Huskers Open Fall with 7-6 Win Over Bellevue

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team opened its fall exhibition season Tuesday night with a 7-6, 12-inning victory over Bellevue at Bowlin Stadium. The exhibition was scheduled to last 10 innings but teams continued play after the game was tied following the 10th inning.

Nebraska scored three times in the bottom of the first and led 6-2 after plating three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. But Bellevue scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, and neither team scored again until the Huskers walked off with a victory in the bottom of the 12th.

Bellevue did not have a single base runner after the seventh inning, while Nebraska had at least one base runner in every frame from the seventh inning on. The Huskers finally won it in the bottom of the 12th when freshman Alexis Perry hit a ground ball to second base with the bases loaded and one out and Bellevue was unable to throw home in time to get the force out as senior Rachel Arthur scored the winning run for the Big Red.

Nebraska out-hit Bellevue, 14-5, in the win and did not commit and error, while the Bruins made three errors. But the Huskers were 4-for-20 with runners in scoring position which led to 13 stranded base runners.

After Bellevue was retired in order in the top of the first, senior MJ Knighten reached on a one-out double in the bottom of the frame before Perry walked and senior Cassie McClure singled to load the bases. Junior Kaylan Jablonski, the starting pitcher, then helped herself with a bases-clearing double to the gap in right center that gave the Huskers a 3-0 lead.

Bellevue answered back in the top of the third. A one-out walk marked the Bruins' first base runner of the game before Hannah Carter delivered Bellevue's first hit, an RBI double. Erin Sharpe followed with an RBI single as Bellevue trimmed the Husker lead to 3-2.

In the top of the sixth, junior left-hander Taylor Kadavy entered the game and hit the first batter she faced before a single put Bruins on first and second with no outs. But Kadavy bounced back to record a strikeout before coaxing an inning-ending double play.

Nebraska had a similar scoring opportunity in the bottom of the frame with runners on first and second with one out following back-to-back singles from freshman Marinda Bryant and senior Lotte Sjulin. Following a pop out, junior Gina Metzler drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Freshman Haley Donaldson then grounded a ball back up the middle where second baseman Michaela Miller showed good range to field the ball, but her only play was at second base and she was unable to beat Metzler to the bag, allowing Bryant to score and give Nebraska a 4-2 advantage.

Donaldson's two-out, RBI infield single gave Knighten a chance to bat with the bases loaded, and the senior All-American delivered a two-run single up the middle to stretch the lead to 6-2.

Bellevue answered back in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back walks and a wild pitch put Bruins at second and third with one out before Katie Franzen blooped an RBI single into shallow left field. A third walk loaded the bases and brought McClure into the game with the Huskers leading 6-3 but the tying runners on base. McClure fell behind Erin Sharpe 3-1 before Sharpe lined a three-run double to right center to tie the game at 6-6.

In extra innings, Bellevue failed to get a base runner, while the Huskers stranded two runners in the eight and one in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Arthur led off with a perfectly-placed bunt for an infield single. She moved to second on a wild pitch and went to third on a sacrifice bunt from Metzler. Sjulin and Knighten were then intentionally walked to load the bases with one out before Perry hit a sharp grounder to second base and the Bruins' throw home was not in time to get Arthur.

Perry had a double and the game-winning RBI in the win, while walking twice. Knighten finished 4-for-5 and drove in two, and she was intentionally walked twice. Jablonski added three RBIs while Donaldson drove in one.

In the circle, McClure earned the win while retiring 17 of the 18 batters she faced, including the final 17. She added 10 strikeouts in only 5.2 innings. Jablonski earned the start and allowed two runs on two hits in 3.0 innings. Junior Caitlin Bartsch tossed 2.0 innings of hitless, scoreless relief, Kadavy was charged with four runs on only two hits in 1.1 innings.

Nebraska continues its fall exhibition season on Sunday with a doubleheader against South Dakota beginning at 1 p.m.