Back-to-Back Homers Power Husker Comeback

Nebraska  7 4 Wisconsin
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8		R	H	E
Nebraska	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	3		7	11	0
Wisconsin	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0		4	7	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Jablonski (4-10)	7.0	6	3	3	4	3
L - Menz (14-3)	8.0	11	7	7	2	1
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Kaylan Jablonski	3	1	3	2	1	1
Tristen Edwards	3	2	2	4	0	1

Game Notes

Nebraska played its second extra-inning game of the season and improved to 2-0 in extra-inning games...NU improved to 2-14 vs. ranked opponents with the win...Nebraska improved to 1-7 in road games this season, and the Huskers snapped a 12-game road games and 15-game road losing streak to ranked opponents...MJ Knighten doubled in the fourth inning, as she became the sevventh Husker to record 30 career doubles and 30 career home runs...Alyvia Simmons had two hits, producing her seventh multi-hit effort in her last nine games...Tristen Edwards and Kaylan Jablonski's back-to-back home runs were Nebraska's first back-to-back homers of the season.

Madison, Wis. - Back-to-back home runs from Tristen Edwards and Kaylan Jablonski capped the Nebraska softball team's 7-4 come-from-behind eight-inning win over No. 22 Wisconsin Friday afternoon at Goodman Diamond.

Nebraska fought back from a 2-0 and 4-3 deficit to send the game to extra innings. Then with two outs in the eighth, senior MJ Knighten walked before Edwards and Jablonski hit their back-to-back homers. The back-to-back homers came against Wisconsin ace Kaitlyn Menz (14-3), who had allowed only two home runs in her first 111.1 innings this season.

In addition to hitting her second home run of the season, Jablonski also earned the win in relief of senior Cassie McClure, who pitched only 1.0 inning before suffering an injury. Jablonski allowed three runs on six hits in 7.0 innings to improve to 4-10 on the season. She allowed only one hit over her final 4.2 innings.

Jablonski also paced Nebraska's offensive effort with a 3-for-3 day that included a double, a homer and two RBIs. Edwards finished 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs, while Knighten was 2-for-3 with an RBI and sophomore Alyvia Simmons finished 2-for-4. Simmons, Knighten, Edwards and Jablonski combined to go 9-for-14 with three doubles, two homers, six runs and seven RBIs batting out of the first four spots in the Husker lineup.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 9-20 on the season and moved to 1-3 in Big Ten Conference. Wisconsin fell to 23-4 with the loss, and the Badgers fell to 2-2 in Big Ten play.

Wisconsin used a leadoff walk and an RBI double to take a 1-0 lead two batters into the bottom of the first inning. The Badgers had a chance for more before leaving the bases loaded.

UW left the bases loaded again in the second inning before scoring once in the bottom of the third. The Badgers began the third with a double before a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third and a successful squeeze bunt gave Wisconsin a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Simmons singled before Knighten doubled. Edwards then grounded a two-run single up the middle that tied the game at 2-2. Jablonski followed with a double to left field that scored Edwards and gave the Huskers a 3-2 lead. Jablonski moved to third with one out and tried to score on a pitch that got away from catcher Chloe Miller, but Miller made a nice play to quickly retrieve the ball and apply a diving tag on Jablonski just before she slid into home plate.

After saving a run with a nice defensive play, Miller then hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead for Wisconsin at 4-3.

Nebraska answered back to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Sophomore Bri Cassidy drew a leadoff walk and junior Taylor Otte came on to pinch run. Junior Laura Barrow then put down a sacrifice bunt, and Otte not only made it to second but went all the way to third base on the play. Otte then scored the game-tying run on a two-out, RBI single from Knighten.

In the bottom of the sixth, a pair of walks put Badgers on first and second with one out before Jablonski kept the game tied by coaxing a ground out.

Nebraska got a one-out single in the top of the seventh before hitting into its third double play of the game. In the bottom of the seventh, the first two batters reached before Jablonski retired the next three hitters.

Nebraska and Wisconsin continue their series with game two on Saturday at Noon.

Box Score 2017 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #22 Wisconsin Mar 31, 2017 at Madison, Wis. (Goodman Diamond)

Nebraska 7 (9-20,1-3 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Alyvia Simmons cf........ 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 MJ Knighten 3b........... 3 2 2 1 1 0 2 3 0 Tristen Edwards rf....... 4 2 2 4 0 0 2 0 0 Cassie McClure p......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kaylan Jablonski p...... 3 1 3 2 0 0 0 4 0 Austen Urness dp......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alexis Perry 1b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 Gina Metzler lf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 Bri Cassidy c............ 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 Taylor Otte pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Laura Barrow 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 2 0 Rachel Arthur ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 Totals................... 29 7 11 7 2 1 24 13 1

Wisconsin 4 (23-4,2-2 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Kelsey Jenkins 2b........ 3 2 1 0 2 1 5 3 0 Chloe Miller c........... 4 1 3 3 1 0 2 1 0 Brooke Wyderski ss....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 Sara Novak 3b............ 3 0 1 0 1 0 2 2 3 Gabby Scherle pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Stephanie Lombardo 1b.... 3 0 1 0 1 0 10 0 0 McKenna Heim pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jordan Little rf......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Melanie Cross dp......... 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 Heather Rudnicki pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kelly Welsh cf........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 Samantha Arents ph...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brianna Flugaur lf....... 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 Kaitlyn Menz p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 Totals................... 29 4 7 4 6 3 24 14 10

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------ Nebraska............ 000 310 03 - 7 11 0 Wisconsin........... 101 200 00 - 4 7 0 ------------------------------------------

DP - Huskers 1; Badgers 3. LOB - Huskers 1; Badgers 10. 2B - Simmons(5); Knighten(7); Jablonski(5); MILLER; LOMBARDO. HR - Edwards(4); Jablonski(2); MILLER. HBP - LITTLE. SH - Barrow(3); LITTLE; CROSS. CS - Knighten(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Cassie McClure...... 1.0 1 1 1 2 0 4 7 33 Kaylan Jablonski.... 7.0 6 3 3 4 3 25 31 117

Wisconsin IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kaitlyn Menz........ 8.0 11 7 7 2 1 29 32 112

Win - Jablonski (4-10). Loss - MENZ (14-3). Save - None. HBP - by McClure (LITTLE). Pitches/strikes: McClure 33/17; Jablonski 117/63; MENZ 112/69. Umpires - HP: Tracy Hart 1B: Ron Burkhardt 3B: Larry Nagel Start: 4:05 pm Time: 2:09 Attendance: 362 Game: livegame