Huskers Blank Creighton to Close Out Fall

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team closed out an unbeaten fall exhibition season with a 13-0 nine-inning win over the Creighton Bluejays on a 93-degree Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers, who finished 7-0-1 during the fall, scored in four of the first five innings, including plating four runs in both the third and fourth frames.

Nebraska used a two-out rally to grab a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Dawna Tyson got things started with a hard-hit ball that took a high hop and deflected off the shortstop for an infield single. Senior Alicia Armstrong then lined an RBI double to center with Tyson scoring from first after the catcher was unable to hold onto the ball at home plate.

The Huskers added four more runs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Gina Metzler led off with a single and senior Kiki Stokes followed with another single when her fly ball fell in shallow right field after their was confusion between the Creighton shortstop and right fielder. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball before sophomore Laura Barrow lined a two-run double over the right fielder's head to give Nebraska a 3-0 lead. Junior MJ Knighten followed with another double to score Barrow before a two-out Creighton error pushed the Husker lead to 5-0.

Nebraska loaded the bases in the bottom of the third when Micaela Whitney walked the first three hitters of the inning before being relieved by Sydnee Eck. Knighten then fouled off several two-strike pitches before launching the eighth pitch she saw just fair down the left field line for a grand slam that made it 9-0.

NU scored for the fourth straight inning in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Taylor Otte and Metzler began the inning with back-to-back singles and both runners moved up a base on a ground out from Stokes. Barrow brought Otte home with an RBI single and Knighten followed with another RBI single on the next pitch to stretch the Husker lead to 11-0.

The Huskers plated two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 13-0 lead. Barrow and Knighten began the frame with consecutive singles before senior Mattie Fowler delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single.

Creighton's best scoring chance came in the top of the eighth. A leadoff double, a wild pitch and a walk put Bluejays on first and third with no outs before the Huskers turned a double play and coaxed a ground out to end the threat.

Knighten paced a quartet of Huskers who finished with multiple hits, going 4-for-5 with a double, a grand slam and six RBIs. Barrow went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Metzler and Tyson had two hits each.

In the circle, sophomore Kaylan Jablonski tossed five shutout innings, scattering four hits. Junior Cassie McClure worked innings six and seven, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing two hits. Senior Emily Lockman tossed the final 2.0 innings and allowed only one hit.

The shutout was Nebraska's second of the fall, while the Husker offense scored double-digit runs four times in eight games.