Spartans Top Huskers, 4-3, in Big Ten Tournament

Nebraska  3 4 Michigan State
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Nebraska	0	0	0	3	0	0	0		3	7	0
Michigan State	1	1	2	0	0	0	X		4	7	2

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Bridgette Rainey (8-11)	4.0	1	0	0	2	3
L - O. Ferrell (9-8)	2.1	4	4	4	2	0
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Taylor Otte	3	0	2	1	0	0
Laura Barrow	3	1	2	0	0	0

Game Notes
Taylor Otte reached base all four times she appeared at the plate. She had two hits, including a double and was hit by a pitch. She also reached on an error.  Laura Barrow went 2-for-3 on the day, and scored Nebraska's first run of the day.

Madison, Wis. - The Nebraska softball team (31-23) had to attempt a come-from-behind victory against Michigan State (25-25) on Thursday in the first round of the 2018 Big Ten Softball Tournament, but the Huskers were unsuccessful, falling to the Spartans by a score of 4-3. NU fell behind 4-0 at the end of the third. The Huskers fought back, scoring three runs in the fourth, but it wouldn't be enough. The Huskers had plenty of opportunities to put the Spartans away though. Nebraska left 11 runners on base and went 3-for- 13 with runners in scoring position.

Nebraska had seven hits and four walks. Taylor Otte and Laura Barrow each had two hits. Otte also had an RBI and Barrow had one run and one walk. Alyvia Simmons, Olivia Ferrell and Sarah Yocom each had one hit as well for the Huskers. Yocom also had one run and a walk. Tristen Edwards drew two walks.

Olivia Ferrell (9-8) started and pitched 2.1 innings. She gave up four runs on four hits. She also had two walks. Kaylan Jablonski pitched 3.2 innings of relief. She gave up three hits and no runs. She also had one walk.

MSU's Bridgette Rainey (8-11) pitched 4.0 innings of relief. She gave up one hit and had three strikeouts. 

MSU took a 1-0 lead in the first after a solo homer to left field.

In the second, Nebraska loaded the bases with one out after three straight hits from Ferrell, Barrow and Yocom, but the Spartans got a force out at home and a fly out to leave three Huskers stranded. In the bottom of the inning, Michigan State loaded the bases with no outs after a single and two walks. A sac fly scored another run for the Spartans to give them a 2-0 lead. The Husker defense got out of the inning without allowing any other runs.

In the third, both Otte and Edwards were hit by pitches to put runners on first and second with no outs, but the Spartans got three straight outs again to leave two runners stranded. MSU hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 4-0.

The Huskers got on the board in the fourth. Barrow hit a leadoff single and Yocom drew a walk. Metzler bunted to move them both over, but a throwing error allowed her to reach first and advance to second. Barrow scored on the error. Simmons singled to score Yocom and put runners on the corners. Then, Otte doubled to score Metzler and put runners on second and third. MSU got three outs, but not before Nebraska cut into to the lead. 

In the sixth, Otte reached on an error and Edwards was walked to put two runners on with two outs, but a pop-up put the Huskers back on defense.

Nebraska got one runner on base in the seventh, but was unable to pull off the complete comeback. 

The Huskers will await the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday to see if they will receive a bid to the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The bracket will be announced Sunday at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN2. 

Box Score 2018 Nebraska Softball #9 Nebraska vs #8 Michigan State May 10, 2018 at Unknown

Nebraska 3 (31-23,9-13)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Alyvia Simmons rf........ 4 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 3 Taylor Otte cf........... 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 Tristen Edwards ss....... 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 Kaylan Jablonski dp/p.... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 Madi Unzicker 1b......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 8 0 2 Olivia Ferrell p/dp...... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 Laura Barrow 2b.......... 3 1 2 0 1 0 2 3 0 Bree Boruff pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sarah Yocom 3b........... 3 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 Gina Metzler lf.......... 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Bri Cassidy c............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 28 3 7 2 4 5 18 9 11

Michigan State 4 (25-25,10-12)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Lea Foerster cf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 McKenzie Long dp......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Caitie Ladd ss........... 3 2 2 1 0 0 1 3 0 Kelcey Carrasco 1b....... 2 1 1 2 1 0 3 0 0 Joanna Bartz pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kaitlyn Eveland 3b....... 2 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 Laney Joyner 3b......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ebonee Echols lf......... 3 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 1 Katie Quinlan rf......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 Lindsey Besson c......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 Kelly Zackrison ph...... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Melanie Baccay 2b........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 Kristina Zalewski p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bridgette Rainey p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 23 4 7 4 3 0 21 5 5

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 300 0 - 3 7 0 Michigan State...... 112 000 X - 4 7 2 -----------------------------------------

E - K Eveland(8); K Zalewski(2). DP - MSU 1. LOB - NEB 11; MSU 5. 2B - Otte(8); C Ladd(7); K Eveland(7). HR - C Ladd(3); K Carrasco(6). HBP - Otte; Edwards. SH - Metzler(6). SF - K Zackrison(1). SB - Otte(10).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Olivia Ferrell...... 2.1 4 4 4 2 0 10 13 46 Kaylan Jablonski.... 3.2 3 0 0 1 0 13 14 43

Michigan State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kristina Zalewski... 3.0 6 3 2 2 2 14 19 60 Bridgette Rainey.... 4.0 1 0 0 2 3 14 16 66

Win - K Zalewski (15-10). Loss - Ferrell (9-8). Save - None. HBP - by K Zalewski (Otte); by K Zalewski (Edwards). Pitches/strikes: Ferrell 46/27; Jablonski 43/27; K Zalewski 60/36; B Rainey 66/40. Umpires - HP: Liz Hammerschmidt 1B: Bryan Smith 3B: Sally Keller Start: 4:30 p.m Time: 2:05 Attendance: Weather: Pretty nice K Zalewski faced 4 batters in the 4th. Game: NEB54