The Nebraska softball team opened the Razorback Rumble with an impressive 13-3 six-inning victory over a strong Northern Iowa squad Friday morning at Bogle Park on the campus of the University of Arkansas.
Nebraska's offense came alive with 13 runs on 14 hits, including three home runs. The three home runs are a season high for the Huskers, while the 13 runs are the second-most runs Nebraska (9-10) has scored in 19 games this year.
A quarter of Huskers had multiple hits in the game and six players scored twice for the Big Red. Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 with her 50th career home run, while Caitlynn Neal was 3-for-3. Samantha Bland, Katelyn Caneda and Ava Bredwell - the Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters in the lineup - combined to go 5-for-12 with two doubles, a home run and eight RBIs. Bland and Caneda each went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs while Bredwell hit a two-run homer. Sydney Gray also homered for the Big Red.
Kaylin Kinney (5-6) earned the win in relief, allowing only one run in 5.0 innings. Sarah Harness got the start and allowed two runs in 1.0-plus inning.
Northern Iowa, the two-time defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions, fell to 9-7 on the season. Samantha Heyer (3-4) took the loss, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings.
After Nebraska stranded runners at second and third in the top of the first inning, Northern Iowa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, a ground ball got past Billie Andrews at shortstop. On the play, the runner from second base attempted to score but she was thrown out by Brooke Andrews. Nebraska was one out away from escaping the inning without allowing a run before a two-out RBI single plated the game’s first run.
Gray immediately tied the game when she led off the second inning with her fourth home run of the season. Samantha Bland followed with a single before Bredwell clocked a two-run homer with one out to give Nebraska a 3-1 lead.
UNI put up another run in the bottom of the second but had a runner thrown out at home plate for the second straight inning. With runners on second and third with no outs, a sacrifice fly cut the Husker lead to 3-2. Gray then cut down a runner at home on a ground ball to third base. A stolen base and a walk put runners on second and third with two outs before a strikeout ended the inning.
In the top of the third, Neal led off with a single and a one-out single from Bella Bacon put Huskers on first and second. An error then loaded the bases for Bland, who reached on an RBI fielder's choice that scored Neal and gave Nebraska a 4-2 lead. Caneda followed with a two-run double as the Huskers took a four-run lead.
In the top of the fourth, Billie Andrews led off with a home run to make it 7-2. Brooke Andrews and Neal followed with back-to-back singles. After a force out at second out, Bacon hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Brooke Andrews with Nebraska's eighth run of the game.
UNI got a run back with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the fourth that made it an 8-3 game.
In the top of the sixth, Billie Andrews led off with a single and Brooke Andrews followed with a walk. Neal then delivered her third hit of the game, an RBI single that stretched the Husker lead to 9-3. An error on a fielder's choice scored Brooke Andrews with Nebraska's 10th run of the game. Leading 10-3, Gray walked to load the bases with one out for Bland, who hit a two-run double to push the lead to 12-3. Caneda capped the five-run inning with an RBI ground out.
Northern Iowa threatened to extend the game, loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but a lineout ended the game.
Nebraska is scheduled to play again on Friday afternoon against Saint Francis.
Post-game notes
- Nebraska homered twice in the second inning and hit three home runs in the game. The three home runs were a season high and snapped a season-long four-game streak without a home run.
- NU stole three bases in the first inning. Prior to that, the Huskers had stolen more than one base in a game only once this season and never more than two.
- Billie Andrews led off the game with a single to extend her hitting streak to 14 games.
- Andrews also homered in the fourth inning. The home run was the 50th of her career, as she became only the third player in program history with 50 home runs.
- Sydney Gray and Ava Bredwell also homered in the game. Gray's homer was her fourth of the season while Bredwell homered for the second time this year.
- Caitlynn Neal went 3-for-3 in the game to match her career high in hits. It marked the fifth time Neal had three hits in a game.
- With her three hits, Neal increased her career total to 101, surpassing the 100-hit milestone.
- Katelyn Caneda had two hits and two RBIs, producing her first multi-hit and multi-RBI game of the season.
- Bella Bacon had two RBIs, her second game this season with multiple RBIs.