Cope Homers Twice, Scarlet and Cream Tie 9-9

Emmerson Cope registered two home runs, along with allowing only one earned run over three innings, as the Scarlet and Cream teams tied 9-9 in the first scrimmage of the fall softball season on Wednesday evening.

Cope led the offensive effort with her two home runs and six RBIs for Scarlet. Bella Bacon notched a home run for Scarlet and Olivia DiNardo and Malia Thoms posted a home run apiece for Cream. Kacie Hoffman added two hits for Cream, while Lauren Camenzind and Ava Kuszak had two hits each for Scarlet.

In the circle, Jordy Bahl pitched five innings for Cream, registering five strikeouts and only one earned run. For Scarlet, Hannah Camenzind pitched four innings and notched three strikeouts. Cope pitched three innings and allowed one run and no walks.

In the top of the first inning, leadoff hitter Samantha Bland got to first after being hit by a pitch. She stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before Bahl walked. Bahl stole second and Bland stole home for the Cream’s first run of the game. A DiNardo single drove Bahl home. Dakota Carter, who came in to pinch run for DiNardo, scored the final run of the three-run inning after Thoms was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Cream stretched the lead to 4-0 in the top of the second inning from a DiNardo home run. 

In the top of the third, Thoms homered to right field to make the score 5-0. 

Cream took advantage of Scarlet errors in the top of the fourth and Bahl crossed home for the team’s sixth run of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Kuszak reached base on a fielding error. She advanced to second, and Cope hit a home run to bring in Scarlet’s first two scores of the game and cut the lead to 6-2.

Cream answered with one run in the top of the sixth, as Katelyn Caneda scored off a Thoms double.

Cope hit a grand slam, her second home run of the game, in the bottom of the sixth. Bella Bacon continued the scoring, hitting a home run to send herself and Hannah Camenzind to the plate. Scarlet rounded out the six-run inning with an unearned run scored by Talia Tokheim.

Cream tied the game in the top of the seventh, as Bahl scored after a Scarlet error and DiNardo ran home off a Hoffman double.

The Huskers will host another scrimmage on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. at Bowlin Stadium.