11 Huskers combined for 14 hits as the Nebraska softball team (7-6) raced past CSU Bakersfield 10-1 in five innings. The Roadrunners fell to 3-12 on the season.
Courtney Wallace moved to 5-3 on the season after recording the win in the circle. The senior held CSUB to four hits while allowing only one run.
Reina Castillo (0-5) earned the loss for the Roadrunners. Castillo gave up 14 hits and 10 runs (eight earned).
Offensively, every Husker in the starting lineup recorded hits. Billie Andrews, Caitlynn Neal and Courtney Wallace led NU with two hits while freshmen Alina Felix and Talia Tokheim smashed their first career homers.
Lauren Randle led CSUB with two hits and the only run for the Roadrunners.
The Huskers got out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning after the Roadrunners committed three errors. Billie Andrews led off, reaching first after a CSUB fielding error. With two outs, Wallace singled to right field, Andrews was able to advance to third and scored after a throwing error as Wallace advanced to third. Mya Felder followed with a single. Felder advanced to second on a throwing error while Wallace stole home. Katelyn Caneda and Abbie Squier each added singles, while Felder scored on Squier’s hit.
The Roadrunners added one in the bottom of the third. A lead off double from Lauren Randle put a runner on second. A ground out advanced Randle to third. Reina Castillo singled to left field, driving in a run. NU worked out of the inning, holding the 3-1 lead.
NU extended its lead to 6-1 in the fourth. With one out, Alina Felix smashed a solo homer to left field for her first home run of her career. Singles from Billie Andrews, Caitlynn Neal and Wallace loaded the bases. Felder was walked, bringing home Andrews. Caneda drove in another run after being hit by a pitch. Squier looked to take advantage of the loaded bases, but a fly out ended the inning as the Huskers took the 6-1 lead.
The Big Red added four more in the fifth. Gray led off with a single followed by Felix being walked. A groundout from Billie Andrews advanced the runners to second and third. Brooke Andrews singled, scoring Gray. Felix added another run on the throw on the play. Neal doubled and scored after a two-run homer from Talia Tokheim, her first of her career. Ashley Smetter came in to pinch hit, recording her first Husker hit with a single to left center. The Huskers went into the bottom of the inning ahead, 10-1.
A double play in the bottom of the fifth ended the Roadrunners chances as NU completed the 10-1 run-rule victory.
The Nebraska softball team (8-6) was dominant Saturday night in a 15-0 run-rule victory over New Mexico (6-7). The Huskers used an eight-hit eight-run first inning to power past the Lobos in their fourth game of the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M.
10 Huskers combined for 13 hits including seven extra-base hits. Billie Andrews, Caitlynn Neal and Katelyn Caneda all notched two hits while Andrews led the Big Red with four RBIs. The junior finished with two doubles and one homer.
As the Big Red dominated offensively, Kaylin Kinney had an impressive showing in the circle as she moved to 1-1 on the season. The junior recorded a career-best eight strikeouts while shutting out the Lobos.
Taylor Snow (1-2) was in the circle for the Lobos, recording the loss. Snow pitched 0.2 innings, giving up eight hits and eight runs.
The Big Red dominated the first inning recording eight hits and eight runs. All nine Huskers in the lineup reached base. After Billie and Brooke Andrews recorded outs, the Huskers went on to put 13 Huskers on base. Caitlynn Neal and Courtney Wallace started with singles followed by a two-run double from Mya Felder. Ava Bredwell added a single, scoring Felder and advancing to second on the throw. Sydney Gray hit a single up the middle, scoring Bredwell. Katelyn Caneda hit a single while Alina Felix hit a two-run double. Billie Andrews cleared the bases with a two-run homer to center field. The Lobos made a pitching change as Bella Mitchell entered the circle. Mitchell walked Brooke Andrews and Neal before hitting Wallace to load the bases. A flyout from Felder ended the inning as NU went ahead, 8-0.
The Lobos looked to respond, reaching scoring position after two singles with two outs. However, Kinney recorded a strikeout to strand two for New Mexico.
Nebraska added one more in the second. Bredwell was walked and advanced to third after two wild pitches. On a passed ball, Bredwell scored to make it 9-0. Samantha Fohrman entered the game in the circle for New Mexico, forcing two ground outs and getting the Lobos out of the inning.
NU added five more runs in the third inning. Brooke Andrews led off with a walk, but she got out on the next play as Neal reached on a fielder’s choice. Talia Tokheim entered as a pinch hitter, adding a single to left field. Felder was walked to load the bases. Bredwell was hit by a pitch, scoring Neal. Gray followed with a walk, scoring Tokheim. Caneda hit a single to center field, scoring two while a ground out from Billie Andrews scored one. The Huskers took a 14-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning.
Caitlynn Neal opened the fourth inning with her first triple of the season to center field, but the Huskers were unable to capitalize, marking the first scoreless inning for NU of the game.
After holding the Lobos scoreless in the fourth, Nebraska added one more in the fifth. Ashley Smetter led off with a double and scored after Billie Andrews added a double of her own. The Huskers went into the bottom of the fifth ahead, 15-0.
Kinney held New Mexico in the final inning, recording two strikeouts and forcing a ground out as the Huskers secured the 15-0 run-rule victory.
