Red Tops White in Husker Scrimmage

Lincoln – The Nebraska softball team held its annual intra-squad scrimmage at the Doris Bair Softball Complex Sunday afternoon, with the Red team earning a 16-13 victory.

The game lasted nine innings and Nebraska utilized a time limit for each half inning, so several innings were not played to completion. In addition to the time limits, the game was played on a non-regulation field – with fences shorter than the NCAA minimum distance requirements – which contributed to a total of nine home runs hit in the scrimmage.

Senior Kiki Stokes, junior MJ Knighten and sophomores Kaylan Jablonski and Madi Unzicker hit two home runs each, with senior Mattie Fowler accounting for the Huskers’ ninth home run. Stokes went 5-for-6 with five runs and four RBIs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the Red. Both of Unzicker’s hits for the Red squad were home runs, as she drove in seven runs. Fowler was 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and two RBIs, while junior Cassie McClure also produced a pair of RBIs.

For the White team, Knighten was 4-for-6 with five runs and two RBIs on a pair of solo home runs. Jablonski was 3-for-5 with five RBIs with two home runs. Sophomores Gina Metzler and Austen Urness each produced three hits with Metzler scoring five times and Urness driving in two. Sophomore Laura Barrow hit the game’s lone triple as part of a 2-for-3 day, while senior Alicia Armstrong and freshman Bri Cassidy each tallied two hits.

Stokes gave the Red a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the top of the first.

Jablonski answered in the bottom of the frame, launching a three-run homer that scored Knighten and Metzler to put the White on top, 3-1.

The Red got a run back in the top of the second, as Fowler led off with a single, advanced to second on an error and scored on an RBI single from McClure.

In the top of third, the Red used four unearned runs to grab a 6-3 lead. Stokes scored her second run of the game on an RBI double from classmate Dawna Tyson. Unzicker then gave the White a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly to score freshman Alyvia Simmons before Fowler capped the inning with a two-run homer.

The Red scored its sixth straight run in the top of the fifth, when Stokes slugged her second home run of the game to stretch the lead to 7-3.

The White cracked the scoreboard again in the top of the fifth. Knighten led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single up the middle from Metzler. Trailing 7-4, Urness lined a one-out, 0-2 pitch just fair down the left field line for an RBI double. Barrow then laced a two-run triple down the right field line that tied the game at 7-7.

The White regained the lead when Knighten lined a solo home run to center in the bottom of the sixth. Metzler then walked before Jablonski crushed a two-run homer to left center to push the lead to 10-7.

The Red came right back in the top of the seventh. With one out, Stokes doubled, Simmons singled and Unzicker lined a 1-2 pitch over the fence in center for a game-tying three-run homer.

Unzicker, Nebraska’s all-time high school home run leader, did it again in the top of the eighth, launching a three-run homer to stretch the lead to 14-10.

The White got a run back in the bottom of the eighth on a one-out, RBI single from Barrow.

In the top of the ninth, McClure singled and sophomore Rachel Arthur double to give the Red runners on second and third with one out. Stokes then blooped a two-run single to shallow right center that marked her fifth hit and gave the Red a 16-11 lead.

Knighten became the fourth Husker to hit two home runs when she led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo shot. Metzler scored a second run on a one-out single from Urness that trimmed the lead to 16-13 but the White was unable to score again before the inning time limit took effect.

In the circle, senior Emily Lockman recorded 12 outs over five innings for the White team in the time-limit format. Lockman officially tossed 4.0 innings and allowed only two earned runs. Jablonski pitched a total of four innings, officially throwing 3.2 innings and leading all pitchers with three strikeouts.

For the Red, McClure threw the first four innings and the final frame of the time-limit format, officially allowing four earned runs in 3.0 innings. Sophomore Caitlin Bartsch pitched two different stints for the Red, while classmate Taylor Kadavy – a transfer from Nebraska-Kearney – officially earned the win over her two innings of work.

With the intra-squad complete, Nebraska now turns its attention to its eight-game exhibition schedule. The Huskers open their fall schedule this weekend by facing South Dakota on Saturday at 11 a.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m. All eight fall games will be played at Bowlin Stadium with free admission.