The Nebraska softball team (28-9) moved to 8-0 in Big Ten Conference play after its 5-4 victory over Michigan State. Olivia Ferrell led the Huskers on both sides of the ball, smashing a two-out two-run homer in the top of the fourth and earning the save in the circle. 

Billie Andrews finished with two hits on offense and two RBIs while Cam Ybarra added with two hits, going 2-for-4. Kaylin Kinney (2-1) started in the circle for Nebraska, pitching four innings. Kinney struck out two while giving up six hits. 

Sarah Ladd (7-8) recorded the loss for the Spartans, who moved to 20-20 and 1-9 in the Big Ten. Ladd pitched five innings, giving up nine hits and striking out two. 

After two scoreless innings, the Spartans put up two runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, a single put a runner on and a double scored one. A single put runners on first and third. Abby Joseph stole home for the second run of the inning. The Huskers were able to get a strike out and a ground out to get out of the inning, but MSU went up, 2-0.

Nebraska responded in the top of the fourth with two runs of its own. With two outs, Abbie Squier hit a single up the middle followed by a two-run homer for Ferrell over the left field fence to tie the game at 2-2. 

Michigan State added one in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead. A walk and a single put a runner in scoring position. A fielder's choice marked the first out and put runners on first and third for MSU. A sacrifice fly out, scored one, making it 3-2, Spartans. 

The Big Red took its first lead of the game in the top of the fifth. Peyton Glatter led off with a single through the left side. Billie Andrews followed with a double, scoring Brooke Andrews, who was pinch-running for Glatter. Ybarra added a single, advancing Billie Andrews to third. Ybarra stole second to put two runners in scoring position. With two outs, Mya Felder hit a single through the left side, scoring Billie Andrews. The Huskers went into the bottom of the fifth up, 4-3.  

NU extended its lead in the top of the sixth with one run. Ferrell led off with a single up the middle while Ava Bredwell followed with a single to right field. With two outs, Billie Andrews hit a single to right field, scoring Camyl Armendariz, who was pinch-running for Ferrell. The Huskers went into the bottom of the sixth, up 5-3. 

MSU responded with one run in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer from Zaquai Dumas to make it 5-4, but the Huskers were able to hold the Spartans in the seventh for the win. 

The Huskers return to action this Tuesday, April 12, in Lincoln, Neb. NU will take on Iowa in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. CT at Bowlin Stadium. Fans can listen to the game live on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers.com with call from Nate Rohr and Mattie Fowler Burkhardt. The games will also be broadcasted live on the Big Ten Network. 

Game Notes

• The Huskers have claimed the first three Big Ten series this season. 
• Olivia Ferrell hit her second homer of the day with a two-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth inning. 
• This marks the first time Nebraska has started Big Ten Conference play, 8-0. 
• The last time the Huskers started conference play 8-0 was in 2004. 
• NU extends its win streak to 13. The last time Nebraska had a 13-game win streak or longer was in 2002 (the 2002 team went on to have a 23-game win streak).

NU Drops Heartbreaker to No. 26 Wildcats

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska men's tennis team (6-14, 2-3 Big Ten) ended the weekend 1-1 after a heartbreaking loss against the No. 26 Northwestern Wildcats (15-7, 4-2 Big Ten), 4-3 at the Dillon Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Action started with doubles play as the No. 2 team of Shunya Maruyama and Dario Huber won the opening match against Northwestern's Brian Berdusco and Simen Bratholm, 6-3. They have now won six of their last seven doubles matches and earned a ranking of No. 85 in the latest ITA Doubles rankings. In the No. 3 spot, the duo of William Gleason and Calvin Mueller knocked off Natan Spear and Trice Pickens, 6-4, to clinch the doubles point for Nebraska. 

On the No. 1 court, Victor Moreno Lozano and Nic Wiedenhorn's match was called at 5-5 against Northwestern's No. 58 team of Steven Forman and Felix Nordby and the point was awarded to the Huskers.
 
In singles play, No. 36 Forman beat Huber in consecutive sets, 6-1, 6-1, to give the Wildcats their first point of the match. Maruyama then dropped his match in the No. 3 spot to Pickens, who is ranked No. 118 in singles, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Northwestern took a 3-1 lead following a victory from Presley Thieneman in the No. 4 spot over Lozano, 6-4, 6-1.

Roni Hietaranta then rallied for the Huskers first singles victory of the afternoon as he defeated Nordby in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. It gave him his team high 11th win of the season and cut the Wildcat lead to 3-2. Mueller then proceeded to upset No. 94 Bratholm in a three-set thriller, 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4, to even the match at three. It was also his second consecutive singles win against a ranked opponent.

Berdusco clinched the matched for the Wildcats after besting Gleason in a three-set classic, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. Gleason managed to battle back to take the tiebreaker in the second set, but ultimately fell just short in the third.
 
Up next, the Huskers hit the road to continue conference play as they travel to Purdue on Saturday and Indiana on Sunday.

No. 26 Northwestern 4, Nebraska 3

Singles Competition:
1. #36 Steve Forman (NU)  def. Dario Huber (NEB) 6-1, 6-1
2. Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. #94 Simen Bratholm (NU) 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4
3. #118 Trice Pickens (NU) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-2, 6-1
4. Presley Thieneman (NU) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-4, 6-1
5. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Felix Nordby (NU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. William Gleason (NEB) 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3

Doubles Competition:
1. Victor Moreno Lozano/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) vs. #58 Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) 5-5, unfinished
2. #85 Shunya Maruyama/Dario Huber (NEB) def. Brian Berdusco/Simen Bratholm (NU) 6-3
3. William Gleason/Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. Natan Spear/Trice Pickens (NU) 6-4

Match Notes:
No. 26 Northwestern (15-7)
Nebraska (6-14)
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 3) Singles (1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6)

Huskers Secure Second-Straight Conference Sweep

College Park, MD. - The Nebraska women's tennis team (12-8, 5-3 Big Ten) defeated Maryland (14-5, 3-4 Big Ten) 4-0 Sunday morning at the University of Maryland Tennis Courts for its second-straight conference sweep. 

The Huskers started off strong in doubles competition. In the No. 3 spot, Ellie Kuckelman and Samantha Alicea took the match over Maryland, 6-1. In the No. 2 spot, Chloe Kuckelman and Isabel Adrover Gallego fell short to Minorka Miranda/Marta Perez Mur, 2-6. Securing the doubles point for the Huskers was Kristina Novak and Maja Makoric on Court 1, 6-2. 
 
To start singles play, Alicea swept Mary Brumfield in the No. 4 spot with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Up next, Chloe, playing in the No. 5 spot, won 6-3, 6-2. Novak played in the No. 1 spot and swept Cadar, 6-4, 6-2 to clinch the conference win for the Huskers. At the No. 2 spot, Adrover Gallego faced Perez Mur with their match ending unfinished. Makoric competed in the No. 3 spot against Maryland's Miranda, and in the No. 6 spot, Ellie faced Francesca Feodorov with both matches going unfinished. 

Up next, the Huskers will stay on the road and face Michigan on Friday, April 15 at 3 p.m. CT.

Nebraska 4, Maryland 0

Singles competition
1. Kristina Novak (NEB) def. Selma Cadar (UMD) 6-4, 6-2
2. Marta Perez Mur (UMD) vs. Isabel Adrover Gallego (NEB) 6-2, 4-3, unfinished
3. Minorka Miranda (UMD) vs. Maja Makoric (NEB) 6-7, unfinished
4. Samantha Alicea (NEB) def. Mary Brumfield (UMD) 6-0, 6-0
5. Chloe Kuckelman (NEB) def. Jojo Bach (UMD) 6-3, 6-2
6. Francesca Feodorov (UMD) vs. Ellie Kuckelman (NEB) 6-1, 4-3, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Kristina Novak/Maja Makoric (NEB) def. Selma Cadar/Mary Brumfield (UMD) 6-2
2. Minorka Miranda/Marta Perez Mur (UMD) def. Chloe Kuckelman/Isabel Adrover Gallego (NEB) 6-2
3. Ellie Kuckelman/Samantha Alicea (NEB) def. Jojo Bach/Francesca Feodorov (UMD) 6-1

Match Notes:
Nebraska 12-8
Maryland 14-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,5,1)

NU Scores Two In Spring Match Against Colorado

Lincoln, Neb. – Despite tallying more shots and corner kicks, the Huskers fell to Colorado, 3-2, Saturday evening in Nebraska's third of five spring soccer matches. 
 
Colorado struck first in the 21st minute with a goal from Kayleigh Webb and took a 3-0 lead after a penalty kick and a second goal by Webb in the first few minutes of the second half. 
 
The Huskers fought back with a goal in the 61st minute by Eleanor Dale, assisted by Florence Belzile. Belzile took a shot which was saved by the goalie who lost control. Dale then gathered the ball and scored a goal into the back left corner of the net. 
 
Nebraska then made it a one-score game after Abbey Schwarz gathered a header from Katie Stoneburner and found the goal. 
 
Cece Villa, making her third start of the spring season, collected four saves in 90 minutes of action. She was one of three Huskers to play the full time on Saturday, along with Stoneburner and Lauryn Anglim. 
 
Next week the Huskers travel to Kansas for their first and only spring road game. Nebraska will face the Jayhawks on Saturday, April 16 at 12 p.m. CT.