Huskers Post Complete Effort in 14-2 Win

NEBRASKA  14 2 MARYLAND
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6		R	H	E
Nebraska	1	0	3	1	1	8		14	10	2
Maryland	0	0	2	0	0	0		2	3	4

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - McClure (13-6)	6.0	3	2	1	2	3
L - Nation (2-14)	3.2	5	5	4	3	0
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
Kiki Stokes	3	1	2	2	1	1
MJ Knighten	5	2	2	4	0	1

Game Notes

Nebraska snapped a three-game conference losing streak with the win...the Huskers scored a season-high 14 runs...NU used a different starting lineup and different batting order for the 33rd time in 33 games this season...the Huskers scored eight runs in the sixth inning, tying their highest-scoring inning of the season...Kiki Stokes led off the game with a home run for the third time in her career and for the first time this season...the homer was Stokes' 200th career hit...Stokes stretched her hitting streak to seven games and her streak of reaching base safely to 14 straight games...MJ Knighten homered, her 16th of the season...the 16 home runs tie for the most by a Husker junior...Laura Barrow scored a career-high three runs.

College Park, Md. - Behind one of its most complete efforts of the season, the Nebraska softball team emphatically snapped a three-game conference losing streak with a 14-2 six-inning victory over the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday afternoon in College Park, Md.

The Huskers were outstanding at the plate and in the circle against the Terrapins. It was a team effort offensively, as 10 Huskers scored a run and eight produced an RBI. Nebraska was 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position with hits from five different players, and the Huskers also totaled seven two-out RBIs. Nebraska scored in five of its six innings, including tying a season high with an eight-run sixth inning.

Senior Kiki Stokes, junior MJ Knighten and sophomore Kaylan Jablonski each produced multiple hits for Nebraska. Stokes was 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, producing her 200th career hit in the win. Knighten was 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs, as she tied Nebraska's junior class record with her 16th home run of the season. Jablonski was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while junior Cassie McClure and sophomore Austen Urness also added a pair of RBIs.

In the circle, McClure fired a three-hitter and allowed only one earned run to improve to 13-6 on the season. She retired 11 of the final 12 hitters she faced and did not allow a hit after the third innings.

The team effort helped Nebraska improve to 21-12 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play.

Stokes gave the Huskers an immediate 1-0 lead by beginning the game with a home run.

Great defense then got the Huskers out of a jam in the bottom of the first. Maryland had a runner at third with only one out when Lindsey Schmeiser hit a hard ground ball to first base that deflected off senior Mattie Fowler. But sophomore second baseman Laura Barrow was in position to grab the deflection and throw to first to retire Schmeiser. The runner from third decided to break for home after seeing the deflection, and Fowler threw home to freshman catcher Bri Cassidy for an inning-ending double play.

Nebraska stretched its lead to 4-0 with three more runs in the top of the third. Barrow drew a four-pitch walk to begin the frame before Stokes reached on a bunt single. Barrow moved to third on a fly out from Knighten, and Barrow scored on an RBI fielder's choice from senior Alicia Armstrong. Then with two outs, Jablonski singled before McClure scored a pair with a two-run double to right center.

Maryland answered back in the bottom of the third. The Terrapins had runners at second and third with one out following an error and a double. An RBI single put Maryland on the board before a sacrifice fly trimmed the Husker lead to 4-2. McClure escaped any further damage by coaxing a ground ball for an inning-ending double play.

The Huskers got one run back in the top of the fourth thanks to a Maryland error that prolonged the inning, allowing Knighten to drive home a run with a two-out, RBI single.

Nebraska added another run in the top of the fifth. The first two Huskers were quickly retired before freshman Alyvia Simmons doubled to left center. Urness then drew a walk before Barrow delivered a two-out, RBI single to left to push the Husker lead to 6-2.

Three Maryland errors opened the door for Nebraska's eight-run sixth inning. Jablonski gave Nebraska a 7-2 lead with an RBI single that scored Knighten. Fowler drove in a run to make it 8-2 before an error and a walk loaded the bases with only one out. Urness made it 10-2 with a two-run double before a sacrifice fly from Stokes pushed the lead to 11-2. Knighten the capped the inning with a mammoth three-run homer to left center.

McClure then worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth to wrap up Nebraska's fifth run-rule win of the season. Maryland fell to 8-24 with the loss, and the Terrapins dropped to 1-4 in Big Ten.

Nebraska goes for a series victory on Sunday at Noon (Central).

 

Box Score

 

2016 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Maryland Apr 02, 2016 at College Park, Md. (Maryland SB Stadium)

Nebraska 14 (21-12,2-3 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 2 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 5 2 2 4 0 0 0 5 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jablonski, Kaylan dp..... 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 McClure, Cassie p........ 4 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 Metzler, Gina pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 4 0 0 1 0 0 9 1 1 Kadavy, Taylor pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Simmons, Alyvia rf....... 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Urness, Austen lf........ 3 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 2 3 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 Cassidy, Bri c........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 Totals................... 31 14 10 14 5 0 18 11 7

Maryland 2 (8-24,1-4 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Sarah Calta rf........... 3 0 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 Skylynne Ellazar 3b...... 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 Lindsey Schmeiser ss..... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 Hannah Dewey 1b/p........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 1 Sarah Lang dp/1b......... 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Kristina Dillard c....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Destiney Henderson lf.... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Corey Schwartz 2b........ 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 Kylie Datil cf........... 2 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Brenna Nation p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Ari Jarvis p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 18 2 3 2 2 3 18 5 2

Score by Innings R H E --------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 103 118 - 14 10 2 Maryland............ 002 000 - 2 3 4 ---------------------------------------

E - Armstrong(5); McClure(4); Ellazar, S.; Schmeiser,L; Lang, S.; Schwartz, C.. DP - Huskers 2. LOB - Huskers 7; Terrapins 2. 2B - McClure(4); Simmons(5); Urness(2); Datil, K.. HR - Stokes(3); Knighten(16). HBP - Armstrong; Barrow. SH - Ellazar, S.. SF - Stokes(2); Ellazar, S..

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- McClure, Cassie..... 6.0 3 2 1 2 3 18 22 71

Maryland IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Brenna Nation....... 3.2 5 5 4 3 0 17 20 68 Hannah Dewey........ 1.2 4 7 1 2 0 12 15 69 Ari Jarvis.......... 0.2 1 2 0 0 0 2 4 10

Win - McClure (13-6). Loss - Nation, B. (2-14). Save - None. WP - Dewey, H. 2. HBP - by Dewey, H. (Armstrong); by Jarvis, Ari (Barrow). Pitches/strikes: McClure 71/44; Nation, B. 68/32; Dewey, H. 69/34; Jarvis, Ari 10/6. Umpires - Start: 1:02 pm Time: 2:09 Attendance: Game: NEB33