Another Wildcats Comeback Cut Short in 7-4 Loss to Huskers

4/29/2017 3:02:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

LINCOLN, Neb. – On a blustery day at Bowlin Stadium, Nebraska plated six runs in the first inning and was able to thwart a furious Northwestern rally to pick up a 7-4 win over the Wildcats in the first game of a doubleheader.

Northwestern now is 20-26 on the season, 6-11 in the Big Ten. Nebraska is 23-25, 12-7 B1G. The two teams are scheduled to conclude this weekend's series in Game Three immediately.

Next week, the Wildcats close out their home schedule by welcoming Illinois to The J for a 2 p.m. CT doubleheader Wednesday, May 3.

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Northwestern applied pressure right away in this one, but did not cash in on the opportunity. Sabrina Rabin reached on an error, Krista Williams singled and Morgan Nelson drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Huskers starter Cassie McClure went to a full count on the next Wildcat at the plate, then snuck a pitch just by on the black for an inning-ending K.

Nebraska did cash in on its first inning, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring six times. Morgan Newport started for NU and lasted one-third of an inning. She ended up charged with six runs when all three of Kenzie Ellis' inherited base runners came into score before the rally finally ended with a bases-loaded fly out.

From there Ellis was able to stabilize things in the circle for the Wildcats, who netted their first run in the fourth inning. Nelson opened the frame with her second double of the series, then scored when Ellis put a ground ball in play that was thrown away for an error, making it a 6-1 contest.

Nelson helped add another tally for NU in the fifth, driving in Rabin with a two-out single. Rabin had led off the inning and stolen second prior to Nelson's knock.

Nebraska scored for the first time since its first inning outburst with a two-out double in the sixth, making it a 7-2 contest.

In the top of the seventh, Rabin earned a full-count walk to kick off the frame, Williams beat out her second single and Panko walked for the third time to juice the bases with nobody out. Nebraska brought game one hurler Kaylan Jablonski into the circle in relief of McClure.

Against the new pitcher, Anna Petersen hit a deep fly ball to center that was caught but easily scored Rabin. Nelson followed with an RBI single that plated Williams and made it 7-4, giving NU runners at second and third after the throw to the plate.

Then, controversy. Sammy Nettling hit a ball to the shortstop that was booted for an error, moving Nelson to third and plating Panko. The umpires, however, succumbed to protestations from Nebraska and reversed the call, ruling that Nelson caused the error by interfering with the fielder. That kept the score 7-4 and put runners at the corners with two outs in the inning.

Ellis then launched a home-run distance ball directly over the foul pole in left field that would have tied the game…but it was ruled foul. She eventually walked to load the bases, but Nebraska finally got the last out and survived the onslaught.

Ellis ended up credited with one run allowed in 5.2 innings of relief, giving up five hits and three walks with a strikeout. Newport's loss moves her to 7-5 on the season.

At the plate, Nelson was 3-for-3 with a run, two RBIs, a double and a walk. Williams singled twice and Panko reached base three times via bases-on-balls.