Huskers fall in softball title game
OKLAHOMA CITY — Molly Hill’s slow walk from the circle to the dugout was met with a hearty cheer from the Nebraska crowd and a handshake from her head coach.
As the most trying of NU softball seasons neared its conclusion here on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Rhonda Revelle said it was important to recognize everything that the Huskers, and especially Hill, fought through this year.
“After all that, she pitched her heart out this weekend,” said Revelle, whose Huskers wore the Cinderella label in the Big 12 championship game. “We had a good tournament, and because of that, all these guys have a really good snapshot of what it takes to play at this level.”
The No. 10 seed among 10 teams in the single-elimination tournament, a Nebraska team without a senior threatened to extend its string of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to 14 before falling 5-0 to regular-season champion Texas A&M at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
With a win, the Huskers (25-28) would have bumped a hopeful at-large qualifier, but even in defeat, NU can carry momentum into the offseason after winning its first three games in Oklahoma City.
On Saturday, the Huskers defeated a top-10 opponent in No. 7 Oklahoma, something they were unable to do either of the last two seasons.
“You can see now what this team can do,” junior Crystal Carwile said. “We’ve fought through so much and probably conquered more than a lot of people thought was possible.
“It’s just tough right now because we all really wanted the regional bid.”
Instead, the fifth-ranked Aggies (49-7) earned the automatic berth from the Big 12. Senior Megan Gibson (33-1) was named most outstanding player of the tournament after tossing her 16th shutout of the season.
The young Huskers managed only three hits, singles by Meghan Mullin, Ashley Guile and Julie Brechtel. Mullin finished the season on a 10-game hitting streak.
The Aggies, meanwhile, scored twice in the second, using four well-placed singles to take the lead. Texas A&M’s second run was controversial as shortstop Whitney Barrett appeared to bump into baserunner Jami Lobpries while attempting to track down Macie Morrow’s one-out bloop single.
The Aggies added three more runs after opening the fourth inning with singles from their Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters. Hill pitched into the sixth having delivered 443 pitchers in a 45-hour span.
“They didn’t hit her hard, they just found spots,” said Revelle, who wasn’t sure what to expect after opening the tournament with two one-run wins and then knocking off Texas Tech in Saturday’s nationally-televised semifinal.
“Emotionally, I knew we’d have a lot in the tank,” she said, “but physically, I didn’t know.”
Even after being shutout, Nebraska’s 16 runs in the tournament were two fewer than the Huskers had produced in their first 13 league games combined. NU’s all-tournament selections included Hill, Mullin, Carwile and Haley Long.
“We start right here,” said Carwile. “Playing like we did this weekend, we’ve seen the light of day. Now we need to go to work and keep chipping away.”
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
As the most trying of NU softball seasons neared its conclusion here on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Rhonda Revelle said it was important to recognize everything that the Huskers, and especially Hill, fought through this year.
“After all that, she pitched her heart out this weekend,” said Revelle, whose Huskers wore the Cinderella label in the Big 12 championship game. “We had a good tournament, and because of that, all these guys have a really good snapshot of what it takes to play at this level.”
The No. 10 seed among 10 teams in the single-elimination tournament, a Nebraska team without a senior threatened to extend its string of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to 14 before falling 5-0 to regular-season champion Texas A&M at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
With a win, the Huskers (25-28) would have bumped a hopeful at-large qualifier, but even in defeat, NU can carry momentum into the offseason after winning its first three games in Oklahoma City.
On Saturday, the Huskers defeated a top-10 opponent in No. 7 Oklahoma, something they were unable to do either of the last two seasons.
“You can see now what this team can do,” junior Crystal Carwile said. “We’ve fought through so much and probably conquered more than a lot of people thought was possible.
“It’s just tough right now because we all really wanted the regional bid.”
Instead, the fifth-ranked Aggies (49-7) earned the automatic berth from the Big 12. Senior Megan Gibson (33-1) was named most outstanding player of the tournament after tossing her 16th shutout of the season.
The young Huskers managed only three hits, singles by Meghan Mullin, Ashley Guile and Julie Brechtel. Mullin finished the season on a 10-game hitting streak.
The Aggies, meanwhile, scored twice in the second, using four well-placed singles to take the lead. Texas A&M’s second run was controversial as shortstop Whitney Barrett appeared to bump into baserunner Jami Lobpries while attempting to track down Macie Morrow’s one-out bloop single.
The Aggies added three more runs after opening the fourth inning with singles from their Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters. Hill pitched into the sixth having delivered 443 pitchers in a 45-hour span.
“They didn’t hit her hard, they just found spots,” said Revelle, who wasn’t sure what to expect after opening the tournament with two one-run wins and then knocking off Texas Tech in Saturday’s nationally-televised semifinal.
“Emotionally, I knew we’d have a lot in the tank,” she said, “but physically, I didn’t know.”
Even after being shutout, Nebraska’s 16 runs in the tournament were two fewer than the Huskers had produced in their first 13 league games combined. NU’s all-tournament selections included Hill, Mullin, Carwile and Haley Long.
“We start right here,” said Carwile. “Playing like we did this weekend, we’ve seen the light of day. Now we need to go to work and keep chipping away.”
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
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