I
Von Rentzell plays
many roles for NU
By Vince D’Adamo
Staff tteporter
It seems to matter very little
whether Gloria Von Rentzell plays
first or second base.
She continued her splendid de
fensive play to help the Comhuskers
whip out the brooms on Creighton
Wednesday, 5-1 and 3-0.
Von Rentzell made some stellar
back-handed stops on ground balls
and was also part of the game end
ing double play that sent the Lady
Jays packing.
An injury to Heather
Hanselmann, who had been start
ing at second base, has pressed Von
Rentzell into duty at second base.
With Hanselmann back in the lineup
Wednesday, Husker coach Rhonda
Revelle has placed Hanselmann at
first base while Von Rentzell re
mains at second base.
After a 2-for-3 effort in the first
game, Von Rentzell went 0 for 3 at
the plate in the nightcap. However,
her RBI groundout in the fourth
inning scored Ali Viola to give
Nebraska a lead it did not relin
quish.
“I was just telling myself to pro
tect the plate and make contact,”
Von Rentzell said.
After the Comhuskers 3-0 white
wash in the nightcap over their In
terstate-80 neighbors, she gave her
teammate Hanselmann credit for
‘7 wish I could start
over and keep her at
second base. ”
RHONDA REVELLE
Nebraska softball coach
her play at first base.
“She did an excellent job to
night,” Von Rentzell said. “I was
real proud of her.” Von Rentzell
filled in at third base as a sopho
more. Revelle said she had always
believed in the senior from North
Platte.
“I’ve never not had confidence
in Gloria,” Revelle said. “She seems
equally comfortable. I think the ad
j ustmcnt has been more mental than
physical.”
Von Rentzell has been called
upon to perform at many positions
during her four-year Huskcr career.
“She’s fun to watch,” Revelle
said. “I’ll be honest, I may have
missed the boat. I wish I could start
over and keep her at second base.
She’s always accepted her role.”
According to Von Rentzell, the
adjustment from first to second base
has been relatively minor.
“The only big difference is the
reactions and covering bunts,” Von
Rentzell said.
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Dusenberry, Stafford
lead Huskers to sweep
By Mike Kluck
Senior Reporter ——
Nebraska softball coach Rhonda
Revelle knew senior pitcher Cody
Dusenberry would be nervous about
starting her second game of the sea
son.
That’s why Revelle called
Dusenberry Tuesday night to let her
know she would be the Cornhusker
starter in the first game against
Creighton Wednesday night.
Dusenberry, who has started only
one other game and pitched just 1 1/3
innings this season, responded with a
one-run complete game victory.
The win helped the Huskers sweep
the Lady Jays 5-1 and 3-0 Wednesday
night at the NU Softball Complex.
Nebraska snapped a five-game skid
and improved its record to 33-18.
Creighton fell to 13-20.
Before Wednesday, Dusenberry last
played in a 3-1 loss against Cal-State
Sacramento on March 3. She had a
5.25 eamed-run average and had struck
out only three batters before earning
her first win of the season.
“I was nervous, but I knew I just had
to relax, be myself and have a good
time,” Dusenberry said. “I knew the
team was back there backing me up, so
I just did my thing.”
Dusenberry recorded a career-high
six strikeouts and walked only two
batters.
- “I just thought that i f she got her off
speed working, she would have a good
chance at beating them,” Revelle said.
“She was magni ficent with her change
up.”
Nebraska took a 2-0 lead in the
bottom of the second inning when jun
ior right fielder Sarah Sinclair’s two
out hit went under the glove of
Creighton first baseman Erin Fraser
and scored two runs.
Creighton cut the score to 2-1 in the
fifth inning but Nebraska responded
by scoring three runs in the bottom of
the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.
Two ground outs to Nebraska short
stop Ali Viola and a strikeout by
Dusenberry ended any Creighton
comeback hopes.
Dusenberry has had success against
the Lady Jays before. During her sopho
Travis Heying/DN
Nebraska first baseman Heather Hanseimann scores in the
first game of the Huskers’ doubleheader sweep of Creighton
Wednesday as Lady Jay catcher Susi Codoni awaits a throw.
Nebraska won the game 5-1.
more season, twoofDusenberry’s four
wins came against the Lady Jays. In
her freshmen year, she picked up Big
Eight pitcher-of-the-week honors af
ter pitching both ends of a double
header against Creighton.
“She was a surgeon tonight with
what she had,” Nebraska assistant
coach Lori Sippel said. “It doesn’t
matter in athletics what you have, as
long as you do with what you have
everything you got. Physically, men
tally, she’s there 100 percent every
day, and I think she’s got a heart bigger
than this field.”
Nebraska senior Stacie Stafford
recorded a shutout in the second game.
Stafford struck out nine batters while
giving up only three hits and improved
her record to 15-11.
The Huskers again scored their first
run on a Creighton miscuc in the fourth
inning. Viola reached first on a Lady
Jay error and then stole second. Ground
outs from sophomore catcher Jenny
Smith and second baseman Gloria Von
Rentzell advanced Viola home.
Nebraska added two runs in the
fifth inning when sophomores Heather
Hanselmann and Jamie Funkhouser
scored on RBI hits by seniors Karla
Knicely and Tobin Echo Hawk.
“That’s the best pitched double
header we had this yearRevelle said.
“Stacie’s been throwing pretty well,
but she’s had some tough luck. I know
this had to feel good to throw a shut
out.”
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