No. 18 Nebraska softball rebounded in a big way from Saturday’s loss wtih a 12-4, mercy-rule win over Indiana Saturday at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln. The win evens the two-game series and is the Cornhuskers’ 13th in the last 16 games. A record crowd of 2,699 fans piled into Bowlin Stadium to take in the game.
Nebraska got on the board in the second. Kacie Hoffman led off the inning with a single. Ava Bredwell followed with a double to right. After a Bella Bacon walk loaded the bases, Lauren Camenzind’s infield single drove in Hoffmann to get the Huskers on the board. With the bases still loaded, Jordy Bahl was hit by a pitch, driving in Bredwell. Then Samantha Bland singled up the middle, driving in two to build Nebraska’s lead to 4-0.
A leadoff home run in the top of the third by Taylor Minnick got Indiana on the board and cut NU’s lead to three. But the Husker offense cranked into overdrive in the third. Hoffman again led off the inning with a hit, this time a double to center. Her pinch runner, Kennadi Williams, moved to third on Bredwell’s single to left. The next batter, Bella Bacon, squared to bunt. Ava Bredwell took off for second, trying to steal. The throw went toward second, but was cut off, as Williams broke for home. Williams beat the return throw, stealing home for Nebraska’s sixth run. Bacon was eventually hit by a pitch, and Bredwell was bunted to third and Bacon to second by Lauren Camenzind. A Bahl walk loaded the bases for Bland, who again came through with a two-run single. After Emmerson Cope reached on an infield single, Ava Kuszak singled to center, scoring Bahl to push the lead to 8-1. Hannah Camenzind’s two-run double to center pushed the lead to 10-1, while Hoffmann’s second hit of the inning gave Nebraska an 11-1 advantage.
The Hoosiers loaded the bases in the fourth and Avery Parker hit a three-run double to cut the Huskers’ lead to 11-4. But in the bottom of the fifth, Kuszak led off the inning with a double to right. Hannah Camenzind reached on an error by the second baseman, moving Kuszak to third. A walk to Hoffman loaded the bases with no outs. After Bredwell fouled out to the first baseman, Bacon hit a grounder to second, which IU second baseman Aly VanBrandt fielded and threw home to force out Kuszak for the second out. But then the ninth hitter in the Husker order, Lauren Camenzind, lined a single back up the middle to score her twin sister, Hannah, sealing the run-rule win.
Kylee Magee (6-3) earned the win in the circle for the Huskers, allowing four earned runs in four innings while pitching around six walks. Jasmine Reyes (6-4) took the loss for IU, allowing three earned runs in 0.2 innings. Hoffmann led a balanced Husker offense with three hits and a walk, including a double and an RBI. Bland drove in four runs on two hits for Nebraska.
The Huskers now prepare to take on Washington in a three-game series starting Friday night in Seattle. First pitch is slated for 8 p.m.