The Nebraska softball team opened its stay at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a hard-fought 3-2 loss to San Diego State in eight innings on Friday.
Nebraska (6-4) twice led by one run but struggled with situational hitting. The Huskers went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into three doubles plays.
Kaylin Kinney (3-3) took the loss in relief, although she did not allow an earned run in 2.2 innings. Emmerson Cope started and gave up one run in 3.1 innings, while Sarah Harness pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one run.
Offensively, Peyton Cody went 2-for-3 with a home run. Cope also drove in a run for the Big Red.
Allie Light (4-1) earned the win for San Diego State, which improved to 7-5. Light tossed 4.0 innings of scoreless relief for the Aztec.s
In a game full of scoring opportunities for both teams, Nebraska threatened in the top of the first inning. Gray doubled down the right-field line with one out and was at third base with two outs but was stranded there.
In the top of the second, Bella Bacon drew a leadoff walk and Brooke Andrews followed with a single. Caitlynn Neal then laid down a sacrifice bunt, and she wound up safe at first on an error to load the bases. Cope then gave Nebraska a 1-0 lead with an RBI ground out.
In the bottom of the frame, the first two batters were quickly retired before a walk and a single put runners on first and second. But Cope escaped the jam with a strikeout.
An inning later, San Diego State had runners at second and third with only one out. Makena Brocki tied the game with an RBI single through the left side but Nebraska was able to throw out a second runner attempting to score on the play.
Cody quickly gave Nebraska the lead again when she led off the top of the fourth with a home run to right center.
In the bottom of the fourth, a pair of one-out singles marked the end of the game for Cope. Harness came on in relief and recorded a three-pitch strikeout and a fly out to preserve the lead.
Nebraska could not escape a similar jam in the bottom of the fifth. Katie Goldberg singled up the middle with runners on first and second but for the second time in the game, Nebraska threw out a runner at home plate. Kinney then entered the game but her first pitch went to the backstop, allowing the tying run to score from third base. Kinney then got out of the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the sixth, Ava Bredwell and Cody had back-to-back one-out singles. Bella Bacon then hit the ball hard but lined into an inning-ending double play, the third double play turned by the Aztecs.
San Diego State stranded the go-ahead run at second base in the bottom of the frame.
In the top of the seventh, consecutive singles from Caitlynn Neal and Kinney put Huskers on first and second with one out but Nebraska was unable to plate a run.
The game headed to extra innings where each team started with a runner on second base. Billie Andrews was placed on second to start the top of the eighth but she was stranded there following a strikeout, a ground out and a pop out.
In the bottom of the eight, Kinney struck out the first batter before Alyssa Garcia lined a single down the left-field line to score the runner placed on second base.
Nebraska plays its second game Friday against No. 23 UCLA.
Post-Game Notes
- Nebraska played its first extra-inning game of the season and first since the next-to-last game of the 2023 season, an NCAA Regional elimination victory over No. 21 Wichita State.
- The Huskers had won four consecutive one-run games dating back to last season before dropping the one-run decision to San Diego State.
- Peyton Cody homered for the second time in three games. Cody has eight hits with two homers and four RBIs in her last four games.
- Emmerson Cope was Nebraska’s starting pitcher for the second straight game while pitching in her fifth consecutive game overall.
- Cope recorded her first career strikeout in the first inning. Then with two outs in the second inning, Cope walked the first batter of her career, snapping a streak of 8.2 innings without allowing a walk.
- Despite the loss, Kaylin Kinney did not allow an earned run. Kinney has yet to allow an earned run in 13.0 innings of relief this season.