NU Rallies Past Saint Louis for 5-0 Start

Nebraska  7 4 saint louis
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Nebraska	0	3	0	0	0	4	0		7	11	0
Saint Louis	1	0	1	2	0	0	0		4	8	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Jablonski (1-1)	1.2	3	1	1	1	2
L - Baalman (2-1)	2.0	3	2	2	1	1
S - McClure (2)	2.0	2	0	0	0	3

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Madi Unzicker	2	1	1	2	0	1
Dawna Tyson	4	2	3	2	0	1

Game Notes

Nebraska won its fifth straight game to improve to 5-0 on the season...marks the ninth 5-0 start in school history and first since 2013...Madi Unzicker hit her first career home run in the top of the second...Cassie McClure earned her second save of the season and her seventh save at Nebraska...she has moved into a tie with Rhonda Revelle for ninth place on the Huskers' all-time saves list...Dawna Tyson and Kaylan Jablonski hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth inning...Tyson tied her career high with three hits.

Cedar Falls, Iowa - Trailing by one in the top of the sixth inning, Dawna Tyson and Kaylan Jablonski slugged back-to-back to home runs, sparking a four-run frame that powered the Nebraska softball team to a 7-4 come-from-behind victory over Saint Louis in the Huskers' final game of the UNI-Dome Classic on Sunday morning.

Nebraska hit three home runs in the game and out-homered its opponents 11-1 at the UNI-Dome Classic. The long ball helped the Huskers (5-0) cap a perfect opening weekend.

The home runs proved big in the win over the Billikens. Sophomore Madi Unzicker hit her first career home run to break a 1-1 tie and give Nebraska a 3-1 lead in the top of the second inning. Saint Louis then scored three straight runs to take the lead before the consecutive home runs from Tyson and Jablonski put Nebraska on top for good.

Unzicker, Tyson and Jablonski all homered for the first time this season. Tyson finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, tying her career high in hits. Unzicker also drove in a pair, while senior Kiki Stokes and junior MJ Knighten each finished with two hits.

In the circle, Jablonski earned the win in relief while junior Cassie McClure picked up the save. Jablonski allowed two runs in 1.2 innings before McClure tossed 2.0 shutout innings to register her second save. On the opening weekend, McClure threw 12.0 shutout innings while posting a 2-0 record with two saves. Senior right-hander Emily Lockman got the start and allowed two runs on only two hits in 3.1 innings.

Saint Louis grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a one-out, RBI double from Allie Macfarlane.

Nebraska answered back in the top of the second. McClure led off with a double and that was followed by an RBI double from Tyson to tie the game. Unzicker then gave Nebraska a 3-1 lead with a towering two-run homer to right center.

In the bottom of the third, back-to-back walks helped Saint Louis pull within 3-2. The first two batters walked and the Billikens had runners on first and third with one out. Lockman then recorded a big strikeout, but SLU literally stole a run, executing a double steal to produce its lone run of the inning despite not recording a hit.

The Billikens then tied the score when Alyssa Tarquinio hit a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Jablonski then relieved Lockman and was greeted by consecutive singles and a walk. With the bases loaded and only one out, a wild pitch allowed the go-ahead run to score before Jablonski retired the next two hitters to keep the deficit at 4-3. 

Tyson tied the game with a leadoff solo home run in the top of the sixth and Jablonski followed with another home run to give Nebraska a 5-4 lead. Sophomore Gina Metzler kept the rally going with a single, and she scored on an RBI double from Stokes. Stokes then scored on a two-out, RBI double from Knighten that capped the scoring and gave Nebraska a 7-4 lead.

Saint Louis managed only a pair of singles over the final two innings against McClure. The Billikens fell to 3-2 on the season, while Madi Baalman (2-1) suffered her first defeat of the season.

Following its opening weekend, Nebraska will travel to Raleigh, N.C., next weekend for a pair of games against North Carolina State and Louisville as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

 

Box Score 2016 Nebraska Softball Nebraska vs Saint Louis Feb 14, 2016 at Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)

Nebraska 7 (5-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 3 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 McClure, Cassie dp/p..... 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 Tyson, Dawna 1b.......... 4 2 3 2 0 0 5 0 0 Unzicker, Madi c......... 2 1 1 2 0 1 3 0 0 Jablonski, Kaylan p/dp.. 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Urness, Austen rf........ 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Otte, Taylor rf......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Metzler, Gina lf......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 Lockman, Emily p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cassidy, Bri c.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 Totals................... 31 7 11 7 2 4 21 7 7

Saint Louis 4 (3-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ NICKEL, Alex ss.......... 3 0 1 0 1 1 3 3 1 PETER, Mackenzie cf...... 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 MACFARLANE, Allie 2b..... 4 0 2 1 0 2 3 2 0 LAWSON, Mackenzie pr.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 EVERINGHAM, Elizabet 3b.. 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 LORE, Brianna dp/p....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 COTTON, Miranda pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TARQUINIO, Alyssa 1b..... 3 1 1 1 0 1 6 0 1 WEAVERS, Hailey c........ 3 1 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 BUCKLES, Emma rf......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 KNESEL, Josie lf......... 1 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 BAALMAN, Maddie p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 KNEIB, Laney p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 29 4 8 2 3 8 21 6 7

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 030 004 0 - 7 11 0 Saint Louis......... 101 200 0 - 4 8 0 -----------------------------------------

DP - Billikens 1. LOB - Huskers 7; Billikens 7. 2B - Stokes(1); Knighten(1); McClure(1); Tyson(1); Macfarlane. HR - Tyson(1); Unzicker(1); Jablonski(1); Tarquinio. HBP - Armstrong; Urness. SB - Stokes(5); Peter; Knesel.

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lockman, Emily...... 3.1 3 3 3 2 3 13 15 48 Jablonski, Kaylan... 1.2 3 1 1 1 2 8 9 42 McClure, Cassie..... 2.0 2 0 0 0 3 8 8 25

Saint Louis IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- BAALMAN, Maddie..... 2.0 3 2 2 1 1 9 12 41 LORE, Brianna....... 4.0 5 3 3 0 2 16 16 66 KNEIB, Laney........ 1.0 3 2 2 1 1 6 7 29

Win - Jablonski (2-0). Loss - Baalman (2-1). Save - McClure (2). WP - Jablonski(2). HBP - by Baalman (Urness); by Baalman (Armstrong). Pitches/strikes: Lockman 48/26; Jablonski 42/25; McClure 25/19; Baalman 41/24; Lore 66/40; Kneib 29/19. Umpires - Start: 9:59 am Time: 2:13 Attendance: Baalman faced 2 batters in the 6th. Game: NEB5