Lincoln, Neb. - The No. 6 Nebraska rifle team defeated No. 12 Ohio State 4,698-4,684 in its season-opening match on Saturday. 

Three NU shooters finished in the top five overall. Defending smallbore NCAA Champion and senior captain Cecelia Ossi earned a first-place finish with an aggregate score of 1,182, while sophomore Tori Watts placed third with a 1,175 and sophomore Emma Rhode was fifth with a 1,173.

Ossi tied her personal-best score of 597 in the air rifle to grab first place. Her score also ties the second-highest in program history. Watts ended in third with a 594, and Rhode and freshman Charlie Mick tied for fourth place with scores of 593. Junior Mackenzie Strauch posted a 592, which ties her personal best to place sixth. Overall, the Huskers shot 2,377 as a team in the air rifle, the fourth-highest score in school history.

In the smallbore, Ossi ranked first with a score of 585, and sophomore Tori Watts finished in fifth with a score of 581. As a team, NU totaled 2,321 in the smallbore.

"It was a tough day on the range today," said Head Coach Mindy Miles. "Almost everyone struggled with some aspect of the match. Cecelia gave a great air score. Tori and Emma gave decent performances which can be built on next week. Charlie had a good start in air for her NCAA career with a 593. Kenzie almost hit her average I know she can post in air with a 592. Overall, we will be looking to add points we dropped as a team in smallbore at Air Force next weekend." 

Next, the Huskers will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face No. 7 Air Force Falcons on Oct. 15. 

HUSKERS SLUG FIVE HOMERS IN SATURDAY'S EXHIBITION

Nebraska baseball cruised to a 22-2 victory in 12 innings against Cloud County Community College at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskers scored 22 runs on 17 hits, while the Thunderbirds tallied two runs on eight hits and five errors.

Caleb Clark dazzled in the shortened start, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts in two innings. Tucker Timmerman surrendered a run on a pair of hits in two innings of relief. Ty Horn and Ryan Harrahill threw one scoreless inning each, while Rans Sanders gave up an unearned run in one inning. Austin Berggren, Brooks Kneifl, Carson Jasa, Evan Borst and Casey Daiss each pitched one inning to combine for five scoreless innings for the NU bullpen. 

The Husker pitching staff combined for 15 strikeouts and surrendered just three free passes, with one walk and two hit batters.

Dylan Carey led Nebraska at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and four runs scored. Riley Silva had a 2-for-4 day with a double and a run scored. Tyler Stone and Ben Columbus launched three-run homers, while Hayden Lewis slammed a two-run shot and Cole Evans had a solo blast. 

The Husker offense went to work early in the open inning, plating four runs on two hits and a pair of Thunderbird errors. Carey reached on a two-out fielding error and later came around to score on a play that included an infield single by Case Sanderson and a throwing error by the Cloud County pitcher to break the scoreless tie.

Gabe Swansen drew a full-count walk to put runners on first and second, while Stone blasted a 414-foot three-run homer into the batter’s eye in center to stretch the lead to four in the first inning.

Cloud County plated its first run of the afternoon behind a pair of singles in the third. Back-to-back one-out singles and a hit batter loaded the bases, before a sacrifice fly lifted to right field made it a 4-1 game after three.

The Huskers responded with three runs on a pair of hits in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-1. Stone and Garrett Anglim drew consecutive two-out walks, before Columbus unleashed a 370-foot three-run homer inside the foul pole down the right-field line.

The Thunderbirds doubled their run production on the day with a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to cut the Husker lead to 7-2.

Nebraska answered with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh to enlarge the lead to 12-2. Anglim led off the inning with a single through the left side, while Columbus drew a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Dylan Hufft’s RBI groundout to third plated Anglim, followed by Cayden Brumbaugh’s RBI single through the left side that scored Columbus. Silva followed Brumbaugh with a single to center, setting up Carey’s 349-foot three-run blast into the left-field berm. 

The Huskers tacked on four runs on two hits and an error, highlighted by Lewis’ 391-foot two-run blast to right-center that grew that lead to 14 after nine innings.

The NU offense tallied a pair of three-run innings in the 11th and 12th to clinch the 22-2 victory. The BIg Red were led by Carey’s two-RBI double down the left-field line and an RB single from Aaron Manias in the 11th, before Evans led off the 12th with a 404-foot solo homer to left. A wild pitch plated NU’s 21st run of the day, while Rhett Stokes wrapped up the scoring with an RBI single to left field.

DALE NETS NATION-LEADING 19TH GOAL, HUSKERS WIN 4-2 ON SENIOR DAY

Lincoln, Neb. - Behind Eleanor Dale’s eighth brace of the season, the Nebraska soccer team defeated Iowa at Hibner Stadium 4-2 on Saturday afternoon in front of 1,390 fans. 

The Huskers improved to 9-2-3 and 3-1-2 in Big Ten play, while the Hawkeyes fell to 8-2-3 and 2-2-2 in the conference. 

NU held the offensive momentum early as the team took a quick 2-0 advantage in the first 10 minutes of the game. Dale started the scoring for the Huskers as she netted her 18th goal of the season in the fourth minute off an assist from Florence Belzile. Belzile dribbled through the Hawkeye defense and sent a leading pass into the 18-yard box, which Dale gathered and shot into the back of the net.

Then just four minutes later junior Sarah Weber tallied her seventh finish of the year off a cross from Abbey Schwarz. Schwarz’ pass was bounced around in the goal box before Weber gathered the rebound from the Hawkeye defense and scored. 

In the 33rd minute, the Huskers took a commanding 3-0 lead as sophomore Briley Hill came off the bench and scored her second goal of the season off assists from Belzile and Dale. Just 16 seconds later, Iowa scored its first goal of the game, as Elle Otto tallied a finish, assisted by Shae Doherty and Josie Durr. With a minute left in the first half, the Huskers were charged with a handball in the box and Zoe Bessert netted the penalty kick.

At the break, the Huskers held the 3-2 lead, while also holding the advantage in shots on goal (7-6). 

In the second half, Dale was the lone scorer for both teams as she recorded her nation-leading 19th goal of the season off the corner kick from Belzile in the 53rd minute. The assist marked Belzile’s third of the game and ninth of the season. 

The Husker defense held Iowa to only two shots on goal in the second half, as NU grabbed its third conference win of the season with the 4-2 victory.

In the goal, senior Sami Hauk played the entire game and earned her 20th career win. Hauk was joined by defender Lauryn Anglim, midfielder Haley Peterson and Dale who also played 90 minutes. 

Overall, Dale led the Husker offense with seven shots and was one of eight Huskers to record a shot as Anglim and Weber tallied two apiece. 

Up next, the Huskers stay home to host Maryland on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:05 p.m. (CT). Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. 

HUSKERS SPLIT PAIR OF GAMES IN KANSAS CITY

The Nebraska softball team continued its fall exhibition season on Saturday, splitting a pair of games at the Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City.

In the opener, Nebraska defeated Kansas City, 6-1. The Huskers then lost 1-0 to South Dakota State in game two.

Nebraska was strong in the circle on Saturday, allowing only two runs and just seven hits in 14.0 innings.

Offensively, Brooke Andrews and Sydney Gray both hit home runs on Saturday, with Andrews driving in four runs.

After playing twice on Saturday, Nebraska plays again on Sunday, when the Huskers host Creighton at Bowlin Stadium (free admission).

Game 1: Nebraska 6, Kansas City 1
Sarah Harness earned the win against Kansas City, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings. She allowed only two hits and struck out seven. Caitlin Olensky pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed one run on one hit.

Offensively, Brooke Andrews went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and four RBIs. Samantha Bland was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, while Sydney Gray also homered.

The Huskers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Gray’s solo home run two batters into the game. 

Nebraska extended its lead to 4-0 with a three-run fourth inning. Bland brought home the first run of the inning with an RBI single that scored Dakota Carter. Two batters later, Andrews doubled to center to score Caitlynn Neal and Bland and give the Huskers a four-run lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Harness worked around a leadoff double to keep the Roos scoreless. 

UMKC then got on the scoreboard with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth. 

Nebraska answered back with two runs in the top of the seventh. Bland led off with a double which set the stage for Andrews’ two-run homer.

Olensky then retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up the victory.

Game 2: South Dakota State 1, Nebraska 0
Game two was a pitcher's duel, and South Dakota State made a lone run in the top of the first inning hold up in a 1-0 win.

The Jackrabbits took advantage of a leadoff walk to start the game, scoring the game's lone run on a two-out, RBI double.

Nebraska had chances to answer in each of the first three innings but was unable to do so. The Huskers had a one-out base runner in the bottom of the first, a pair of base runners with one out in the bottom of the second and two leadoff base runners in the bottom of the third but could not produce a run. Double plays ended both the second and third innings.

Neither team mounted much of a scoring threat the rest of the way, as the Jackrabbits held on for the 1-0 victory.

Jordy Bahl took the loss, allowing one run in a complete-game effort where she fired a four-hitter and struck out 13.

MEYERS MAKES ALDS ROSTER

Former Husker Jake Meyers has made the Houston Astros’ 26-man roster for the American League Divisional Series against the Minnesota Twins, the organization announced Saturday morning.

 

Meyers appeared in 112 games in the regular-season and posted a .227 batting average with 16 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 33 RBI and 42 runs.

 

The former Husker has appeared in six games in two postseasons with the Astros, hitting .300 at the plate with a pair of RBI and two runs scored in the playoffs.

 

Meyers was drafted by the Astros in the 13th round (391st overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft. At the time of his MLB debut in 2021, he was the 37th Husker to play in the Majors.

 

A native of Omaha, Meyers was a three-year letterwinner at Nebraska from 2015 to 2017. The two-way standout was a third-team All-American as a junior and a two-time All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten selection. Meyers was a career .307 hitter and finished 17-4 on the mound with a 2.61 ERA and 112 strikeouts.

 

The five-game series between the Astros and Twins begins this afternoon, with first pitch set for 3:45 p.m. in Houston.