James Stars in Win Over No. 10 Michigan

Las Vegas ? Senior pitcher Peaches James went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases to lead the No. 8 Nebraska softball team to a 5-4 win over No. 10 Michigan Saturday afternoon at the 2004 UNLV Classic. James was also the winning pitcher, giving up two runs on eight hits while striking out six in 6.2 innings of work.

Junior second baseman Anne Steffan and junior first baseman Sheena Lawrick joined James with multiple-hit games. Steffan was 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while Lawrick also went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Nicole Motycka took the loss for Michigan (2-0), allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work. Lorilyn Wilson finished the game for the Wolverines and held NU scoreless on one hit in the final 1.2 innings.

Nebraska, which improved to 2-1 overall on the season, continues tournament action tonight when it faces Notre Dame (1-1) at 6 p.m. The Huskers fell to No. 1 UCLA Friday afternoon, 10-1, but defeated No. 12 DePaul Friday night, 10-2.

"It wasn't a pretty win, but Michigan is a great team, and we'll take an ugly win over a great team any day," NU Coach Rhonda Revelle said. "We hung in there on defense, and we were able to pull it out in the end."

Against Michigan, the Huskers led, 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Wolverines made things interesting. NU right-hander Summer Tobias entered to pitch in the top of the seventh and Jessica Merchant smashed her second home run of the day, a two-run bomb over the left field fence, to bring to bring Michigan within a run. After Tobias walked two, James re-entered. She got Grace Leutele to foul out, and struck out Michelle Teschler, but Teschler advanced to first the passed ball on the third strike. With the bases loaded, Courtney Betley popped up to the shortstop.

"Peaches did what a champion does, and that is rise to the occasion," Revelle said. "She thought she was done for the day, but we asked her to come back in a tough situation, and that's what she did."

In the first inning, the Huskers took an early lead. Steffan reached on a one-out infield single, stole second, and then scored when Lawrick ripped a single up the middle for the 1-0 lead. However, Michigan evened the score in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, the Wolverines’ Jessica Merchant knocked a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence.

Nebraska regained control with a two-run third inning. After Nicole Trimboli reached on an error, Steffan once again got things going when she beat out the throw to first for an infield single. Lawrick then smacked an RBI double to center, scoring Trimboli. James followed with a single up the middle to plate Trimboli for the 3-1 lead.

NU widened the gap in the top of the sixth. After James and Tannahill produced back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Junior designated player Katie Linke followed with her first hit of the season, a bloop single to right field that scored James to make it 4-1, Nebraska. Wilson then walked pinch runner Jocelyn Evans to load the bases for Trimboli. After Tannahill scored on a wild pitch, Trimboli popped up to end the inning.

The Wolverines would score once more, closing NU’s advantage to 6-2 with an RBI single by Teschler in the bottom of the sixth. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, Tiffany Haas lined out to Trimboli in center.