NU Explodes to Post Best Start in School History

Clearwater, Fla. - The 16th-ranked Nebraska softall team scored six runs in the final two innings to pull away for a 7-2 victory over Radford in the Huskers' first game in Clearwater, Fla., on Friday afternoon.

The win snapped Radford's nine-game win streak and gave Nebraska the best start in school history. The Huskers are now 15-2 on the season, becoming the fastest team to reach 15 wins in school history. The win was also Rhonda Revelle's 695th as Nebraska's head coach, moving her into second place all-time in victories among all Husker coaches in all sports.

Junior right-hander Ashley Hagemann earned the win in relief, winning her 11th consecutive decision to improve to 12-1 on the year. Hagemann allowed one run on three hits in 3.0 innings, adding four strikeouts.  Junior right-hander Haley Workman earned the start and allowed one run on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. Workman added seven strikeouts, including striking out the side in the second and fourth innings. Together, Hagemann and Workman posted a team season-high 12 strikeouts.

Offensively, junior Nikki Haget went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while sophomore Brooke Thomason was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Freshman Taylor Edwards added three RBIs with a bases-loaded double in the top of the seventh.

Chelsea Kelley (3-3) took the loss for Radford (11-7), allowing three runs on six hits in 6.0-pluss innings.

The Huskers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on an unconventional play. Sophomore Megan Southworth was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. She moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from classmate Gabby Banda. Haget then put down a perfect bunt for an infield single. Both the Radford first and second basemen went to cover the late throw to first, so Haget took off for second. She was caught in a rundown and eventually tagged out, but not before Southworth raced home from third for the game's first run.

Radford tied the game in the bottom of the frame when Nichole Beall lifted a 3-2 offering over the fence in center for a two-out, solo home run.

Neither team mounted much offense again until Haget led off the top of the sixth inning with an infield single. She moved to second on a sacrifice from senior Julie Brechtel and was there with two outs before Thomason lined an RBI double to the gap in right center to score Haget and put Nebraska back on top, 2-1. The Huskers had a chance for more with runners on first and second, but Beall made a nice diving catch at second base to end the inning.

Nebraska then exploded for five runs with two outs in the top of the seventh. J unior Kirby Wright coaxed a leadoff walk and freshman pinch-hitter Tatum Edwards delivered a one-out single to put runners at first and second. The Huskers loaded the bases when Haget reached on an infield single.

The two-out scoring explosion started with a three-run double from Taylor Edwards that turned a one-run lead into a 5-1 Husker advantage. Thomason followed with an RBI single, before senior Heidi Foland capped the inning with an RBI double.

Radford had its own two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh, but was too far down to complete a comeback. Hagemann retired the first two batters before a hit batter and three straight singles - including two infield hits - trimmed the lead to 7-2 with the bases still loaded. But Hagemann wrapped up the victory with a strikeout.

Nebraska continues Friday action with an afternoon contest against Maryland

Box Score 2011 Nebraska Softball
#16 Nebraska vs Radford
Mar 11, 2011 at Clearwater, Fla. (Eddie C. Moore Cmplx)

Nebraska 7 (15-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Haget, Nikki cf.......... 4 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0
Brechtel, Julie 2b....... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Edwards, Taylor c........ 4 1 1 3 0 0 12 0 0
Thomason, Brooke rf...... 4 1 2 2 0 2 1 0 0
Foland, Heidi 3b......... 3 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 0
Guile, Ashley 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 3
Wright, Kirby dp......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
McCann, Morgan pr....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Southworth, Megan lf..... 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0
Banda, Gabby ss.......... 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Edwards, Tatum ph....... 1 0 1 0 0 0 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................... 28 7 11 6 2 2 21 3 5

Radford 2 (11-7)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
OJEDA, Hannah cf......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0
WILLIAMS, Lauren lf...... 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0
BEALL, Nichole 2b........ 4 1 2 2 0 1 4 2 0
BEALL, Michelle c........ 2 0 0 0 2 2 3 0 3
CUNNINGHAM,Taylor 3b..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 3
EYE, Morgan rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1
MOORE, Meredith dp....... 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
RUCH, Ryndee 1b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 2 6 2 0
HUTCHENS, Jessie ss...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 1
HEPNER, Maureen pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KELLEY, Chelsea p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
DAMERON, Stephanie p.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 27 2 6 2 3 12 21 10 8

Score by Innings R H E
-----------------------------------------
Nebraska............ 001 001 5 - 7 11 0
Radford............. 001 000 1 - 2 6 0
-----------------------------------------

DP - Highlanders 1. LOB - Huskers 5; Highlanders 8. 2B - Edwards, Tay(6);
Thomason(1); Foland(2). HR - BEALL, N.. HBP - Southworth; HUTCHENS, J.. SH -
Brechtel(5); Banda(3). SB - WILLIAMS, La; BEALL, M..

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Workman, Haley...... 4.0 3 1 1 2 7 15 17 82
Hagemann, Ashley.... 3.0 3 1 1 1 5 12 14 58

Radford IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
KELLEY, Chelsea..... 6.0 6 3 3 2 2 20 25 82
DAMERON, Stephanie.. 1.0 5 4 4 0 0 8 8 17

Win - Hagemann (12-1). Loss - KELLEY, C. (3-3). Save - None.
HBP - by KELLEY, C. (Southworth); by Hagemann (HUTCHENS, J.). Pitches/strikes:
Workman 82/51; Hagemann 58/39; KELLEY, C. 82/52; DAMERON, S. 17/15.
Umpires -
Start: 12:21 pm Time: 2:03 Attendance:
KELLEY, C. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Game: NU17