Huskers Open Season with 11-2 Win

Tempe, Ariz. ? Nebraska’s freshman class powered the Husker softball team to an 11-2 five-inning season-opening victory over Portland State on Thursday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The freshmen produced five RBIs to help Nebraska match its highest run total from all of last season.

The Huskers scored their 11 runs on nine hits and exploded for a seven-run fourth inning. Freshman twin sisters Tatum and Taylor Edwards both had impressive debuts. Tatum hit a three-run homer in her first career at bat and finished 1-for-3. Taylor produced Nebraska's lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Redshirt freshman Kylee Muir pinch hit in the fourth inning and delivered a two-out, two-run single in her only at bat of the game.

Led by the freshmen, Nebraska's 11 runs tied for the second-most runs ever in a Husker season opener and the most since a school-record 14 runs in a win over Creighton in 1993 in Head Coach Rhonda Revelle's first game. NU also showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks and adding two hit-by-pitches. Junior Ashley Guile and sophomore Brooke Thomason each walked twice and both finished 1-for-1, with Guile adding a run and an RBI and Thomason adding an RBI and two runs scored.

In the circle, junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann (1-0) earned the victory by allowing two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings. Junior Haley Workman made her Husker debut by retiring Portland State in order in the fifth inning.

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Nichole Latham (0-1) took the loss for Portland State (0-1), allowing four runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.

After being held scoreless in the top of the first inning, Nebraska made the most of its first hit in the top of the second. Senior Heidi Foland was hit by a pitch to begin the inning before Thomason walked to put runners on first and second. Tatum Edwards then lined a 2-1 pitch well over the fence in center for a three-run homer in her first career at bat. She was the first Husker freshman to homer in her first career at bat since Amber Burgess in 2000.

Taylor Edwards then added to the lead in the top of the third. Senior Julie Brechtel led off the inning with a single and Guile followed with a single. On Guile’s single, Brechtel was caught trying to advance to third, but was in a rundown long enough to allow Guile to advance to second. Taylor Edwards then ripped an RBI double to center to extend the lead to 4-0.

Portland State found the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame but the Husker defense avoided a potential big inning. A leadoff walk was followed by an RBI triple that cut the lead to 4-1. An infield single then put Vikings at first and third with no outs before the NU defense stepped up. On a stolen base attempt at second, Brechtel cut off the throw and fired home to record the first out when Carly McEachen attempted to score. Hagemann then struck out the next two batters to escape further damage.

Nebraska answered back in the top of the fourth. Junior Madison Drake coaxed a leadoff walk and sophomore Gabby Banda followed with a single. Junior Nikki Haget then placed a perfect bunt to third, where the ball was fielded but no one covered first base and the third baseman lost the ball attempting to hold her throw. That error allowed Drake to score from third. Brechtel was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.

A walk to Guile scored Banda and gave Nebraska a 6-1 lead. Taylor Edwards then hit a grounder to short but an errant throw to the plate allowed Haget to score. Thomason then delivered a one-out RBI single to left to score Brechtel and stretch the lead to 8-1. Following a strikeout, Muir went the opposite way for a two-out, two-run single to left in her first career at bat. Another Portland State error allowed the seventh run of the inning to score and put Nebraska on top 11-1.

Portland State got a run back in the bottom of the frame but could get no closer as Nebraska closed out the run-rule victory.

The Huskers continue their opening weekend on Friday with a pair of games against San Jose State and No. 1 Arizona. NU opens play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (Central) against the Spartans.

2011 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Portland State Feb 10, 2011 at Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe Sports Complex)

Nebraska 11 (1-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 Guile, Ashley dp......... 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 Wright, Saige pr/dp..... 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 0 2 1 0 0 6 1 1 McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 Edwards, Tatum 1b........ 3 1 1 3 0 1 5 0 2 Drake, Madison lf........ 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 Muir, Kylee ph/pr....... 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Southworth, Megan pr/lf. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Workman, Haley p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 11 9 9 6 4 15 8 6

Portland State 2 (0-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ KROGH, Jenna cf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 WISER, Arielle ss........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 CAMPOS, Brandi ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HOLLADAY, Karmen 1b...... 2 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 1 HOLM, Lacey c............ 1 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 LYONS, Meghan pr........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LYNN, Danielle dp........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 LOPEZ, Sadie lf.......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 CONN, Crysta 3b.......... 2 0 1 1 0 1 2 3 1 BLISS, Rebecca rf........ 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 McEACHRAN, Carly 2b...... 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 LATHAM, Nichole p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 BERTRAND, Anna p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 18 2 5 2 2 5 15 7 3

Score by Innings R H E -------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 031 70 - 11 9 0 Portland State...... 001 10 - 2 5 3 --------------------------------------

E - HOLLADAY(1); CONN 2(2). DP - Vikings 1. LOB - Huskers 6; Vikings 3. 2B - Edwards, Tay(1); LOPEZ(1). 3B - McEACHRAN(1). HR - Edwards, Tat(1). HBP - Brechtel; Foland. CS - McEACHRAN(1).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Hagemann, Ashley.... 4.0 5 2 2 2 5 15 17 79 Workman, Haley...... 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 9

Portland State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- LATHAM, Nichole..... 2.1 4 4 4 2 1 10 13 44 BERTRAND, Anna...... 2.2 5 7 3 4 3 14 19 72

Win - Hagemann (1-0). Loss - LATHAM (0-1). Save - None. WP - Hagemann(1). HBP - by LATHAM (Foland); by BERTRAND (Brechtel). PB - HOLM(1). Pitches/strikes: Hagemann 79/48; Workman 9/6; LATHAM 44/23; BERTRAND 72/40. Umpires - HP: Rick Cowan 1B: Dale Wilson 3B: Shelly Douma Start: 4:02 pm Time: 1:57 Attendance: Game: NU1