No. 9 Nebraska softball (3-1) took down No. 1 Texas (2-1) 8-5 and UTSA (0-2) 6-3 to go 2-0 on day two of the UTSA Invitational. The Huskers split the two-game series with the defending national champions with an 8-5 win. The Longhorns beat NU 15-10 on Friday, Feb. 6. The Scarlet and Cream defeated the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time since taking down Michigan 1-0 in 2016.
Nebraska had a bit of a hangover from the big victory. Although the Huskers came away with the win over UTSA, Big Red struggled to string together hits early but pulled away in the later innings.
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Huskers jump on Texas early
Nebraska and Texas each started a true freshman in the circle. Lefty Alexis Jensen earned her second career start. The Gretna, Neb. native allowed eight hits, five runs and struck out six in three innings. Right-handed pitcher Jordy Frahm replaced her. The three-time First Team All-American gave up three hits, no runs and struck out four in four innings.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Hannah Wells was pulled after two innings. She allowed seven hits, seven runs, walked one and struck out two. Lefty Brenlee Gonzales took over, giving up one hit, one run in one inning. Cambria Salmon closed the game for UT. She retired 12 straight Huskers, not allowing a hit or a run. She struck out three batters.
From the very first batter, Nebraska softball jumped on Texas. Frahm hit a lead-off homer on the second pitch of the game. Ava Kuszak smashed another home run for three RBI to take a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Longhorns didn’t stress, scoring two on three hits in the bottom of the first inning.
In the top of the third, Emmerson Cope sailed a three-RBI home run to deep left field. Wells’ day was done after giving up her third homer. But no pitcher is safe from a Husker home run. Lauren Camenzind crushed a solo shot to left against Gonzales for NU to go up 8-2 in the third.
Texas plated three in the third inning to close Nebraska’s lead to 8-5. Reese Atwood, who reached on a single, scored off a wild pitch. Leighann Goode, the next batter, smashed a home run for two RBI.
The Longhorns had runners knocking on the door in the fourth and fifth innings. But Frahm and her defense didn’t allow them to score. NU sat down all three Longhorns in the bottom of the sixth.
Nebraska couldn’t find any offensive momentum, having 12 straight hitters retired by Salmon. But it turned out they didn’t need any more runs. Frahm and Nebraska’s defense kept the Longhorns scoreless for four straight innings.
-Abby Barmore
Huskers pull away against UTSA
The Scarlet and Cream had to overcome a slow start in its second game of the day. UTSA outhit Nebraska 10-6, however Big Red still did enough to get the win.
Nebraska struck first after Hannah Coor drove in Frahm, who reached base after getting hit by a pitch. Hannah Camezind followed up and drove a single up the middle to bring Coor home to give NU an early 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Frahm launched her second long-ball of the day on an 0-2, two-out pitch. After hitting 18 home runs last year, the senior is already up to four in the new campaign.
Right-hander Kylee Magee started the game on the mound for Nebraska. Magee went 8-4 with a 4.38 ERA in 20 appearances last season. The Anaheim, California, native only went 2.2 innings before getting pulled, giving up an earned run, three hits and walking three batters.
UTSA got its leadoff hitter on base in each of the first two innings, but it wasn’t until the third where it capitalized. The Roadrunners drove in a two-out run in the bottom of the third to chip away at the Huskers lead. H. Camezind replaced Magee in the inning, going 2.1 innings and giving up two hits.
After a hot offensive start, Nebraska cooled off considerably, as the Huskers failed to record a hit in the third and fourth innings. However, Cope sparked new life in the fifth with a two-out double, followed by a two-run shot by H. Camezind. After Nebraska blanked UTSA in the bottom of the fifth, Carlie Muhlbach launched a leadoff homer to extend the lead.
As things started to go the Huskers’ way, the Roadrunners made a run in the bottom of the sixth. Jensen relieved H. Camezind on the mound inning, as she promptly allowed the Roadrunners to load the bases. A Nebraska fielding error and a UTSA single to deep center cut the deficit to 6-3. However, Jensen struck out the next two batters to escape the inning with minimal damage.
After the Huskers went three up, three down in the seventh, The Roadrunners opened up the bottom of the inning with a leadoff triple from Samantha Mundine. However, as UTSA’s Makalya Madrid reached first on a dropped third strike at the next at-bat, Mundine attempted to steal a run and was tagged out. That missed opportunity took out whatever wind was in the Roadrunners’ sails, as NU closed out the game.
Nebraska is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 8 for its second matchup with Washington at 10:05 a.m. The Huskers defeated Washington 8-5 in their season opener.
–Ben Beecham