CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Seattle University softball (9-6) crafted opportunities, recording five hits against No. 6 ranked Nebraska (11-5) in its finale at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, but could not complete the upset bid, falling 9-0 to the Cornhuskers at Yankee Field on Sunday morning.
Junior Avari Morris led the team, recording a hit while pitching 2.0 innings of the contest. In that time span, the dual threat did not concede a hit or a run. Morris faced six batters and struck out two, leading back-to-back 1-2-3 innings from the circle.
Senior Taylor Fitch recorded a hit for extra bases, posting the lone double of the game for SU. Fitch extended her hit streak to six straight games. She has a team leading 23 hits recorded on the season following the weekend.
Junior Mikee Morris in her return tacked on a base hit to grab six total in five games since debuting against California Baptist. Graduate Jay Ross and sophomore Abbie Fales rounded out the group with singles.
Five pitchers saw action in Seattle U’s ranked matchup, with junior Berkley Vance earning the start. She pitched 2.0 innings and faced nine batters while striking out one. Morris led the group with two strikeouts and two scoreless innings.
Junior Karen Spadafora led the defense with four putouts, while junior Sophia Kissling, freshman Audrey Borup and Ross all recorded three. Avari Morris paced the team with two assists.
Vance opened the game with a five pitch strike out, getting Nebraska swinging before the Cornhuskers put up a pair of runs in the top of the first. Mikee Morris grabbed SU’s first hit of the game in the bottom of the first facing one out but the Redhawks could not get the responding run. The two defenses exchanged three up, three down in the second before the Huskers built their lead to six behind a four run third inning. Avari Morris notched her single in the bottom of the third.
Avari Morris entered the circle in the top of the fourth, picking up a backwards K to strand a Husker. She captured her second strike out in the top of the fifth while guiding the Redhawk defense to another 1-2-3 inning.
Ross and Fales opened the bottom of the fifth with back to back singles to get two runners on. With Ross in scoring position, the Huskers kept SU from striking back, keeping the score 6-0 after the fifth.
Nebraska moved to 9-0 in the contest in the top of the sixth behind a 3 RBI homer facing one out. Sophomore Maya Mesa entered for the final two Husker batters as Kissling and freshman Audrey Borup collected the final two Nebraska outs. No strangers to deficits all weekend long, the Redhawks faced the run-rule for the second time on the weekend. Fitch delivered a double facing an out but the Redhawks could not avoid the shut out as Nebraska shut the door with the final two outs to take the game 9-0.
Seattle U returns to action next week for its final preseason tournament. The Redhawks travel back to California for the Judi Garman Class hosted by CSU Fullerton.
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