Huskers Open Doubleheader with 9-4 Win

Lincoln – The Nebraska softball team used a six-run fifth inning to rally for a 9-4 victory over Wisconsin in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.
 
Wisconsin (13-17) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and led 4-3 after four before Nebraska (16-14) sent 12 batters to the plate in its six-run fifth inning.
 
The big inning helped freshman right-hander Kaylin Kinney (1-1) earn her first career victory. Kinney went a career-long 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a career-high four strikeouts. Senior right-hander Olivia Ferrell started and went 1.1 innings, allowing three unearned runs.
 
Offensively, the Andrews sisters combined for five hits and five RBIs. Brooke, a sophomore, went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, setting career highs in hits and doubles. Billie, a freshman, was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a pair of RBIs. Freshman Caitlynn Neal scored twice, while Kinney helped her own cause with a 1-for-4 day that included an RBI single. Senior Tristen Edwards reached base in each of her four trips to the plate, drawing two walks – one intentional – and she was also hit by a pair of pitches.
 
Abby Herbst (0-2) took the loss for Wisconsin, allowing six runs (Five earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings.
 
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Friday, Wisconsin scored twice in the top of the first on Saturday. A bloop singles and a pair of errors loaded the bases with no outs. Abby Herbst then lined a two-run single to center to make it 2-0. Wisconsin still had runners on first and second with one out, but Ferrell got a strikeout and a double play to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the first, Billie Andrews and Edwards drew back-to-back one-out walks. But after a long at bat, senior Cam Ybarra hit a sharp grounder right to the second baseman, who turned it into an inning-ending double play.
 
In the top of the second, three walks filled the bases with Badgers with only one out. Kinney then relieved Ferrell and escaped the jam with another inning-ending double play.
 
Then in the bottom of the second, junior Peyton Glatter worked a leadoff walk. Neal followed with a single down the left field line, and a throwing error allowed senior pinch runner Sarah Yocom to advance to third and Neal to move up to second base. Brooke Andrews then lined a two-run double to the wall in center to tie the game at 2-2.
 
Kinney worked around a pair of two-out singles in the top of the third before Billie Andrews began the bottom of the third with a double. Edwards was then intentionally walked and Andrews tagged up and advanced to third on a deep fly out from Ybarra. Glatter followed with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt that scored Andrews and gave Nebraska a 3-2 lead.
 
Wisconsin regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth. A leadoff single, a stolen base and an RBI triple tied the game, before an RBI ground out put the Badgers on top 4-3.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Nebraska pulled away by scoring six times. Edwards was hit by a pitch, Ybarra followed with a single and Glatter walked to load the bases with no outs. A two-base throwing error then gave Nebraska a 5-4 lead. With runners at second and third, Brooke Andrews and Kinney produced consecutive RBI singles to push the lead to 7-4. With the bases loaded and still no outs, Wisconsin made a pitching change and recorded an out before Billie Andrews produced a two-run single up the middle to stretch the lead to 9-4.
 
 Kinney then did not allow a hit over the final two innings to wrap up her first career win.