Huskers Take Series Opener from Northwestern, 4-3

Nebraska  4 3 Northwestern
Box Score

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Jablonski (11-14)	7.0	5	3	0	1	7
L - Winegarner (6-6)	4.2	5	4	4	3	4
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
MJ Knighten	1	1	1	3	0	1
Alyvia Simmons	3	0	1	1	0	0

Game Notes
Nebraska has won eight of its last nine games vs. Northwestern...Kaylan Jablonski did not allow an earned run in a complete game for the first time this season...MJ Knighten reached base safely in all three of her plate appearances to stretch her streak to 15 consecutive games reaching base safely...Knighten tied her season high with three RBIs.

Lincoln - Behind big performances from MJ Knighten and Kaylan Jablonski, the Nebraska softball team defeated Northwestern, 4-3 on a wet and chilly Friday night at Bowlin Stadium.

Knighten had a two-run homer to open the scoring in the bottom of the third inning then produced what turned out to be the game-winning RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded one inning later. She drove in three of the Huskers' four runs while finishing 1-for-1 with a home run, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Knighten's bat backed another strong performance in the circle from Jablonski, who earned a complete-game victory to improve to 11-14 season. Jablonski fired a five-hitter and struck out seven batters, one shy of her season high. She did not allow an earned run, as all three of Northwestern's runs were unearned.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 22-25 on the season and remained in fifth place in the Big Ten Conference standings with an 11-7 record in league play. Northwestern dropped to 20-25 on the season and 6-10 in conference action. Kaley Winegarner (6-6) took the loss for the Wildcats, allowing four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings.

Northwestern threatened to take an early lead in the top of the first, as a walk and an infield single gave the Wildcats runners on first and second with one out. But Jablonski escaped the jam with a pair of strikeouts.

Nebraska sent the minimum nine batters to the plate in the first three innings before scoring twice in the bottom of the fourth. Freshman Tristen Edwards reached on a one-out single before Knighten sent the next pitch over the fence in left for a two-run homer.

The Huskers added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Taylor Otte began the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from classmate Laura Barrow. Freshman Alexis Perry then walked before a fly out left Huskers at first and second with two outs. Sophomore Alyvia Simmons made it 3-0 with an RBI single that scored Otte. Edwards followed with another walk to load the bases before Morgan Newport entered the game in relief and plunked Knighten to force in junior pinch runner Gina Metzler and stretch the lead to 4-0.

Northwestern cracked the scoreboard for the first time in the top of the sixth with the help of two Nebraska errors. A leadoff error gave the Wildcats a runner at second before Marissa Panko produced a one-out RBI single. A second error extended the inning, allowing Morgan Nelson to hit a controversial ground-rule double that scored not only the runner from second base but the runner from first. Northwestern trailed 4-3 before a fly out to right for the final out.

The Wildcats then got a two-out infield single from Sabrina Rabin in the bottom of the seventh before a ground out to Knighten sealed the victory.

Nebraska and Northwestern are scheduled to play game two of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. Due to the threat of inclement weather, fans are encourage to check Huskers.com to check for any potential game time changes.

Box Score 2017 Nebraska Softball Northwestern at Nebraska Apr 28, 2017 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Northwestern 3 (20-25,6-10 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Sabrina Rabin cf......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Krista Williams lf....... 3 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 Marissa Panko ss......... 3 0 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Anna Petersen rf/dp...... 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Sammy Nettling c......... 3 1 0 0 0 1 5 1 2 Morgan Nelson 2b......... 3 0 1 1 0 1 2 2 0 Kenzie Ellis dp.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Abbey Boyd pr/rf........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brooke Marquez 3b........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Alcy Bush 1b............. 3 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 1 Kaley Winegarner p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Morgan Newport p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 28 3 5 2 1 7 18 9 5

Nebraska 4 (22-25,11-7 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Alyvia Simmons cf........ 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 Tristen Edwards rf....... 2 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 MJ Knighten 3b........... 1 1 1 3 1 0 1 3 0 Kaylan Jablonski p....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 Austen Urness dp......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bree Boruff pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Otte lf........... 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Laura Barrow 2b.......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Alexis Perry 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 9 0 1 Gina Metzler pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bri Cassidy c............ 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 Cassie McClure ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rachel Arthur ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 20 4 5 4 3 5 21 7 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Northwestern........ 000 003 0 - 3 5 0 Nebraska............ 000 220 X - 4 5 2 -----------------------------------------

E - Knighten(7); Arthur(10). DP - Wildcats 1. LOB - Wildcats 5; Huskers 4. 2B - M Nelson(6). HR - Knighten(6). HBP - Knighten; Urness. SH - Barrow(6). CS - Knighten(5).

Northwestern IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kaley Winegarner.... 4.2 5 4 4 3 4 16 20 106 Morgan Newport...... 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 4 6 21

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kaylan Jablonski.... 7.0 5 3 0 1 7 28 29 118

Win - Jablonski (11-14). Loss - Winegarner (6-6). Save - None. HBP - by M Newport (Knighten); by M Newport (Urness). Pitches/strikes: Winegarner 106/62; M Newport 21/15; Jablonski 118/72. Umpires - HP: Chad Spitler 1B: Joe Havenhill 3B: Royce Eller Start: 7:02 pm Time: 2:20 Attendance: 385 Game: NEB47