Big Hit Eludes Nebraska in 14-Inning Loss

NEBRASKA  4 6 wisconsin
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	EX	R	H	E
Wisconsin	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	6	11	3
Nebraska	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	4	13	2

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Stewart (17-12)	10.0	9	1	0	5	4
L - Lockman (8-4)	7.1	5	2	2	3	5
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Cassie McClure	3	0	1	2	0	0
Mattie Fowler	6	0	2	1	0	0

Game Notes

Nebraska fell to 2-3 in extra-inning games this season...the 14-inning game marked the longest game in Bowlin Stadium history...the game was Nebraska's longest overall since a 15-inning loss to Florida in the 2013 Women's College World Series...NU stranded a season-high 17 runners...Nebraska pitchers struck out a season-high 12 batters...Gina Metzler stole the first base of her career in the sixth inning...Emily Lockman threw a season-high 7.1 innings, all in relief.

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team stranded 10 runners in extra innings and 17 in the game, as the Huskers could not come up with a clutch hit in a 6-4, 14-inning loss in game one of Saturday's doubleheader with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin scored twice in the top of the seventh to force extra innings, despite not recording a hit in the inning. Neither team scored again until the Badgers plated two runs in the top of the 14th inning. Nebraska had runners at first and third with no outs in the bottom of the 14th but could not score, continuing a frustrating theme of missed opportunities in extra innings.

Nebraska stranded one runner in scoring position in both the ninth and 11th innings before loading the bases with one out in the 12th inning and failing to score. The 17 total base runners the Huskers stranded were a season high.

With a loss in the longest game in Bowlin Stadium history, Nebraska fell to 31-18 on the season and 12-9 in Big Ten Conference play. Wisconsin improved to 28-22-1 overall and 11-10-1 in league play.

Taylor-Paige Stewart (17-12) earned the win, throwing 10.0 innings of relief and allowing only one unearned run, despite walking five and giving up nine hits. Senior Emily Lockman (8-4) took the loss for Nebraska, allowing two runs in 7.1 innings of relief. Junior Cassie McClure earned the start and allowed four runs (three earned) in 6.2 innings.

Wisconsin jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run single from Sara Novak.

Nebraska got a run back in the bottom of the frame. Senior Kiki Stokes and junior MJ Knighten drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Both runners moved up a base on a ground out from senior Alicia Armstrong, and Stokes scored the Huskers' first run on a successful squeeze bunt from senior Mattie Fowler.

The Huskers had only one hit through the first three innings before Fowler and senior Dawna Tyson reached on consecutive one-out infield singles in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out error extended the inning and loaded the bases for McClure, who came through with a two-run single that scored junior pinch runners Lotte Sjulin and Rachel Arthur.

Leading 3-2, Nebraska had a chance to add an insurance run or two in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Laura Barrow and Stokes both walked to begin the inning. But the next three Huskers were retired to end the inning and keep the score at 3-2.

The Huskers then used good base running and a Wisconsin error to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Tyson led off with a single and was replaced by sophomore pinch runner Gina Metzler, who stole second with two outs. McClure then hit a ground ball back to the circle that Taylor-Paige Stewart bobbled and then threw wildly to first base, allowing McClure to reach and Metzler to score from second to give Nebraska a 4-2 lead.

The insurance run was needed when Wisconsin scored twice with two outs to tie the game. The Badgers did not produce a hit, using three consecutive two-out walks to load the bases. Novak was then hit by a pitch to force in a run before a Husker error allowed the tying run to score. 

Nebraska got a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the seventh and had runners at second and third with two outs but could not plate the winning run.

After stranding four more runners in the first four extra frames, the Huskers had a golden chance to end the game in the bottom of the 12th. Sophomore Kaylan Jablonski reached on a one-out single before classmate Austen Urness walked and freshman Alyvia Simmons reached on an infield single to load the bases with one out. Sophomore Madi Unzicker was then ahead in the count 3-1 before eventually flying out to shallow left. Barrow then flew out to the warning track in center to end the inning. 

Stokes then led off the bottom of the 13th with a single and was at second base with one out, but was left stranded there.

Wisconsin then had runners at first and second with one out in the top of the 14th when the Huskers tried to turn an inning-ending double play. Nebraska got the first out at second but the throw to first was low and got away from Fowler, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Samantha Arents then gave Wisconsin a 6-4 lead with a two-out RBI double.

Nebraska had runners at first and third with no outs in the bottom of the 14th but once again was unable to score as a fly out, a pop out and another fly out ended the game.

The Huskers look to close out the regular season with a win in game two of the doubleheader.

 

Box Score

 

2016 Nebraska Softball Wisconsin at Nebraska (Game 1) May 07, 2016 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Wisconsin 6 (28-22-1,11-10-1 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Ashley Van Zeeland ss.... 6 2 3 0 1 1 4 6 0 Kelsey Jenkins 3b........ 4 2 0 0 3 2 5 2 2 Chloe Miller rf.......... 4 1 2 0 2 0 4 0 0 Brianna Flugaur pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sara Novak 1b............ 5 0 1 3 1 3 10 1 3 Taylor Berry pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kelly Welsh cf........... 6 1 1 0 0 2 5 0 0 Samantha Arents dp....... 6 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 Gabby Scherle pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Melanie Cross c.......... 7 0 2 0 0 0 6 0 3 Katie Christner lf....... 6 0 0 0 0 3 6 1 1 Macy Oswald 2b........... 6 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 0 Kirsten Stevens p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor-Paige Stewart p.. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 50 6 11 4 8 12 42 13 13

Nebraska 4 (31-18,12-9 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 5 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 6 0 1 0 1 0 5 8 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 6 0 1 0 1 0 3 3 1 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 6 0 2 1 0 1 14 0 5 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Arthur, Rachel pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Metzler, Gina pr/lf..... 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Jablonski, Kaylan ph/dp. 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 Urness, Austen lf/dp..... 6 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 Simmons, Alyvia rf....... 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Otte, Taylor rf/lf...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 McClure, Cassie p........ 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Kadavy, Taylor pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Unzicker, Madi c........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 5 0 1 0 2 1 4 2 6 Cassidy, Bri c........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 0 Lockman, Emily p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 55 4 13 3 7 6 42 19 17

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------------------- Wisconsin........... 200 000 200 000 02 - 6 11 3 Nebraska............ 100 201 000 000 00 - 4 13 2 --------------------------------------------------

E - VAN ZEELAND(12); JENKINS(18); STEWART(2); Armstrong(11); Barrow(11). DP - Badgers 1; Huskers 1. LOB - Badgers 13; Huskers 17. 2B - MILLER(10); ARENTS(13); CROSS(9); Knighten(8). HBP - NOVAK. SH - MILLER(6); WELSH(7); Fowler(6). SB - VAN ZEELAND(14); Stokes 2(19); Metzler(1). CS - VAN ZEELAND(2); OSWALD(1).

Wisconsin IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kirsten Stevens..... 4.0 4 3 1 2 2 14 17 70 Taylor-Paige Stewart 10.0 9 1 0 5 4 41 46 159

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- McClure, Cassie..... 6.2 6 4 3 5 7 22 29 141 Lockman, Emily...... 7.1 5 2 2 3 5 28 32 108

Win - STEWART (17-12). Loss - Lockman (8-4). Save - None. WP - STEWART(5). HBP - by Lockman (NOVAK). Pitches/strikes: STEVENS 70/40; STEWART 159/94; McClure 141/83; Lockman 108/60. Umpires - HP: John Baca 1B: Richard Cowan 3B: Joe Havenhill Start: 1:08 pm Time: 4:44 Attendance: Game: NEB49