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The No. 18 Nebraska softball team defeated the Montana Grizzlies 16-3 in five innings Sunday to post its fifth run-rule victory of the weekend at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M.
As a team, NU (8-2) hit .446 in the 5-0 weekend with 20 home runs while outscoring its opponents 69-9. The Huskers scored at least 10 runs in all five games in New Mexico, marking the first time in program history that Nebraska has scored 10 or more runs in five consecutive games.
Ava Kuszak powered the offense on Sunday with three home runs, tying the school record for home runs in a game. Kuszak became the third Husker to homer three times in a game. She finished 4-for-4 with six RBIs while Jordyn Bahl, batting behind Kuszak in the lineup, also went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple. The duo of Kuszak and Bahl went 8-for-8 against Montana and notched two doubles, a triple, three home runs, seven runs and seven RBIs.
Emmerson Cope (3-0) claimed the win in the circle. She pitched two scoreless innings of relief and struck out two batters in the process. Caitlin Olensky started for NU and allowed three runs in 2.0 innings. Hannah Camenzind came in for the final inning of the game and notched two strikeouts and allowed only one hit.
Kuszak put the Big Red on the board first with her fourth home run of the weekend to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Bahl notched the first triple of her career to follow and scored on an Olivia DiNardo groundout as NU took a 2-0 lead into the second inning.
Montana responded with a three-run second inning. The Grizzlies tied the score at 2-2 on an Anna Cockhill two-run home run before a Presley Jantzi homer gave Montana a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Nebraska regained a 4-3 edge. Abbie Squier singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, then Kuszak's second homer of the day scored them both.
Lauren Camenzind and Samantha Bland walked in the bottom of the third and Ava Bredwell singled to load the bases for Hannah Camenzind. Hannah Camenzind singled to score Bland and Lauren Camenzind and make the Husker lead 6-3. Squier then walked to load the bases for Kuszak, who registered a two-run single as Bredwell and Hannah Camenzind crossed the plate. Bahl’s third hit of the day scored Squier to make it 9-3. A walk to Cope loaded the bases for the third time in the inning. Kacie Hoffmann doubled to bring Kuszak and Bahl home. An RBI single from Lauren Camenzind then scored Cope. Bland then had an RBI ground out to cap the nine-run inning and extend the Husker lead to 13-3.
Kuszak continued the damage in the bottom of the fourth, knocking her third home run of the day, which tied the school record for most home runs in a game. Bahl then doubled and advanced to third, then home, on two errors by Montana. Cope singled and advanced to second after Alina Felix was hit by a pitch. Kennadi Williams then came in to pinch run for Cope, and Williams scored on another wild pitch to make the score 16-3.
Hannah Camenzind then closed out the run-rule victory with a scoreless fifth inning.
The Huskers will travel to Cathedral City, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic from Feb. 20-23. NU will open the tournament with a matchup against No. 24 Baylor on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m. (CT). All games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will be streamed on FloSoftball and can be heard for free across the Huskers Radio Network.
Postgame Notes
- Nebraska has now scored 10 or more runs in five straight games for the first time in program history.
- The Huskers outscored their opponents 69-9 in five games on the weekend.
- Ava Kuszak posted a new career high in home runs with three, which ties the school record for most home runs in a game. The most recent Husker to hit three home runs in a game was Kaylan Jablonski on March 17, 2018. Kuszak notched six home runs in five games at the Troy Cox Classic.
- Kuszak notched a new career high in RBIs with six and tied her career high with four hits.
- Kuszak and Jordyn Bahl, who are one and two in the batting order, went 8-for-8 with two doubles, a triple, three homers, seven runs and seven RBIs.
- Bahl’s triple in the first inning was the first of her career, and her four hits marked a new career high.
- The last time the Huskers started 8-2 through a season's first 10 games was the 2019 season.