NU Closes Weekend with 4-1 Win

Tempe, Ariz. - Freshman twin sisters Tatum and Taylor Edwards both homered to power the Nebraska softball team to a 4-1 victory over Oregon State in the final game of the Kajikawa Classic on Sunday at the Tempe Sports Complex.

Taylor Edwards hit a two-run homer in the first inning that gave Nebraska all the run it would need, while Tatum added a solo shot in the fourth. Sophomore Megan Southworth provided Nebraska's fourth RBI with a sacrifice fly, while senior Heidi Foland had her first multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

The home runs made a winner out of junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann, who improved to 4-1 on the season with a strong relief effort. Hageman inherited a jam with a run in, two on and no outs and worked out of the jam without allowing a run. In 5.0 innings of scoreless relief, Hagemann did not allow a hit and struck out four. Junior right-hander Haley Workman earned the start but did not factor into the decision. In 2.0-plus innings, Workman allowed one run on two hits. The duo combined for a two-hitter.

Nebraska finished its opening weekend of the 2011 season with a 5-1 record against a tough schedule that included two games against ranked teams and three contests against teams from the Pac-10 Conference.

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was pleased with her team's performance throughout the opening weekend.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the start," Revelle said. "I thought we had some very clutch performances at the plate and also some key pitches at critical times. As a team, I thought we played very well together. I thought it was a very good weekend, and we actually leave the weekend very motivated to get better."

On Sunday, Nebraska grabbed control of the game from the start. After Oregon State was retired in order in the top of the first, junior Nikki Haget led off the bottom of the frame with a walk. She moved to second on a sacrifice from senior Julie Brechtel before Taylor Edwards lined an 0-2 pitch over the fence in center for a two-run homer.

Oregon State answered back in the top of the third. A leadoff bunt single was followed by a walk, before Lea Cavestany lined an RBI single to center field to cut the lead to 2-1. Hagemann then entered the game with runners on first and third and no outs and coaxed a fly out to shallow center. She walked the next batter to load the bases before a pair of pop outs to short prevented any further runs from scoring.

Nebraska got the run back in the bottom of the fourth when Tatum Edwards launched the first pitch she saw for a one-out, solo home run to left center. Sophomore Brooke Thomason followed with a walk before Foland doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Southworth then gave Nebraska a 4-1 lead with a sacrifice fly that brought Thomason home.

The Huskers had a chance to add to the lead in the sixth before hitting into some tough luck. Haget and Brechtel reached on back-to-back one-out, infield singles. Taylor Edwards then ripped a ball directly to the third baseman, who turned the hard shot into an inning-ending double play.

Nebraska turned its own double play in the top of the seventh to wrap up the game, after Hagemann walked the first batter of the inning.

After going 5-1 in their opening weekend of play, the Huskers travel to Denton, Texas, next weekend for five games in three days at the Sleep Inn Classic, hosted by North Texas.

2011 Nebraska Softball Oregon State vs Nebraska Feb 13, 2011 at Tempe, Ariz. (Tempe Sports Complex)

Oregon State 1 (4-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Cavestany, Lea cf........ 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Lowe, McKenna lf......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hall, Page p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Guzy, Erin 1b............ 2 0 0 0 1 0 8 1 0 Beltran, Desiree 3b/dp... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 Roderfeld, Audry dp...... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Lippincott, Kilee pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Richardson, Emily 3b.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kutz, Ally c............. 3 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 Brenner, Mary Claire rf.. 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Chandler, Nikki ss....... 1 1 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 Sanchez, Ashley ph...... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Doremus, Maggie 2b....... 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 Bouska, Hannah ph....... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Demore, Marina p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Batayola, Isabelle lf... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 22 1 2 1 5 4 18 9 6

Nebraska 4 (5-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Haget, Nikki cf.......... 2 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Edwards, Taylor c........ 3 1 1 2 0 1 4 0 1 Edwards, Tatum 1b........ 3 1 1 1 0 1 5 0 0 Thomason, Brooke rf...... 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 Southworth, Megan lf..... 2 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 Banda, Gabby ss.......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 3 Wright, Saige dp......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Workman, Haley p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hagemann, Ashley p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 21 4 6 4 3 6 21 6 4

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Oregon State........ 001 000 0 - 1 2 0 Nebraska............ 200 200 X - 4 6 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Hagemann(1). DP - Beavers 1; Huskers 1. LOB - Beavers 6; Huskers 4. 2B - Foland(1). HR - Edwards, Tay(2); Edwards, Tat(3). HBP - Roderfeld. SH - Brechtel(1). SF - Southworth(1).

Oregon State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Demore, Marina...... 4.0 3 4 4 2 4 13 17 61 Hall, Page.......... 2.0 3 0 0 1 2 8 9 25

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Workman, Haley...... 2.0 2 1 1 2 0 8 10 43 Hagemann, Ashley.... 5.0 0 0 0 3 4 14 18 75

Win - Hagemann (4-1). Loss - Demore (1-1). Save - None. WP - Workman 2(2). HBP - by Hagemann (Roderfeld). Pitches/strikes: Demore 61/42; Hall 25/17; Workman 43/21; Hagemann 75/46. Umpires - Start: 12:31 pm Time: 1:56 Attendance: Workman faced 3 batters in the 3rd. Game: NU6