Huskers.com
The No. 19 Nebraska softball team scored five two-out runs in the fifth inning en route to a 7-1 victory over the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday night at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla.
Jordyn Bahl made her return for the Huskers and collected the win in the circle. The Papillion, Neb., native tossed a complete-game five-hitter and allowed only one run. Bahl (1-0) also totaled seven strikeouts and did not walk a batter. She won a battle of first-team All-Americans as Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens (0-1) took the loss.
Offensively, NU got a runner on base in six of its seven innings and enjoyed six hits, three of which came from Samantha Bland, who had a double and two RBIs in addition to going 3-for-3. Bahl notched the first home run of her career – a two-run shot – to cap Nebraska’s five-run fifth inning.
Tennessee opened up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when a Sophia Nungent hit a two-out bloop double that scored Zoie Shuler, giving the Vols a 1-0 edge.
Nebraska answered back in the top of the fifth. After the first two hitters were retired, Abbie Squier singled before Lauren Camenzind reached on a Tennessee error. With runners on first and third, Bland reached on an infield singled and another Vols error allowed Camenzind, Squier and Bland to all score and give the Huskers a 3-1 lead. The Big Red continued its offensive assault as Ava Kuszak got on base with a line drive to right field before Bahl hit her first career home run to push the lead 5-1.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth and Nebraska maintained its 5-1 advantage going into the final inning of the night.
Lauren Camenzind walked to kick off the top of the seventh, and Bland notched her third hit of the night, a double to center field, to score Camenzind. Bland went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Kuszak sacrifice fly to make the score 7-1.
Tennessee put two runners on base with one out in the bottom of the seventh but the Huskers ended the upset when Kuszak, Camenzind and Bella Bacon combined for a double play to end the game.
The Huskers will continue NFCA Leadoff Classic action today with a matchup against Southern Miss at 3 p.m. (CT) and one against Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. (CT). Both games are free to watch on GameChanger and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.