Porter's Blast Powers Huskers Past Bulldogs

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Columbus, <?xml:namespace prefix="u1"?>Ga. ? Sophomore right-hander Molly Hill picked up her first win of the season and senior Devin Porter hit her first home run of the year to lift the 21st-ranked Nebraska softball team to the bronze bracket championship with a 2-1 victory over No. 18 Georgia in the final game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Hill (1-3) had her best outing of the year, tossing a complete-game three-hitter and not allowing an earned run. She also added six strikeouts and was able to work around four walks, including three leadoff walks.

 

Hill’s work in the circle set the stage for Porter, who launched a towering solo home run to left field with one out in the seventh inning to power the Huskers to their third victory over a top-25 opponent this season.

 

“I thought Molly was very courageous on the mound,” head coach Rhonda Revelle said. “She had to work out of a few jams and the defense came up big for her in the sixth. We faced a good Georgia team and we had a clutch, key RBI from Meghan Mullin and then in the seventh, Devin came up and got the job done.”

 

Christie Hamilton (1-3) took the loss in relief for Georgia (11-6), allowing two runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. Hamilton did a good job of confusing the Husker hitters, as she struck out eight, including six looking.

 

Nebraska (7-5) was crowned champion of the bronze bracket after the game between Florida and Auburn on the other side of the bracket was canceled. The Huskers finished the tournament with a 3-2 record, winning three straight after dropping their first two contests.

 

The Huskers had countless opportunities to win each game, as Nebraska was able to overcome leaving 53 runners on base in only five games.

 

Nebraska left runners on base early against 18th-ranked Georgia. NU loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second on a pair of singles and a walk. Hamilton then entered the game to pitch for the Bulldogs and struck out the next three Husker hitters to squash the threat.

 

The Huskers loaded the bases again in the second with two outs before sophomore Haley Long struck out for the first time in 33 at bats this season to end the inning.

 

Nebraska was able to capitalize on a two-out rally in the fourth. Freshman Whitney Barrett drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch before sophomore Meghan Mullin brought her home with a single to left field.

 

A leadoff walk and a dropped pop up cost the Huskers in the bottom of the inning, as Georgia scored an unearned run to tie the game at 1-1. With a runner at second, Barrett dropped a pop up and the next batter hit a grounder to short that would have been the third out, but instead brought the tying run home. On the play, Nebraska attempted to get the runner going to third, but the throw was late and a hit batter loaded the bases with only one out before Hill responded by getting a pair of ground outs to keep the game tied.

 

After the defense let Hill down in the fourth, it came up big in the sixth. With runners at first and second, Victoria Sanders singled up the middle but freshman Crystal Gonzalez charged the ball hard for the Huskers and made a strong throw to home to nail pinch runner Courtni Joyner. NU then tried to catch a runner off first base, before throwing to third to get Kacey Coonce on a wild inning-ending double play.

 

NU pounded out eight hits as a team, out-hitting Georgia, 8-3. Sophomore Crystal Carwile and Haley Long each finished 2-for-4 as the top six hitters in the order went 8-for-21 with a pair of walks and two RBIs.

 

“We’re coming back a better team than when we got here,” Revelle said. “After a very rough opening day our team really came together and just fought the rest of the weekend. If the opponent threw a punch, we threw a counter punch. That became the theme of the weekend ? keep fighting. When we’re all fighting together, good things can and do happen.”

 

Nebraska hits the road again next weekend for five games in three days at the UNLV Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev.

Box Score The Automated ScoreBook #21 Nebraska vs #18 Georgia Feb 25, 2007 at Columbus, Ga. (South Commons)

Nebraska 2 (7-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan rf........ 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Porter, Devin ss......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 0 2 0 0 0 8 2 0 Pascale, Brittany c...... 2 0 1 0 2 0 7 1 0 Long, Haley lf........... 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 Hupp, Alex dp............ 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 0 Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 3 Fuller, Kimberly 2b..... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 2 8 2 3 8 21 13 10

Georgia 1 (11-6)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Kellie Middleton cf...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Charvi Greer rf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Chelsea Cantillo 3b...... 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Jessica Gardner 3b...... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Kristin Schnake pr/3b... 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 Melissa Wood c........... 2 0 0 0 0 1 8 0 2 Christie Hamilton 1b/p... 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 Courtni Joyner pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alison Horne ss.......... 3 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 Kacey Coonce dp/1b....... 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 Victoria Sanders lf...... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Sojourner Moody 2b/1b.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Megan McAllister ph/1b.. 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 3 Kasi Carroll p/dp........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 22 1 3 1 4 6 21 4 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 100 1 - 2 8 1 Georgia............. 000 100 0 - 1 3 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Barrett(4). DP - Cornhuskers 1. LOB - Cornhuskers 10; Bulldogs 8. HR - Porter(1). HBP - Porter; Middleton; Coonce. SH - Greer(1); Wood(1). SB - Middleton(16); Greer(7).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 3 1 0 4 6 22 30 131

Georgia IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kasi Carroll........ 1.0 2 0 0 1 0 5 6 17 Christie Hamilton... 6.0 6 2 2 2 8 24 27 119

Win - Hill (1-3). Loss - Hamilton (1-3). Save - None. WP - Hamilton 2(3). HBP - by Hamilton (Porter); by Hill (Coonce); by Hill (Middleton). Pitches/strikes: Hill 131/78; Carroll 17/10; Hamilton 119/77. Umpires - HP: Susie Benzel 1B: Linda Hoover 3B: Brenda Terpstra Start: 11:28 am Time: 2:31 Attendance: Carroll faced 3 batters in the 2nd. Game: NU12