Huskers Claw Past 24th-Ranked Tigers

Honolulu, Hawaii ? Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr was in midseason form, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and sophomore Meghan Mullin produced the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth inning as the 15th-ranked Nebraska softball team topped No. 24 Auburn, 1-0, on Thursday.

 

DeBuhr (1-0) tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out seven Tigers to lead Nebraska (1-0) to its first victory in a season opener since 2003.

 

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was not surprised in DeBuhr's performance.

 

"She beat a very good team right from the start and there were points in the game where I thought she carried us on her shoulders," Revelle said. "I though that was vintage Ashley - she was very much a warrior out on the mound."

 

After the game was scoreless through seven innings, the international tie breaker was in effect in the eighth inning. Husker freshman Crystal Gonzalez was placed on second base and moved to third on a ground out. With two outs, Mullin stepped to the plate and put a perfectly-placed slap down the third base line. Auburn's only chance was to get the speedy Gonzalez at home, but she beat the throw to lift the Huskers to victory.

 

The run was the first of Gonzalez's career, while the game-winning RBI was the first of Mullin's career. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Mullin finished 2-for-4 in the game to also mark the first multi-hit game of her career.

 

Leading 1-0, a great defensive play put the Huskers in prime position to win the game in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Jamie Waldecker made a terrific diving grab of a fouled bunt and threw to senior Devin Porter at second to record a double-play that erased the Tigers' baserunner and put Nebraska one out away from victory.

 

On the very next pitch, DeBuhr got Lauren Walton to ground out to Porter to end the game.

 

The late-inning dramatics didn't appear necessary early as the Huskers routinely threatened to score and DeBuhr was in a groove. NU had at least one baserunner in each of the first five innings, including a pair of runners who reached second and one runner who was left stranded on third.

 

In the top of the first, Porter and Mullin led off with back-to-back singles, but they were stranded at first and second after a pair of strikeouts and a pop out.

 

Gonzalez then singled in her first at bat and recorded her first stolen base to give the Huskers another runner in scoring position in the second inning.

 

NU got its leadoff runner on base in the fourth inning when sophomore Brittany Pascale led off with a single, but freshman pinch runner Whitney Barrett was called out at first for leaving early.

 

Perhaps the Huskers’ best chance to score in regulation came in the fifth when freshman Alex Hupp drew a one-out walk and advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch and passed ball. Hupp was stranded at third, however, after Porter struck out and Mullin grounded out.

 

While Nebraska had scoring chances in nearly every inning, Auburn’s first real chance came in the bottom of the fifth when back-to-back two-out walks put runners on first and second before DeBuhr coaxed a ground out to end the threat and keep her no-hitter in tact.

 

The Huskers were retired in order for the first time in the top of the sixth, and <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Auburn responded with its first hit in the bottom of the inning. Taryn Gray hit a sinking liner into center field that Gonzalez was able to dive and get a glove on, but she could not make the spectacular play.

 

After ending DeBuhr's no-hit bid at 5.1 innings, Gray moved up to second with two outs following a sacrifice bunt, before DeBuhr got Sara Ghezzi ? the Tigers’ No. 3 hitter ? to foul out to end the inning.

 

After Nebraska was retired in order again in the seventh, Auburn got its leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the frame when Holly Currie reached on a throwing error. The Tigers got just their second hit of the game to put runners at first and second with only one out when Lindsey Harrelson put down a hard bunt to an empty hole at second base, but DeBuhr was able to work out of the jam to force extra innings. 

 

Despite the offensive struggles and close score, Revelle was pleased with the Huskers' season-opening performance.

 

"For being outside for only the second day, I expected the pitching to be a little ahead of the hitting," Revelle said. "That typically happens on the first day. Our team hung in there and we played great defense. It was a battle and as I told our team, in these kind of games it's often the team that's more courageous who wins."

 

Anna Thompson (0-1) took the loss for Auburn (0-2), despite allowing just one unearned run in a complete-game effort.

 

Nebraska is scheduled to return to action at approximately 11:30 p.m. (Central) against host Hawaii in the final game of day one of the Paradise Classic.

The Automated ScoreBook #24 Nebraska vs #15 Auburn Feb 08, 2007 at Honolulu, Hawaii (Rainbow Wahine Stad.)

Nebraska 1 (1-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Porter, Devin ss......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 3 0 Mullin, Meghan rf........ 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 Waldecker, Jamie c....... 3 0 0 0 1 1 8 2 1 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 1 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 DeBuhr, Ashley p......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 4 0 Gonzalez, Crystal cf..... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hupp, Alex lf............ 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 Barrett, Whitney 2b/pr... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Totals................... 28 1 5 1 2 11 24 9 6

Auburn 0 (0-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Taryn Gray lf............ 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Lauren Walton cf......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 Sara Ghezzi rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Holly Currie 1b.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 Brittany Scott pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tatiana Fernandez dp..... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 Lindsey Harrelson 2b..... 2 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 Jorja Bell c............. 2 0 0 0 1 0 12 0 0 Krista Klein 3b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 Myesha Finney pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ashley Arcuri ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Anna Thompson p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 24 0 2 0 3 7 24 3 5

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------ Nebraska............ 000 000 01 - 1 5 1 Auburn.............. 000 000 00 - 0 2 0 ------------------------------------------

E - Kier(1). DP - Cornhuskers 1. LOB - Cornhuskers 6; Tigers 5. SH - L. Walton(1). SB - Mullin(1); Gonzalez(1). CS - B. Scott(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DeBuhr, Ashley...... 8.0 2 0 0 3 7 24 28 111

Auburn IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Anna Thompson....... 8.0 5 1 0 2 11 28 30 137

Win - DeBuhr (1-0). Loss - A. Thompson (0-1). Save - None. WP - DeBuhr(1); A. Thompson(1). PB - J. Bell(1). Pitches/strikes: DeBuhr 111/75; A. Thompson 137/94. Umpires - HP: Kevin Davis 1B: Cliff Yaguchi 3B: John Park Start: 7:00 pm Time: 2:20 Attendance: 300 Game: NU1