Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. - The UNO softball team got a stellar pitching performance from Dana Elsasser, but it wasn't enough to overcome Nebraska, as the Mavs fell 1-0 in eight innings before a modern-day school-record attendance of 437 at Westside Field at Westbrook Wednesday night.

Nebraska's Taylor Edwards hit an RBI single to left field to score Mattie Fowler from third in the top of the eighth inning, and NU's Ashley Hagemann closed out the complete-game win in the bottom of eighth, striking out Katelyn Hinton with pinch runner Mollie Jones on first base after Lauren Larson's single.

The Mavs fell to 19-14 on the season. UNO dropped the season series to the Huskers, 2-0, with both losses coming by a single run. Nebraska improved to 27-16 on the season.

Fans were treated to a pitcher's duel for most of the game. Hagemann (19-13) recorded 17 strikeouts and allowed just four hits and two walks. Elsasser (11-7) struck out three and gave up seven hits, but walked no one and got solid defensive play behind her throughout the game.

The Mavs posed the first real scoring threat in the second inning after Amber Lutmer and Molly Negrete each hit one-out singles to put runners at first and second. But the Mavs were unable to move either across home plate, as Hagemann struck out two Mavs to end the threat.

In the top of the third, Nebraska placed runners on first and second with one out, but Elsasser got Gabby Banda to ground to third where Negrete forced out Madison Drake. Then Edwards ended a long at bat by fouling out to Negrete to retire the side.

With two outs gone in the top of the fifth and Huskers on second and third, Banda grounded out to Tonya Peterson to escape the jam.

Edwards led off the fifth inning for Nebraska with a single through the right side, but Ashley Guile grounded to Peterson for a 6-4-3 double play.

Negrete blooped a single down the left field line to open the seventh inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Emma Wright, but Hagemann struck out the Mavs' final two batters to send the scoreless game to extra innings.

Nebraska finally cracked the scoreboard in the eighth when Fowler led off with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt and to third on a groundout, setting up Edwards' game-winning hit that just rolled by the glove of a diving Peterson.

Negrete led UNO at the plate, finishing 2-for-2. 

The Mavericks return home on Sunday to host North Dakota on Senior Day at 12 p.m. The Mavs will recognize their six seniors between games of the doubleheader.