Huskers Play to 9-9 Tie in Scrimmage

Lincoln -  Team Tristen Edwards and Team Billie Andrews played to a 9-9 tie Saturday at Bowlin Stadium in the first of four intrasquad scrimmage for the Nebraska softball team this fall.

There was plenty of offense in the game, as the teams combined for 18 runs and 22 hits. For Team Edwards, freshman Caitlynn Neal led the way with a 4-for-5 day and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Sophomore Peyton Glatter joined Neal with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. Junior Ally Riley hit a grand slam for Team Edwards, while senior Samantha Owen was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and senior game captain Tristen Edwards was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.

Team Andrews was paced by freshman game captain Billie Andrews and juniors Olivia Ferrell, Cam Ybarra and Courtney Wallace, all of whom had multi-hit games. Andrews went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, while Ybarra was 3-for-5 with a pair of homers, three runs scored and three RBIs. Ferrell finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs, while Wallace went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a game-tying two-out RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning.

In the circle, freshmen Neal and Kaylin Kinney split the innings for Team Edwards. Kinney allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings with five strikeouts. She settled down after allowing a four-run first, pitching a scoreless frame in both the fifth and seventh innings. Neal tossed 3.0 innings and only one of the four runs she allowed was earned.

For Team Andrews, Wallace threw 3.0 scoreless inning, allowing only a single and striking out four. Ferrell was charged with four runs in 2.0 innings of work, while sophomore Karlee Seevers gave up five runs in 2.0 innings, but she also pitched the only 1-2-3 inning of the scrimmage with a perfect third inning.

Neal led off the game with a single to left center for Team Edwards and promptly scored on an RBI double from Edwards. Glatter followed with a single to put runners on first and second before and freshman Sydney Gray drew a walk two batters later to load the bases with one out. Samantha Owen then gave Team Edwards a 3-0 lead with a two-run single down the left field line.

Team Andrews answered back in the bottom of the first. The captain herself got things started with a one-out infield single before Ybarra launched a two-run homer to right to cut the lead to 3-2. Following the home run, Ferrell singled and Payton Huscroft walked. Then with two outs, Anni Raley was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Wallace delivered a two-run single up the middle to put her team on top 4-3.

Team Edwards loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second on a single from Neal, a walk to Edwards and a single from Glatter. After a shallow fly out, Gray drew a bases-loaded walk to score Neal and tie the game at 4-4.

In the bottom of the frame, Rylie Unzicker drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI double to the center field wall from Billie Andrews.

Neither team scored in the third inning. But in the top of the fourth, Team Edwards used a two-out rally to regain the lead. Neal began the inning with her third single of the day before Edwards was hit by a pitch. Kinney loaded the bases with a one-out single before Owen worked a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. Riley then gave Team Edwards a 9-5 lead with a grand slam to left center.

Ybarra answered with her second home run of the game to lead off the bottom of the fourth and trim the lead to 9-6. Team Andrews then got a runner to third base with one out but was unable to score her.

Two innings later, Team Andrews tied the game with a three-run sixth inning. Ybarra reached on an error to get things started before Ferrell blasted a two-run homer. Freshman Camyl Armendariz then reached on a one-out double and scored the tying run on a two-out RBI double from Wallace.

The game ended in a tie after Wallace worked around an error in a scoreless top of the seventh and Kinney worked around a single in a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Nebraska will host its second intrasquad scrimmage of the fall next Saturday at Noon. The scrimmage will be streamed live on Huskers.com.