Huskers Shut Out No. 10 Hawaii

Cathedral City, Calif. - Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann tossed a one-hit shutout to lead the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 3-0 victory over 10th-ranked Hawaii on Friday night at the Cathedral City Classic.

The win was Nebraska's 10th in a row and improved the Huskers' season record to 12-1. The victory was also the 700th career coaching victory for Head Coach Rhonda Revelle. Hagemann (9-1) picked up her seventh straight victory in dominating fashion over one of the nation's best hitting lineups.

Against a Hawaii team that set an NCAA home record last season while also leading the nation in scoring, Hagemann was masterful. After allowing a leadoff single to begin the game, Hagemann did not allow a hit the rest of the game. Hagemann struck out seven and worked around three walks and one hit batter to post her second shutout in three starts.

Hawaii (12-2) was shut out of the first time this season. Kaia Parnaby (4-1) suffered her first loss of the season. In a complete-game effort, Parnaby allowed three runs on seven hits, striking out eight and walking none.

The hitting heroes for the Huskers were senior Julie Brechtel and freshman Taylor Edwards. Both players finished 2-for-3, with Brechtel homering, scoring twice and driving in one and Edwards adding an RBI double.

After being held without a baserunner the first time through the order, the Huskers jumped out to a 2-0 in the top of the fourth. Junior Nikki Haget began the inning with a perfectly-placed bunt single, before Brechtel followed with a single up the middle. Taylor Edwards then went after the first pitch she saw and lined a ground-rule double down the right-field line to score Haget with the game's first run.

With runners on second and third and no outs, Nebraska was able to add to its lead when Brechtel came home on a one-out wild pitch.

Brechtel then gave Nebraska a 3-0 lead when she blasted the first pitch of the top of the sixth inning over the fence in center field for a leadoff home run.

Hagemann wrapped up the victory by retiring nine of the final 11 batters she faced. In the bottom of the seventh, she worked around a leadoff walk with the help from a fantastic diving catch from Haget in center.

Nebraska continues play at the Cathedral City Classic on Saturday with a single game against Nevada at 3 p.m. (Central).