Walk-Off Homer Lifts No. 4 OU to 10-9 Win

Norman, Okla. - Savannah Long hit a walk-off, two-run home run to cap Oklahoma's improbable four-run seventh inning that handed the Nebraska softball team its first loss in 107 games when leading after seven innings, as the fourth-ranked Sooners rallied from three runs down to post a 10-9 victory over the Huskers on Saturday.

In what had to be one of the wildest games in Head Coach Rhonda Revelle's 900 career games (Saturday marked her 900th game as a head coach), Nebraska scored a season-high nine runs but gave up 10 runs for the first time since the opening game of the 2004 season. Long's homer snapped the Huskers' seven-game win streak and kep NU winless in its last nine games against top-five foes.

Nebraska fell to 34-14 overall and 7-5 in the Big 12 Conference, while Oklahoma improved to 46-5 overall and 11-3 in the league.

Senior right-hander Ashley DeBuhr took a complete-game loss, allowing a career-high 10 earned runs on 11 hits in 6.2 innings. Working against a tight strike zone and a wind that was gusting out upwards of 25 miles per hour, DeBuhr gave up four home runs, including two to Long.

D.J. Mathis (12-3) earned the win in relief for OU, allowing a pair of runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of work. Starter Lauren Eckermann was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in 3.1 innings.

Oklahoma jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Amber Flores lined a 3-2 pitch deep over the wall in center for a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the first.

Nebraska responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. The Huskers loaded the bases with only one out after a leadoff double from sophomore Crystal Carwile, a hit batter and a walk. After the Sooners recorded the second out, senior Carmen Kier sent a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a two-out, two-run single.

In the top of the third, OU loaded the bases with two outs for Samantha Ricketts, the team leader in home runs and RBIs. Ricketts worked the count to 1-1 before sending a fly ball just over the right field wall for her fourth grand slam of the season that gave the Sooners a 5-2 lead.

The Huskers then exploded for five runs in the fourth inning, while batting around for the first time this season. To put the outburst in perspective, Nebraska hasn't scored five runs in a game 35 times in 48 contests this year.

Sophomore Haley Long led off with a single and after a hit batter, freshman pinch-hitter Alex Hupp laced a double to the gap that scored Long and cut the gap to 5-3. Kier then came up with another clutch single, this time driving home Pascale.

Still trailing 5-4, Hupp scored on an RBI sacrifice slap from sophomore Meghan Mullin. Mullin reached on an error to give the Huskers runners at first and third. Senior Devin Porter then broke the 5-5 tie with a two-run double to the gap in right-center field.

After Oklahoma answered with Long's first home run of the game to cut the lead to one, Hupp belted her second career homer, a two-run shot in the top of the fifth that extended the Huskers' lead to 9-6.

NU appeared set to hand Eckermann only her second loss of the season and OU just its second home loss in 27 games before the Sooners rallied in the bottom of the seventh.

A leadoff walk, a double and a bloop single cut the lead to 9-8 and left a runner on second with no outs. The Huskers then cut down the tying run at third on a fielder's choice and DeBuhr recorded a strikeout for the second out before Long sent the first pitch she saw just over the fence in right.

Long finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Rickets was 2-for-4 with four driven in. Hupp led the Huskers with a 2-for-3 day and three RBIs off the bench, while Kier was also 2-for-3 with three driven in. Porter was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while Pascale tied a career high with three walks and scored a career-high two times.

NU will look for a series split - and its first win over a top-five opponent since 2004 - on Sunday, when the Huskers and Sooners wrap up their series at Noon.

Box Score Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #4 Oklahoma Apr 21, 2007 at Norman, Okla. (OU Softball Complex)

Nebraska 9 (34-14,7-5 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Barrett, Whitney 2b...... 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 Mullin, Meghan cf........ 3 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 Porter, Devin ss......... 4 0 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 Waldecker, Jamie c....... 3 1 0 0 0 0 6 1 2 Long, Haley rf........... 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 Borg, Jaime pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 Hupp, Alex ph/lf........ 3 2 2 3 0 0 1 0 1 Kier, Carmen 3b.......... 3 1 2 3 0 1 2 0 0 DeBuhr, Ashley p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 9 9 9 3 6 20 5 5

Oklahoma 10 (46-5,11-3 Big 12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Dickson, Norrelle 3b..... 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Mena, Mariee rf.......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Flores, Amber lf......... 1 3 1 1 3 0 1 0 0 Ricketts, Samantha 1b.... 4 1 2 4 0 1 5 0 0 McDonald, Iver pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ogden, Susan dp.......... 4 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Spaulding, Amber pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fox, Jamie cf............ 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Vandever, Lindsey c...... 4 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 0 Prather, Jade pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long, Savannah ss........ 4 2 2 3 0 2 4 1 0 Dickenson, Traci 2b...... 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 Eckermann, Lauren p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Mathis, D.J. p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 32 10 11 10 3 6 21 7 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 020 520 0 - 9 9 2 Oklahoma............ 104 100 4 - 10 11 1 -----------------------------------------

Note: 2 outs, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.

E - Porter(8); DeBuhr(1); Eckermann(2). LOB - Cornhuskers 5; Sooners 5. 2B - Porter(9); Carwile(12); Hupp(4); Dickson(7); Ricketts(12); Ogden(8); Dickenson(8). HR - Hupp(2); Flores(7); Ricketts(16); Long 2(6). HBP - Waldecker; Pascale. SH - Mullin(16). SB - Carwile(4). CS - Long(4); Dickson(5).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- DeBuhr, Ashley...... 6.2 11 10 10 3 6 32 35 125

Oklahoma IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Eckermann, Lauren... 3.1 6 7 6 1 4 16 20 74 Mathis, D.J......... 3.2 3 2 2 2 2 13 15 48

Win - Mathis (12-3). Loss - DeBuhr (17-7). Save - None. HBP - by Eckermann (Waldecker); by Eckermann (Pascale). Pitches/strikes: DeBuhr 125/85; Eckermann 74/48; Mathis 48/29. Umpires - HP: Terry Hix 1B: Mike Hall 3B: Scott Brians Start: 2:00 pm Time: 2:17 Attendance: 1034 Game: NU48