Huskers Fall to Host Penn State, 8-7

NEBRASKA  7 8 penn st.
Box Score

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Laubach (12-12)	4.2	3	4	3	1	0
L - McClure (16-10)	2.1	2	4	4	2	1
S - Seifert (3)	2.1	2	3	3	2	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Kiki Stokes	4	2	2	3	0	1
Mattie Fowler	4	0	1	1	0	0

Game Notes

Nebraska fell to 4-4 all-time at the Big Ten Tournament...the Huskers now await their postseason fate when the 2016 NCAA Softball Tournament bracket is announced on Sunday at 9 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU...Kiki Stokes and Laura Barrow both had hits in the game, as each extended her hitting streak to nine games...Mattie Fowler had both a hit and an RBI for the sixth straight game...Fowler and Stokes both had three RBIs...Stokes scored two runs to tie Nebraska's all-time record with 199 career runs scored.

University Park, Pa. - The Nebraska softball team nearly came back from a pair of four-run deficits but the Huskers' rally ultimately came up short in an 8-7 loss to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State led 5-1 after four innings thanks to a five-run third. The Huskers first trimmed the lead to one at 5-4 with three runs in the top of the fifth, only to see the Nittany Lions answer with three two-out runs in the bottom of the frame. Three more runs pulled Nebraska to within 8-7 after six innings of play, but the Huskers could not complete their 19th come-from-behind win of the season.

With the loss, Nebraska fell to 33-19 on the season. The Huskers are still expected to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, when the bracket is announced on Sunday at 9 p.m. (Central) on ESPNU. Junior Cassie McClure (16-10) took the loss, allowing four runs on just two hits in 2.1 innings. Sophomore Kaylan Jablonski tossed 2.2 innings and gave up four runs, while senior Emily Lockman threw a scoreless sixth inning.

Marlaina Laubach (12-12) earned the complete-game victory for Penn State, while Madison Seifert notched her third save. With the win, the Nittany Lions improved to 30-23 on the season and advanced to Saturday's second semifinal against either top-seeded Michigan or No. 9 seed Indiana.

Nebraska jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Senior Kiki Stokes began the game with a single before an error put Huskers on first and second. Senior Alicia Armstrong moved both runners up a base with a ground out before an RBI ground out from classmate Mattie Fowler scored Stokes with the game's first run.

Penn State answered with a five-run third inning despite recording only two hits. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Penn State's cleanup hitter Alyssa VanDerveer, who hit a grand slam to put the Nittany Lions on top, 4-1. Then with two outs, Tori Dubois hit a solo home run to make it 5-1.

The Huskers answered back in the top of the fifth. Nebraska loaded the bases with two outs when sophomore Madi Unzicker was hit by a pitch, classmate Laura Barrow singled and junior MJ Knighten walked. Senior Alicia Armstrong was then hit by another pitch to force in a run before a two-run single from senior Mattie Fowler trimmed the Penn State lead to 5-4. Senior Dawna Tyson walked to load the bases with two outs but Nebraska had to settle for a three-run inning as Jablonski flew out to the warning track in left. 

Nebraska retired two of the first three batters in the bottom of the fifth, only to see Penn State respond with a clutch two-run double and an RBI single to answer all three Husker runs and take an 8-4 lead after five innings.

The Huskers came back with three more runs in the top of the sixth. Freshman Alyvia Simmons led off with a single before Unzicker was hit by a pitch for the second time. Then with one out, Stokes lined a three-run homer to right to cut the lead to one at 8-7. 

Lockman kept it a one-run game with a scoreless sixth inning, but Nebraska was retired in order in the top of the seventh.

Stokes paced Nebraska's offense with a 2-for-4 day that included a home run and three RBIs. Stokes also scored twice to tie Jennifer Lizama's school record for career runs scored (199). Fowler also added three RBIs for the Big Red.

 

Box Score

 

2016 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at Penn State May 13, 2016 at University Park, Pa. (Nittany Lion Park)

Nebraska 7 (33-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 4 2 2 3 0 0 2 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 4 0 1 3 0 0 13 0 1 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 McClure, Cassie p........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jablonski, Kaylan p..... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Otte, Taylor lf......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Urness, Austen ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Simmons, Alyvia rf....... 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Unzicker, Madi c......... 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 Metzler, Gina lf/pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lockman, Emily p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 7 5 7 3 0 18 13 6

Penn State 8 (30-23)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jones, Macy lf........... 3 1 2 0 1 0 4 0 0 Sorenson, Mollie 2b...... 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 Knief, Lexi cf........... 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 VanDerveer, Alyssa c..... 3 1 1 4 1 1 0 0 0 Tupinio, Maegan pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brackpool, Kristina 1b... 4 1 0 0 0 1 13 0 2 Miller, Shelby 3b........ 2 2 2 1 1 0 1 7 0 Dubois, Tori dp.......... 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Pond, Erin rf............ 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 Furuya, Reina ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Laubach, Marlaina p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Seifert, Madison p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 25 8 8 8 4 2 21 13 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 100 033 0 - 7 5 0 Penn State.......... 005 030 X - 8 8 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Miller. LOB - Huskers 6; Nittany Lion 6. 2B - Dubois. HR - Stokes(7); VanDerveer; Miller. HBP - Knighten; Armstrong; Unzicker 2; Sorenson; Dubois. SH - Sorenson. SB - Knighten(7).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- McClure, Cassie..... 2.1 2 4 4 2 1 9 13 50 Jablonski, Kaylan... 2.2 5 4 4 1 1 13 14 40 Lockman, Emily...... 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 3 5 16

Penn State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Laubach, Marlaina... 4.2 3 4 3 1 0 18 22 69 Seifert, Madison.... 2.1 2 3 3 2 0 9 12 45

Win - Laubach (12-12). Loss - McClure (16-10). Save - Seifert (3). WP - Lockman(9). HBP - by McClure (Dubois); by Laubach (Knighten); by McClure (Sorenson); by Laubach (Unzicker); by Laubach (Armstrong); by Seifert (Unzicker). Pitches/strikes: McClure 50/29; Jablonski 40/23; Lockman 16/7; Laubach 69/37; Seifert 45/24. Umpires - HP: Terry Holt 1B: Anthony Lewis 3B: Megan Rabin Start: 4:33 pm Time: 2:14 Attendance: Game: NEB52