The Nebraska softball team opened its stay at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a hard-fought 3-2 loss to San Diego State in eight innings on Friday.
Nebraska (6-4) twice led by one run but struggled with situational hitting. The Huskers went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into three doubles plays.
Kaylin Kinney (3-3) took the loss in relief, although she did not allow an earned run in 2.2 innings. Emmerson Cope started and gave up one run in 3.1 innings, while Sarah Harness pitched 1.1 innings and allowed one run.
Offensively, Peyton Cody went 2-for-3 with a home run. Cope also drove in a run for the Big Red.
Allie Light (4-1) earned the win for San Diego State, which improved to 7-5. Light tossed 4.0 innings of scoreless relief for the Aztec.s
In a game full of scoring opportunities for both teams, Nebraska threatened in the top of the first inning. Gray doubled down the right-field line with one out and was at third base with two outs but was stranded there.
In the top of the second, Bella Bacon drew a leadoff walk and Brooke Andrews followed with a single. Caitlynn Neal then laid down a sacrifice bunt, and she wound up safe at first on an error to load the bases. Cope then gave Nebraska a 1-0 lead with an RBI ground out.
In the bottom of the frame, the first two batters were quickly retired before a walk and a single put runners on first and second. But Cope escaped the jam with a strikeout.
An inning later, San Diego State had runners at second and third with only one out. Makena Brocki tied the game with an RBI single through the left side but Nebraska was able to throw out a second runner attempting to score on the play.
Cody quickly gave Nebraska the lead again when she led off the top of the fourth with a home run to right center.
In the bottom of the fourth, a pair of one-out singles marked the end of the game for Cope. Harness came on in relief and recorded a three-pitch strikeout and a fly out to preserve the lead.
Nebraska could not escape a similar jam in the bottom of the fifth. Katie Goldberg singled up the middle with runners on first and second but for the second time in the game, Nebraska threw out a runner at home plate. Kinney then entered the game but her first pitch went to the backstop, allowing the tying run to score from third base. Kinney then got out of the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the sixth, Ava Bredwell and Cody had back-to-back one-out singles. Bella Bacon then hit the ball hard but lined into an inning-ending double play, the third double play turned by the Aztecs.
San Diego State stranded the go-ahead run at second base in the bottom of the frame.
In the top of the seventh, consecutive singles from Caitlynn Neal and Kinney put Huskers on first and second with one out but Nebraska was unable to plate a run.
The game headed to extra innings where each team started with a runner on second base. Billie Andrews was placed on second to start the top of the eighth but she was stranded there following a strikeout, a ground out and a pop out.
In the bottom of the eight, Kinney struck out the first batter before Alyssa Garcia lined a single down the left-field line to score the runner placed on second base.
The Nebraska softball team lost a heartbreaker to No. 19 UCLA on Friday at the Mary Nutter Classic, as the Bruins scored five times in the bottom of the seventh inning en route to a 9-8 walk-off win.
Nebraska trailed 4-1 after one inning before scoring seven straight runs to take an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. But UCLA used five hits, a walk and an error to rally for the win. The Huskers (6-5) lost two games on walk-off singles Friday.
Nebraska’s offense produced eight runs, the most runs the Huskers have scored in 16 all-time meetings with UCLA. Billie Andrews powered the offense with a 3-for-5 day that included a pair of home runs, two RBIs and three runs scored. Samantha Bland doubled twice and drove in two runs, while Peyton Cody was 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a pair of walks.
Kaylin Kinney (3-4) took the loss for Nebraska. Kinney threw 3.1 innings of relief and was charged with five runs (four earned). She had pitched 3.0 scoreless innings of relief heading into the seventh inning against UCLA and on the season, Kinney had not allowed an earned run in 16.1 relief innings until the Bruins’ first run in the seventh inning.
Caitlin Olensky started in the circle for the Big Red and allowed four runs in 1.0 inning. Sarah Harness followed Olensky with 2.0 innings of two-hit, shutout relief.
Nebraska grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but missed a chance for more. Billie Andrews led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. A ground out moved Andrews to third before Ava Bredwell walked. With runners on the corners, Cody lined an RBI double to left center to score Billie Andrews. Brooke Andrews followed with a walk to load the bases but the next two Huskers were retired.
UCLA answered right back in the bottom of the frame. Mya Brady led off with a home run, and the Bruins loaded the bases with one out on a single, a walk and a hit batter. A two-run single to center gave UCLA a 3-1 lead before the Bruins loaded the bases again. A sacrifice fly one batter later pushed the lead to 4-1.
Billie Andrews cut into the lead with a two-out solo homer in the top of the second.
In the top of the third, Bredwell and Bella Bacon walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Caitlynn Neal then grounded a ball up the middle that ricocheted off the glove of Brady as Bredwell came around to score and cut the lead to 4-3. Bland then hit a sharp ground ball to second that was misplayed for another error, and Bacon came around to score the tying run.
Neither team scored in the fourth inning before Cody drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth. Bacon worked another walk with one out to put Huskers on first and second base. Following a strikeout, Bland came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double to center that scored pinch runner Mckinley Malecha and Bacon to give Nebraska a 6-4 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, UCLA had a runner at second base with one out following a leadoff walk and a wild pitch. A single to center put Bruins on the corners but Kinney found her way out of the jam with a shallow fly out to left and a strikeout.
The Huskers stretched their lead to 7-4 when Billie Andrews sent the first pitch of the sixth inning over the fence in left. Nebraska went on to load the bases with two outs but could no extend its lead.
Looking for an insurance run, Bland led off the top of the seventh with a double down the left field line. She moved to third with one out and scored on a two-out error as Nebraska pushed its lead to 8-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, the first batter was retired before a pair of singles and a throwing error put Bruins on second and third with one out. An RBI double cut the lead to 8-5 before a walk loaded the bases. An error on a potential double play ball then allowed two runs to score. With runners on first and third with one out and Nebraska clinging to a one-run lead, an RBI single tied the game. Emmerson Cope then came into the game in relief and gave up the game-winning single to the only batter she faced.
Nebraska returns to action on Saturday with a game against No. 23 Oregon set for Noon (Central)
