Huskers Grab Third Run-Rule Victory of Weekend

The No. 18 Nebraska softball team continued its dominance at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M., with a 13-5 six-inning victory over the Montana Grizzlies on Saturday morning.

So far this weekend, the Husker bats have racked up 40 hits, 15 home runs and 22 extra-base hits while scoring 43 runs in three games, none of which went the full seven innings. 

Nebraska (6-2) hit five more home runs gainst the Grizzlies, giving the Huskers five home runs in all three games this weekend. It is believed to be the first time in program history that NU has had five home runs in three straight games.

Ava Kuszak led the offense on Saturday morning, going 3-of-5 and notching three runs and two RBIs and a home run in the process. Jordyn Bahl went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and three RBIs while Olivia DiNardo, Lauren Camenzind and Bella Bacon each had two hits. Bacon, Samantha Bland and Talia Tokheim joined Kuszak and Bahl with home runs in the game.

Emmerson Cope (2-0) claimed the win in the circle, as she pitched 2.1 innings of relief and allowed only one run. Kylee Magee started the game for the Huskers and allowed no earned runs in 2.0 innings, and Hannah Camenzind finished it out with 1.2 scoreless innings. 

Siona Halwani (2-3) took the loss for Montana. 

Montana struck first with a four-run first inning fueled by two Husker errors. After the two errors prolonged the inning, the Griz went up 1-0 on a Sveva Sweeney single that scored Presley Jantzi. Hannah Jablonski then knocked a three-run homer that extended the Grizzly lead to 4-0. 

In the bottom of the second, NU cut into the lead and made the score 4-1 after Lauren Camenzind, who reached base on a walk, was sent home by a Bacon RBI single. 

Cope and Bahl walked and Olivia DiNardo hit a single to load the bases in the bottom of the third, but the Huskers couldn’t convert and the Montana lead remained 4-1. 

Bland blasted her first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, and Talia Tokheim followed it up with a solo homer of her own to cut the Grizzly advantage to 4-3. Bacon hit the Huskers’ third straight home run to tie the score at 4-4. That marked the second time in two games that NU has hit back-to-back-to-back home runs.

Cope and Kuszak followed the homers with consecutive singles, and the Big Red grabbed a 5-4 lead on a Bahl RBI double that sent Cope across the plate. DiNardo’s second hit of the day scored Kuszak and Bahl and extended NU’s lead to 7-4. Kacie Hoffmann walked and Lauren Camenzind singled to load the bases for Bland, who started the inning with a home run. A Bland single sent DiNardo home, and Nebraska ended the inning with an 8-4 lead.

Jantzi singled up the middle to score Grace Lopez for the Grizzlies and make the score 8-5 in the top of the fifth.

Nebraska’s bats continued to dominate in the bottom of the fifth, as Kuszak kicked off the inning with her third home run of the weekend. Bahl immediately followed with a homer of her own. The Huskers held a 10-5 lead going into the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ava Bredwell and Hannah Camenzind each reached on a single, and Kuszak’s third hit of the day sent Bredwell home. Bahl scored Camenzind on an RBI ground ball, with Bahl reaching on an error. Hoffmann reached on yet another error, and Kuszak crossed the plate to close out the 13-5 run-rule victory for the Big Red. 

The Big Red will continue with Saturday’s action with a game against Northern Colorado at 12:45 p.m. (CT). The matchup is free to listen to on the Huskers Radio Network. 

Postgame Notes

• In the bottom of the fourth inning, Samantha Bland, Talia Tokheim and Bella Bacon hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, marking the second time NU hit three straight homers this weekend. 
• Ava Kuszak and Jordyn Bahl then hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning.
• Bahl and Kuszak have each notched a homer in all three games so far this weekend. 
• Kuszak tied career highs in runs (3) and hits (3).
• The Huskers have hit five home runs in three straight games for what is believed to be the first time in program history.
• Bella Bacon tied her career high in hits with two.