Huskers Hold on For 5-4 Win

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then hung on for a hard-fought 5-4 victory over Illinois in the first game of a doubleheader on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

After being shut out Friday night, the Huskers scored once in the first and twice in the third to take the early lead. Illinois pulled to within 4-3 before Nebraska added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. That run proved crucial, as Illinois scored once in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out before junior right-hander Courtney Wallace retired the next to batters to preserve the win.

Wallace (6-4) earned the win in relief of senior right-hander Olivia Ferrell. Wallace allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.0 innings of relief. Ferrell started and pitched 3.0-plus innings, allowing one run on one hit.

Offensively, seniors Tristen Edwards and Rylie Unzicker each had two hits for Nebraska (12-10), while sophomore Brooke Andrews drove in a pair of runs. Edwards finished 2-for-2 with a double, and she drew a walk and was hit by a pitch. Edwards stretched her streak to 22 consecutive plate appearances reaching base safely, the third-longest streak in NCAA history. Unzicker was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Senior Cam Ybarra and freshmen Billie Andrews each had a hit and an RBI, while Peyton Glatter also drove in a run. Ferrell and freshman Kaylin Kinney also had one hit apiece.
 
Addy Jarvis (4-2) took the loss for Illinois (15-7). Jarvis allowed five runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings.
 
In the top of the first inning, an error and a walk gave the Illini runners on first and second with no outs. But Ferrell bounced back with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play.
 
Nebraska then took a 1-0 lead in an interesting bottom the first. Unzicker led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Billie Andrews. Edwards was then hit by a pitch for the third consecutive plate appearance in the series – and for the seventh time in the past five games – to put runners on first and second with one out. Following a lengthy delay where the umpires met - and warned - both coaches, Ybarra reached on an error to load the bases. Glatter then scored Unzicker with the game's first run on a sacrifice fly to center.
 
The Huskers added three more runs in the bottom of the second. Junior Anni Raley worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ferrell followed with a deep fly ball down the right field line that fell for a double to put Huskers on second and third with no outs. Brooke Andrews then grounded a 2-2 pitch down the left field line for a two-run double that scored Raley and senior Sarah Yocom to give the Huskers a 3-0 lead. Following a fly out, Billie Andrews walked to put runners on first and second with one out. After an out on the basepaths, Edwards singled with two outs and Ybarra followed with an RBI single to right that brought Billie Andrews home.
 
Illinois loaded the bases in the top of the third on a pair of one-out singles and a two-out walk but Ferrell escaped the jam with a pop up to second.
 
The Illini then scored twice in the top of the fourth. The leadoff batter was hit by Ferrell, which resulted in the ejection of Ferrell and Nebraska head coach Rhonda Revelle after both teams had been warned in the first inning. Wallace then had to come on in immediate relief, and she allowed back-to-back one-out singles to score one run before the second run came home on a two-out wild pitch.
 
A leadoff home run in the top of the sixth trimmed the Husker lead to 4-3.
 
The Huskers answered in the bottom of the frame. Unzicker singled with one out and advanced to second on an error. She then scored on an RBI single from Billie Andrews that pushed the lead to 5-3.
 
In the top of the seventh, an error and an infield single put the tying runners on base with no outs. After a fly out, a walk loaded the bases with one out. Delaney Rummell then delivered an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-4. With the bases still loaded, Nebraska got a force out at home on a ground ball to third baseman Brooke Andrews. Wallace then ended the game by coaxing a ground out to Ybarra at second base.