The Nebraska softball team fought back against No. 14 Missouri Saturday but the Husker comeback fell short in a 10-6 loss at Bowlin Stadium.
Missouri (15-2) was three outs away from a five-inning victory, as the Tigers took a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning. Nebraska came back to score five times in the fifth and had the tying runs on base and go-ahead run at the plate. After Missouri added an insurance run in the sixth inning, Nebraska brought the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom of the seventh but could not score a run.
Cierra Harrison (5-0) earned the victory as the Tigers improved to 15-2. Harrison allowed six earned runs in 4.1 innings after entering the game having allowed only one earned run in her first 30.0 innings this season. Marissa McCann picked up her first save of the year by tossing a scoreless sixth and seventh inning.
Kaylin Kinney (4-6) took the loss for Nebraska, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) in 5.0 innings. Emmerson Cope threw the final 2.0 innings and did not allow a run.
Cope also led the Huskers at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Billie Andrews also drove in two runs while pushing her hitting streak to 12 games.
Missouri scored on a Husker error to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but the Huskers matched the run in the bottom of the frame. Brooke Andrews doubled with one out in the bottom of the first and scored on a two-out RBI single from Cope.
The Tigers then scored six times in the top of the second to take a 7-1 lead. Missouri loaded the bases with one out on an error, a single and a hit batter. The Tigers took a 5-1 lead on back-to-back two-run doubles. A run-scoring Husker error and an RBI ground out pushed the lead to 7-1.
Missouri added single runs in both the third and fourth innings to stretch its lead to 9-1.
Needing to score at least one run to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth, Nebraska exploded for five runs. Ashley Smetter got the rally started with a leadoff single before Kinney walked. Caitlynn Neal then doubled to score Smetter with the first run of the inning. Billie Andrews followed with a two-run double that cut the lead to 9-4. Then with runners on first and third with one out, Cope delivered an RBI single up the middle. Katelyn Caneda capped the inning with a sacrifice fly that made it a 9-6 game. The Huskers had a chance for more with the bases loaded but a strikeout ended the inning.
Missouri got a run back in the top of the sixth. A leadoff double marked the end of the night for Kinney and following a sacrifice bunt, an RBI ground out pushed the Tiger lead to 10-6.
In the bottom of the seventh, the tying run came to the plate with one out after Cope walked and Bella Bacon reached on an error. But the next two Huskers were retired to end the game.
Nebraska wraps up its weekend with another game against Missouri on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Post-Game Notes
- The announced attendance on Saturday was 2,628, the highest attendance in Bowlin Stadium history.
- Nebraska plated a run in the first inning for the fourth straight game.
- The Huskers’ first-inning run marked just the second earned run allowed by Missouri pitcher Cierra Harrison.
- In the game, Nebraska scored six earned runs of Harrison in 4.1 innings after Harrison entered the game with one earned run (three total runs) allowed in 30.0 innings.
- Emmerson Cope had two RBIs, her second consecutive start with multiple RBIs.
- Billie Andrews went 1-for-4 with a double. She extended her hitting streak to 12 games while producing an extra-base hit for the seventh consecutive game.