers have scored five or more runs in an inning...Alicia Armstrong was hit by her 10th pitch of the season in the bottom of the fourth, which ties for sixth in school history.

Lincoln - An eight-run fourth inning was all the offense the Nebraska softball team would need Friday night, as the Huskers run-ruled Illinois, 8-0, in five innings at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers sent 13 batters to the plate in the decisive fifth inning despite recording only three hits. Nebraska drew five walks in the inning and was hit by a pitch, as three of the Huskers' eight runs scored on bases-loaded walks.

Junior Alicia Armstrong got the rally started when she was hit by a pitch with one out. A costly error allowed senior Steph Pasquale to reach before classmate Kylee Muir walked to load the bases. Junior Dawna Tyson then scored Armstrong with the game's first run on a bases-loaded walk. Freshman Kayla Jablonski followed with another RBI walk before sophomore Kat Woolman lined a two-run single to left field. Leading 4-0, freshman Laura Barrow singled to load the bases again and junior Kiki Stokes delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. Following a walk to sophomore MJ Knighten, Armstrong then capped the inning with a three-run double to center field.

The eight-run inning was more than enough support for junior right-hander Emily Lockman, who tossed her third shutout of the season. Lockman improved to 15-12 and became the first Big Ten pitcher to shut out the Fighting Illini this season, firing a two-hit shutout.

Armstrong finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Woolman added two RBIs. Eight Huskers scored a run and five players produced at least one RBI.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 31-19 with its fifth straight victory and 11th win in its last 12 games. The Huskers improved to 16-5 in Big Ten Conference play, and Nebraska clinched the No. 3 seed for next week's Big Ten Tournament.

Illinois fell to 25-25 on the season and dropped to 13-8 in league play. Jade Vecvanags, the Big Ten wins leader in conference play, suffered the loss. Vecvanags (18-11) allowed eight runs in 3.2 innings, but only three of the runs were earned.

Nebraska is back in action on Saturday at 1 p.m. for Fan Appreciation Day at Bowlin Stadium.

Box Score

 

2015 Nebraska Softball Illinois at Nebraska May 01, 2015 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Illinois 0 (25-25,13-8 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Bauch, Allie 2b.......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 Gunther, Alyssa 1b....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 Perkins, Jess c.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Evans, Nicole lf......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Thomas, Carly cf......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Rivera, Ruby ss.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Fleming, Annie 3b........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Sanchez, Brittany rf..... 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Johnson, Kylie dp........ 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Vecvanags, Jade p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Giddens, Kate p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 17 0 2 0 1 1 12 5 3

Nebraska 8 (31-19,16-5 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 6 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 2 1 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 Pasquale, Steph c........ 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 Muir, Kylee rf........... 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 1 0 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jablonski, Kaylan dp..... 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 Woolman, Kat lf.......... 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 15 8 4 8 6 0 15 12 3

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Illinois............ 000 00 - 0 2 1 Nebraska............ 000 8X - 8 4 0 --------------------------------------

E - C. Thomas(2). DP - Illini 1. LOB - Illini 3; Huskers 3. 2B - C. Thomas(15); Armstrong(8). HBP - Armstrong. SF - Stokes(3).

Illinois IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Vecvanags, Jade..... 3.2 4 8 3 5 0 14 21 90 Giddens, Kate....... 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 8

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 5.0 2 0 0 1 1 17 18 70

Win - Lockman (15-12). Loss - J. Vecvanags (18-11). Save - None. HBP - by J. Vecvanags (Armstrong). Pitches/strikes: J. Vecvanags 90/49; K. Giddens 8/2; Lockman 70/44. Umpires - HP: Cody Little 1B: Gary Mitchell 3B: Joe Havenhill Start: 5:33 pm Time: 1:30 Attendance: 643 Game: NEB50