NU Advances to Title Game with 6-1 Win

Oklahoma City - Junior Crystal Carwile belted a three-run homer three batters into the game and junior right-hander Molly Hill tossed her best game of the season against a Big 12 Conference opponent, as the Huskers advanced to the Big 12 Championship Game with a 6-1 semifinal victory over Texas Tech on Saturday at Hall of Fame Stadium.

Carwile's home run was her team-leading 12th of the season, which tied Carwile's single-season career high, as she also hit 12 home runs as a freshman. Carwile finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs to highlight standout performances by Nebraska's junior class. Haley Long finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Meghan Mullin also added two hits.

In the circle, Hill made her seventh straight start and third in less than 24 hours. In winning her third straight decision, Hill (15-16) surrendered just one run on eight hits in a complete-game effort. Hill also struck out five and did not walk a batter for the first time in 28 starts this season.

With the win, the Huskers advance to Sunday's championship game against either top-seeded and fifth-ranked Texas A&M. First pitch is set for Noon and the game will be televised nationally on FSN (note: some fans in Nebraska may get Kansas City Royals baseball instead of the softball championship).

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was once again pleased with her team's play as the Huskers moved one step closer to securing the Big 12 title and earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

"I'm so proud of this group for everything that they've fought through," Revelle said. "This is why you play the game. I'm looking forward to continuing to compete tomorrow and to play as one."

Revelle was also quick to credit Hill, who held a Big 12 opponent under three runs for the first time this season.

"She was stronger in the second game (than Saturday's earlier upset of seventh-ranked Oklahoma), and I thought she threw masterfully," Revelle said of Hill's effort. "I thought she did a great job of controlling the tempo and our defense did a great job of stepping up behind her."

The Husker defense did not commit an error while turning two double plays to help Hill work around the eight hits.

Texas Tech (23-36) saw its season come to an end with the loss. Ashly Jacobs took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) in only 1.1 innings. Jacobs shut out the Huskers earlier this season before picking up both of Texas Tech's regular-season wins against Nebraska.

Nebraska jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead three batters into the top of the first as Carwile crushed her towering three-run shot to center. The Huskers had a chance for more with runners at first and third with one out and runners at second and third with two outs before Texas Tech escaped the inning without further damage.

Texas Tech answered back in the bottom of the frame. The first two batters reached on back-to-back singles before a one-out RBI single from Jennifer Bowers that landed just inside the left-field foul line. The Red Raiders still had two on and one out before Hill recorded a fly out and a strikeout to end the threat.

The Huskers added two more with some clutch hitting in the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, junior Haley Long ripped a two-run single up the middle to score junior Darcy Rutherford and Carwile to put NU in front, 5-1.

In the fifth, a leadoff walk and a hit batter put Huskers on first and second with no out. Sarah Losleben came on in relief and recorded two quick outs before sophomore Whitney Barrett got caught in a two-out rundown attempting to steal second and she remained in the rundown long enough for Long to score from second to give the Huskers a 6-1 advantage.

Hill retired the final seven batters of the game to send the Huskers into their seventh title game in the 13-year history of the Big 12 Championship.

Box Score Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Texas Tech May 10, 2008 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Stadium)

Nebraska 6 (25-27)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 2 2 3 0 0 11 0 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 1 1 4 1 1 Long, Haley rf........... 3 1 2 2 1 0 2 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 Hupp, Alex dp............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 6 7 5 2 4 21 11 5

Texas Tech 1 (23-36)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Legler, Leah ss.......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 5 1 Zaragoza, Devin lf....... 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Patin, Montana rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Corkin, Jennifer 1b...... 3 0 2 1 0 1 8 1 0 Bowers, Jennifer 3b...... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 Shupp, Megan 2b.......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 Preston, Lauren ph/2b... 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Wike, Robyn c............ 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 2 0 Watkins, Alex dp......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eimen, Elizabeth ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Riley, Whitney cf........ 3 0 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 Jacobs, Ashly p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Coats, Tye p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Losleben, Sarah p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 1 8 1 0 5 21 12 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 320 010 0 - 6 7 0 Texas Tech.......... 100 000 0 - 1 8 3 -----------------------------------------

E - Zaragoza; Bowers; Shupp. DP - Huskers 2. LOB - Huskers 5; Red Raiders 5. 2B - Corkin. HR - Carwile(12). HBP - Brechtel. SB - Brechtel(2). CS - Barrett(3).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 8 1 1 0 5 27 27 102

Texas Tech IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Jacobs, Ashly....... 1.1 5 5 4 0 0 11 11 30 Coats, Tye.......... 2.2 2 1 1 2 2 10 13 38 Losleben, Sarah..... 3.0 0 0 0 0 2 8 8 30

Win - Hill (15-16). Loss - Jacobs (10-15). Save - None. HBP - by Coats (Brechtel). Pitches/strikes: Hill 102/74; Jacobs 30/22; Coats 38/22; Losleben 30/20. Umpires - HP: Terry Hix 1B: Patti Gunst 3B: Dustin Douglas Start: 4:38 pm Time: 2:23 Attendance: Coats faced 2 batters in the 5th. Game: NU52