The Nebraska softball team scored in every inning but one Saturday as the Huskers evened their three-game series at Rutgers with a 13-5 six-inning win.
NU scored multiple times in four of its five run-scoring innings, including a three-run first and a five-run fourth. Eight Huskers had a hit in the game, nine scored a run and six produced an RBI.
Ava Bredwell led the way with a big day at the plate. Bredwell finished a single shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run. She scored twice and drove in three runs.
Caitlynn Neal went 2-for-3 with four RBIs while Katelyn Caneda was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Emmerson Cope also had multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
In the circle, Kaylin Kinney tossed a complete game to pick up her 15th victory of the season. Kinney (15-10) allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out two.
With the win, Nebraska improved to 24-16 on the season and moved to 7-3 in Big Ten play. Rutgers fell to 26-17 overall and 8-5 in conference action. Morgan Smith (8-9) took the loss, allowing seven runs in 4.0 innings.
Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate in a three-run first inning. Caneda reached on a one-out double before Peyton Cody and Samantha Bland drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Cope was then hit by a pitch to score Caneda with the game’s first run. Neal followed with a two-run single to give Nebraska a 3-0 lead.
Rutgers got a run back in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1.
The Huskers answered with a run in the top of the third. Cody led off with a single before Bland walked. A catcher’s interference call loaded the bases and pinch runner Alina Felix scored on a wild pitch. NU still had runners at second and third with one out but could not add to its 4-1 lead.
NU did add to its lead in the top of the fourth when Bredwell led off with a home run down the left field line. Following a pitching change, Billie Andrews walked and stole second before a Rutgers error put runners on first and third with one out. Bland then lined an RBI single to center to give the Huskers a 6-1 lead. Cope followed with a single to load the bases before Neal brought two runs home with her second two-run single of the game as Nebraska took an 8-1 lead. Bella Bacon made it 9-1 with a sacrifice fly one batter later.
In the top of the fifth, Bredwell doubled with one out and Billie Andrews followed with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Caneda then scored both runners with a two-run RBI single as the Husker lead grew to 11-1.
Rutgers fought back in the bottom of the fifth. A one-out RBI single cut the lead to 11-2 before a three-run homer pulled the Scarlet Knights to within 11-5.
Nebraska answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to bring the run-rule back into effect. Cope began the inning with a single before the next two Huskers were retired. Sydney Gray then reached on a two-out single before Bredwell drove a two-run triple to the wall in center to give Nebraska a 13-2 lead.
Kinney then worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth to wrap up the win.
Nebraska and Rutgers wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at Noon.
Post-Game Notes
- Nebraska scored 13 runs, marking the ninth time this season the Huskers have scored double-digit runs.
- The Huskers have scored double-digit runs at least once in each of their first four Big Ten series.
- NU posted its eighth run-rule victory of the season and third in Big Ten play.
- Ava Bredwell went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run. The three extra-base hits were a career high and marked the sixth time this season she has had multiple extra-base hits in a game.
- Bredwell now leads Nebraska with three triples this season and ranks second with 22 extra-base hits.
- Caitlynn Neal went 2-for-2 with four RBIs. The four RBIs were a season high and Neal now has nine RBIs in her last four games.
- Samantha Bland went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run score while setting a career high with two walks.
- Peyton Cody scored twice, her first game as a Husker scoring multiple runs.
