Early Lead Not Enough in Loss to No. 24 Pittsburgh

Nebraska  2 6 Pitt
Box Score

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Knight (4-0)	7.0	6	2	2	0	2
L - McLeod (0-2)	1.1	6	5	4	1	1
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	HBP	2B
Austen Urness	2	0	1	2	1	0
MJ Knighten	4	1	2	0	0	1

Game Notes

The game marked Nebraska's fifth straight  vs. a ranked opponent...Pittsburgh scored in the top of the first inning, marking the fourth time in six games the opponent has scored in the first inning...it also marked the fifth time this season the opponent has scored first...MJ Knighten went 2-for-3 in the game to mark her first multi-hit game of the season...Austen Urness had a pair of RBIs to become the first Husker to post a multi-RBI game in 2017.

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Nebraska softball team was unable to hold an early lead against 24th-ranked Pittsburgh on Saturday, as the Panthers used a four-run second inning to post a 6-2 victory at JoAnne Graf Field.

The Huskers (0-6) lost to a ranked opponent for the fifth straight game, including back-to-back losses to Pitt. Nebraska's streak of consecutive games against top-25 competition continues later Saturday afternoon when the Huskers take on No. 3 Florida State.

Nebraska led Pitt 2-1 after one inning of play but could not hold the lead. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on three consecutive singles. Giorgiana Zeremenko delivered a one-out RBI single to open the scoring but on the play, junior center fielder Gina Metzler threw out McKayla Taylor at home plate to prevent a second run.

The Huskers answered right back in the bottom of the frame. Metzler began the inning with a single before senior MJ Knighten doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Junior Austen Urness then grounded a 3-1 pitch over the third baseman's head for a two-run single that gave Nebraska a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Alyvia Simmons followed with NU's fourth straight hit, but the Huskers were unable to add to their lead despite runners on first and second with none out.

Pittsburgh came back with two runs in the top of the second on a walk and a pair of doubles to take a 3-2 lead. With a runner on second and one out, Hannah Edwards hit a ground ball to freshman Rindy Bryant at shortstop. Bryant fielded cleanly and threw to first, but the Huskers were late to cover the base leading to an errant throw that allowed Alexis Solak to score the third run of the inning. Taylor then delivered the Panthers' third double of the inning, an RBI shot to left field that gave the Panthers a 5-2 lead.

Pitt was held scoreless over the next three innings before the Panthers tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth. A leadoff double and a one-out RBI single gave Pittsburgh a 6-2 lead, before Nebraska turned an inning-ending double play.

Nebraska then had runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the frame after Simmons drew a leadoff walk and freshman Haley Donaldson reached on a one-out single. But the Huskers were unable to cut into the lead, stranding runners at second and third.

NU was then retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, sending the Huskers to their sixth straight loss. Brittany Knight, the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Week, improved to 4-0 on the season with the win for the undefeated Panthers (7-0).

Freshman left-hander Sydney McLeod earned the start for Nebraska, which utilized three pitchers in the game. McLeod (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits in 1.1 innings. Junior right-hander Caitlin Bartsch relieved McLeod and tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Classmate Kaylan Jablonski entered the game to start the fourth inning and pitched well, allowing one run on only four hits over the final 4.0 innings.

Offensively, Knighten went 2-for-4 and scored a run, producing her first game with multiple hits this season. Urness reached base safely in two of her three plate appearances and drove in a pair of runs, becoming the first Husker to drive in more than one run in a game this season.

Box Score 2017 Nebraska Softball #24 Pitt vs Nebraska Feb 18, 2017 at Tallahassee, Fla. (JoAnne Graf Field)

Pitt 6 (7-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Hannah Edwards lf........ 4 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 Erin Hershman cf......... 4 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 McKayla Taylor ss........ 4 0 3 1 0 1 1 1 0 Giorgiana Zeremenko c.... 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 1 Valerie Ortega pr....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Kaitlin Manuel 1b........ 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 1 2 Alexee Haynes dp......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 Taylor Myers pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Olivia Gray 3b........... 3 2 3 0 0 0 3 1 0 Connor McGaffic rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Alexis Solak 2b.......... 3 1 2 3 0 0 1 1 2 Brittany Knight p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Sarah Dawson p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 31 6 13 5 1 4 21 7 5

Nebraska 2 (0-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Gina Metzler cf.......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 MJ Knighten 3b........... 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 Austen Urness lf......... 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 Alyvia Simmons dp........ 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tristen Edwards rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Haley Donaldson 2b....... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 0 Rindy Bryant ss.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 Bri Cassidy c............ 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 Lexey Kneib ph.......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Laura Barrow 1b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 Sydney McLeod p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Caitlin Bartsch p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kaylan Jablonski p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 27 2 6 2 0 3 21 6 6

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Pitt................ 140 001 0 - 6 13 0 Nebraska............ 200 000 0 - 2 6 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Urness(1); Bryant(3). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Panthers 5; Huskers 6. 2B - M. Taylor 2(4); O. Gray 2(6); A. Solak(2); Knighten(1). HBP - Urness; Simmons. SB - E. Hershman(4).

Pitt IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Brittany Knight..... 6.0 6 2 2 0 2 24 26 76 Sarah Dawson........ 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 12

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Sydney McLeod....... 1.1 6 5 4 1 1 9 10 36 Caitlin Bartsch..... 1.2 3 0 0 0 1 8 8 35 Kaylan Jablonski.... 4.0 4 1 1 0 2 14 14 42

Win - B. Knight (4-0). Loss - McLeod (0-2). Save - None. WP - B. Knight(2). HBP - by B. Knight (Urness); by B. Knight (Simmons). Pitches/strikes: B. Knight 76/43; S. Dawson 12/9; McLeod 36/23; Bartsch 35/21; Jablonski 42/31. Umpires - HP: Rickie Sexton 1B: Steve Gould 3B: Matthew Dunbar Start: 10:07 am Time: 1:53 Attendance: Game: livegame