Huskers Rally for 4-3 Win Over Jayhawks

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Oklahoma City ? The Nebraska softball team scored three late runs to erase a 3-1 deficit and rally for a 4-3 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks on Friday night at the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

A three-run fourth inning gave the Jayhawks a 3-1 lead before the Huskers plated two runs in the fifth and the game-winning run in the sixth. The Huskers have come from behind in each of their last four victories, including a 5-4 win over Kansas last Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium.

 

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 23-27 on the season, while Kansas fell to 37-19. The 10th-seeded Huskers advance to face No. 2 seed Oklahoma on Saturday at 11 a.m.

 

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was pleased with her team's fight, as well as the work of winning pitcher Molly Hill.

 

"I'm very proud of this team," Revelle said. "They play with a ton of heart and they play hard for each other. Our whole lineup is contributing and I give a lot of credit to Molly tonight. Other than one inning, she kept them off balance for the whole night."

 

Hill won for the fourth time in her last six starts to improve to 13-16 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Hill allowed just three runs (two earned) while striking out seven and allowing only six hits. Valerie George took the loss for Kansas. In relief of starter Allie Clark, George allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 3.1 innings.

 

Despite the comeback victory, it was Nebraska who had the majority of the offensive threats in the early innings. Nebraska missed a chance to score in the top of the first. A leadoff single and a walk put runners at first and second with no outs, before the Huskers' No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters grounded out, popped out and fouled out on three consecutive pitches to end the threat.

 

After the missed opportunity in the first, clutch hitting propelled Nebraska to a 1-0 lead in the second. With two outs, freshman Heidi Foland, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, coaxed a walk and stole second. Sophomore Whitney Barrett then laced an RBI triple down the right-field line to bring Foland home with the game's first run.

 

The Huskers continued to apply pressure in the fourth despite being held off the scoreboard. A walk and a hit batter put the first two runners on base, before a strikeout and a double play got the Jayhawks out of the inning.

 

Kansas took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the frame, converting with runners at first and second with no outs after the Huskers had failed to score with the same opportunity twice through the first four innings. Val Chapple led off the frame with an infield single off of Hill and Liz Kocon then laid down a sacrifice bunt. On her bunt, Kocon advanced Chapple to second but she would up safe at first when the umpires met and determined that NU first baseman Crystal Carwile interfered with Kocon's ability to run to first.

 

Amanda Jobe then fouled off five two-strike pitches before shooting an RBI single up the middle to score Chapple with the tying run. On the play, a Husker error allowed the runners to move up to second and third. The error cost Nebraska a run when Betsy Wilson lined a two-run double to right to put the Jayhawks in front, 3-1.

 

Nebraska responded with two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. Back-to-back, one-out singles put runners at first and second with one out. With two outs, junior Haley Long then ripped a 3-2 pitch to right for an RBI single that scored junior Darcy Rutherford. On the play, Long was temporarily caught in a rundown between first and second, before Stevie Crisosto, the KU shortstop, dropped a throw to allow Carwile to score the tying run.

 

In the sixth, Nebraska again got the first two runners on base before a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out for the top of the Husker order. KU recorded the second out at home on a ground ball from Mullin before a wild pitch allowed Foland to score the go-ahead run.

 

In the bottom of the frame, Kansas had runners on first and second with one out and had the bases loaded with two outs before Sara Ramirez struck out swinging for the third out.

 

In the top of the seventh, Crisosto, the leadoff batter, hit a hard grounder where Foland made a diving stop, got to her feet quickly and made a strong throw to first to record the out with the help of a great stretch from Carwile. A well-placed infield single put the tying and go-ahead runners on base with two outs before Hill struck out pinch-hitter Sara Sidebottom to wrap up the win.

 

Offensively for Nebraska, seven different Huskers had a hit while Barrett and Foland each added an RBI.

 

At the conclusion of the game, All-Big 12 awards were presented to Crystal Carwile (first team) and Meghan Mullin (second team), along with Academic All-Big 12 certificates to Mullin (first team) and Molly Hill (first team).

 

Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Kansas May 09, 2008 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Stadium)

Nebraska 4 (23-27)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Mullin, Meghan cf........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 Rutherford, Darcy lf..... 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Linke, Kelli ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Carwile, Crystal 1b...... 4 1 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 Guile, Ashley c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 Long, Haley rf........... 4 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 3 Pascale, Brittany dp..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Liegl, Sammi pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 2 2 1 0 1 1 1 3 0 Barrett, Whitney ss...... 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 Hill, Molly p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 26 4 7 2 3 4 21 9 7

Kansas 3 (37-19)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Crisosto, Stevie ss...... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 McCaulley, Dougie cf..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 Chapple, Val 3b.......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Kocon, Liz rf............ 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Fesmire, Kolby pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jobe, Amanda 1b/dp....... 2 1 1 1 0 1 4 0 0 Sidebottom, Sara ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Hile, Brittany c......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 Stanton, Ally pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wilson, Betsy lf......... 3 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0 Lucero, Addy dp/1b....... 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 Ramirez, Sara 2b......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 4 4 Clark, Allie p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 George, Valerie p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 27 3 6 3 2 7 21 9 8

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 010 021 0 - 4 7 2 Kansas.............. 000 300 0 - 3 6 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Mullin(4); Foland(16); Crisosto. DP - Jayhawks 1. LOB - Huskers 7; Jayhawks 8. 2B - Crisosto; Wilson. 3B - Barrett(2). HBP - Guile; Brechtel; Jobe. SH - Barrett(3); McCaulley; Kocon. SB - Foland(9).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hill, Molly......... 7.0 6 3 2 2 7 27 32 119

Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Clark, Allie........ 3.2 3 1 1 2 2 13 16 58 George, Valerie..... 3.1 4 3 2 1 2 13 16 75

Win - Hill (13-16). Loss - George (18-11). Save - None. WP - Clark. HBP - by George (Guile); by George (Brechtel); by Hill (Jobe). Pitches/strikes: Hill 119/73; Clark 58/35; George 75/48. Umpires - HP: Patti Gunst 1B: Pat Lyon 3B: Danny Bowman Start: 5:03 pm Time: 2:38 Attendance: 709 George faced 1 batter in the 6th. Game: NU50