OKLAHOMA CITY ? Nebraska took advantage of a two-out error in the sixth inning on Friday and eliminated Kansas from the Big 12 Conference softball tournament with a 3-0 victory.
Kansas (32-27) played the league’s regular-season champions even until the sixth inning when the Cornhuskers (49-12) scored three unearned runs off Kirsten Milhoan.
See the 6Sports report on the game.
Briana Bates, Nebraska’s No. 9 hitter, led off the sixth with a walk. Milhoan retired the next two batters before Nicole Trimboli reached base on an error by second baseman Amy Hulse, who knocked down a ball hit in the hole between first and second.
“I wouldn’t call it an error,” KU coach Tracy Bunge said. “Amy did a good job to get in front of it, as hard as it was hit. I thought she did a good job knocking the ball down, keeping it on the infield and keeping the runner from scoring. None of us could believe it was an error.”
Nebraska cleanup hitter Amber Burgess then hit a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left field for a three-run home run.
Nebraska 3, Kansas 0
EHulse (12). DPKansas 1. LOBKansas 9, Nebraska 2. HRBurgess (7). SBGarvey (11), Ogee (26), Trimboli (4), Roethemeyer (15). SHTrimboli (3).
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“Kirsten played a super game and made one bad pitch,” Bunge said.
Burgess had been 1-for-9 in the tournament before belting her game-winning homer.
“I am really happy for Amber,” said Nebraska coach Rhonda Revelle, whose team was later eliminated by Oklahoma 10-2. “She had struggled a bit lately, so it was nice for her to come up with a homer on a full count. She just went for it.”
Milhoan (8-13) allowed three hits and two walks in six innings. She struck out two. Nebraska starter Leigh Ann Walker (21-6) allowed five hits and four walks in 62/3 innings. She struck out 10.
Kansas stranded nine runners.
“We didn’t get timely hitting when we had opportunities,” Bunge said.
The Jayhawks’ best opportunity was in the third inning when Dani May drew a leadoff walk and Erin Garvey followed with a single. With two outs, Walker intentionally walked cleanup hitter Leah Tabb to load the bases. Walker then struck out Courtney Wright to end the inning.
KU threatened again in the top of the seventh. Leah Hansen led off with a single, and Christi Musser drew a two-out walk. Peaches James relieved Walker and got Megan Urquhart to hit into a game-ending groundout.
“That ballgame was probably one of the most frustrating I’ve ever coached,” Bunge said. “They played their hearts out. It’s very disappointing, very disheartening.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what this team accomplished this season, and hopefully it’s not over.”
The Jayhawks will have to wait until Sunday night to find out whether their season is over. The NCAA will announce the field for its 48-team tournament at 6:30 p.m.
Bunge thought her team’s strong schedule, which included games against 20 ranked teams, would help the Jayhawks’ chances.
“You never know when it comes down to this time,” Bunge said. “We are on the bubble. If we had beaten Nebraska I’d be 100-percent sure we were in. Now we have to sit and wait.”
