The 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team wrapped up its season-opening tournament with a 3-2 win against Utah Valley Saturday morning in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The Huskers won their final two games of the tournament to finish with a 2-2 record, with both losses coming to top-15 opponents. Utah Valley went 0-4 against a schedule that included four games against Power Conference opponents, including three ranked foes.

Kaylin Kinney (2-1) earned the win in relief for the second straight game. After throwing 4.0 scoreless innings against Long Beach State on Friday, Kinney had 3.1 innings of scoreless relief against Utah Valley. Kinney struck out two and did not allow a hit against the Wolverines. Sarah Harness started in the circle for Nebraska and allowed two runs on two hits in 3.2 innings.

Offensively, five Huskers produced a hit. Billie Andrews had a solo home run, while Bella Bacon had an RBI double and Samantha Bland added an RBI single.

Halle Morris (0-3) took the loss for Utah Valley, despite a strong effort in relief. Morris pitched the final 5.2 innings, allowing one run on only two hits.

Nebraska threatened to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Emmerson Cope hit a hard ground ball down the first base line with Brooke Andrews on second base. But Utah Valley first baseman Saige Nielsen made a diving stop and beat Cope to the bag to prevent a run.

Utah Valley then stranded runners at first and third base in the bottom of the frame.

In the top of the second, Sydney Gray and Bella Bacon had back-to-back doubles to begin the inning, with Bacon's double driving in Gray with the game's first run. After Bacon moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Katelyn Caneda, Samantha Bland scored Bacon with an RBI single to right.

Billie Andrews made it 3-0 Big Red when she led off the third inning with a home run to center field, the 45th home run of her career and her 75th career extra-base hit.

The Wolverines made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fourth when Peyton Hall hit a two-out, two-run homer to cut the Husker lead to 3-2.

It remained a 3-2 game heading into the bottom of the seventh. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch before a passed ball put the tying run at second base. Kinney then struck out Hall for the Huskers' first strikeout of the game. A ground out put Nebraska one out away from victory but also moved the tying run to third base for Utah Valley. The game then ended when Bland made a diving catch in shallow left field.

Nebraska returns to action next weekend with five games in three days at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M.

Post-Game Notes

  • Nebraska had three extra-base hits against Utah Valley. The Huskers have had nine extra-base hits in their last two games after having just one extra-base hit in the first two games of the season.
  • Sophomore transfer Bella Bacon had an RBI double in the second inning to produce her first hit and RBI as a Husker.
  • Freshman Samantha Bland had an RBI single in the second inning to record her first career hit and RBI.
  • Billie Andrews had a home run in the game, the 75th extra-base hit of her career. Andrews is just the eighth player in program history to record 75 extra-base hits.
  • Sophomore Alina Felix started in right field, her first start of the season.
  • Kaylin Kinney pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. She threw 7.1 innings of scoreless relief over Nebraska's final two games, earning the win in both contests.
  • Kinney and Billie Andrews were named to the All-Tournament team.

TIDERMAN HIGHLIGHTS NARROW LOSS AT MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor, Mich.- No. 3 Nebraska took on No. 2 Michigan at the Cliff Keen Arena in a top-five conference clash where they fell to the Wolverines 398.850-407.700. The afternoon was highlighted by an impressive career-best score of 15.00 registered by one of three team captains, Zac Tiderman, on vault. Tiderman just missed the title after Michigan’s Paul Juda collected first place with an unusual 15.10. On vault, the squad also managed to match the current team record on the event, set back in 2018 (73.200) for a strong performance on the event for the day.

Floor

The Huskers began the meet on floor exercise, putting up a score of 67.300, as a team. Toby Liang acted as lead-off for the squad, taking fourth place and tying with teammate Luke James (13.65). Nathan York followed scoring a 12.70. Chase Mondi underlined the event, collecting a second-place finish (13.90) for Nebraska. Sam Phillips, one of three captains for Nebraska, anchored the event with a solid 13.40.

Pommel Horse

Nebraska collected a combined 63.850 for the team score on pommel horse. Yanni Chronopoulos began the rotation, putting up a score of 12.00. Travis Wong scored a 12.50, while York put up a 12.70. Cooper Giles picked up the momentum after registering a 13.70, claiming second place for the senior. Captain Taylor Christopulos anchored the lineup with a fourth-place finish (12.95).

Rings

NU worked collectively to put up a 65.100 as a team. Chronopoulos led off with a season-best score and third-place finish (13.70). Wong followed with a 13.00, while Phillips registered a 13.50, respectively. Asher Cohen scored a 12.40. Chris Hiser capped the rotation with a 12.50.

Vault

Zac Tiderman highlighted the event after setting a new career-best score of 15.00 on vault, just .05 behind former Husker Charlie Giles’ impressive score of 15.05 in 2022. The Huskers matched the current team record for the vault set back in 2018 at 73.200 in today’s competition. Chase Mondi took sixth position (14.60), while Alex Nitache claimed fourth (14.75). James registered a solid 14.15. Christopulos once again anchored the lineup with a strong 14.70 for NU.

Parallel Bars

As a team, the Huskers put up a score of 64.70 on parallel bars. Toby Liang led off with a 13.25, and Cole Partridge scored a 11.70 respectively. Cohen locked in a 13.00 for the squad. Phillips picked up the pace with a strong 14.75, good for third place. Christopulos rounded off the rotation 13.00.

High Bar

On the final event of the competition, the Huskers registered a score of 64.700 as a team. Max Odden led the rotation with a score of 12.30. Partridge earned a score of 12.00. Liang picked up the energy with a solid 13.40, good for fifth. Tiderman registered a 13.75 on the event, claiming third place overall. Phillips closed out the afternoon with a score of 13.25

Up Next

The Huskers will return home to host Army and Greenville in a tri-meet on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Bob Devaney Center. The meet will commence at 1 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers. Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.

SCHUTZ BREAKS MILE RECORD ON DAY TWO OF TYSON INVITATIONAL

Nebraska track and field’s final day at the prestigious Tyson Invitational, hosted in Fayetteville, Ark., was marked by a school record, two titles and a trio of all-time marks.

Berlyn Schutz ran the women’s mile in 4:37.45 to break the school record during her third time running the race at the collegiate level. The freshman from Lincoln, Neb. pulled ahead in the last stretch to secure the win.

In the men’s shot put, Kevin Shubert brought home the title with a throw of 64-1 3/4 (19.55m), while Cade Moran took fourth with a 60-8 1/2 (18.50m). The Husker women put three athletes in the top five of the shot put, led by Mine De Klerk posting a 56-8 3/4 (17.29m) to place third. Kalynn Meyer and Amelia Flynt finished fourth and fifth in the event with marks of 53-8 1/2 (16.37m) and 52-11 (16.13m).

Last weekend at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, Niko Schultz improved his best 800m time to move to second on Nebraska’s all-time list. In Saturday’s race, Schultz bettered his time again to place third in the 800m invitational with a 1:47.75. In the open section of the men’s 800m, Gabe Nash pulled ahead at the last section to win his heat and place sixth overall with a personal-best 1:51.03.

Terrol Wilson highlighted the men’s triple jump with a personal-best 52-6 (16m) to place third, putting him at first in the Big Ten, tied for 10th in the NCAA and ninth in school history. Micaylon Moore jumped 50-10 (15.49m), finishing fifth. Rhianna Phipps claimed third in the women’s triple jump, leaping 42-6 1/4 (12.96m). Ashley McElmurry added a 41-3 1/4 (12.58m) to take seventh, while Lotavia Brown jumped a season-best 40-11 (12.47m) to finish ninth.

Jenna Rogers placed second in the invitational section of the high jump with a clearance of 5-11 1/4 (1.81m), while Brooklyn Miller cleared a personal-best 5-9 3/4 (1.77m) in the open section to add a runner-up finish. In the men’s high jump, Tyus Wilson finished seventh in the invitational section with a height of 7-1 (2.16m) and Reid Nelson cleared 6-9 (2.06m) to tie for second in the open section.

Jessica Gardner tied for 10th in the women’s pole vault with a height of 12-8 3/4 (3.88m).

Kavian Kerr was NU’s top finisher in the men’s 200m, clocking a 21.32 to take 18th. Sam Kirchner ran a personal-best 4:12.16 in the men’s mile, placing 20th.

Tyrell Pierce, Jacob Hyde, Schultz and Nick Bryant placed eighth in the men’s 4x400m relay with a season-best time of 3:09.25. In the women’s 4x400m relay, Rebecca Pecora, Meghan Walker, Abrielle Artley and Johanna Ilves teamed up to run a 3:44.41, finishing 11th.

Nebraska is set to compete at the Nebraska Tune-Up on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Devaney Center Indoor Track. The following week, the Huskers will take on the Big Ten Indoor Championships Feb. 23-24 in Geneva, Ohio.

HUSKERS CLAIM FOUR EVENT TITLES AT MARYLAND

The No. 24 Nebraska women’s gymnastics team (4-4, 2-2 Big Ten) fell to the Maryland Terrapins (3-2, 2-2 Big Ten) by a score of 196.675-196.125 on Saturday evening at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. The Huskers notched their highest bars score of the season with a 49.425.

Martina Comin claimed the vault event title with a 9.900 and Kinsey Davis grabbed the bars title with a 9.975 that tied her career high. Sophia McClelland won the beam event with a 9.875, and Emma Spence earned the all-around title with a 39.350.

Whitney Jencks notched a career high on bars with a 9.875, and Isabel Sikon tied her career high of 9.800 on vault. 

Rotation One
The Huskers started the night off on bars, notching a season-best 49.425 in the event. Davis led NU with a 9.975, which tied her career high and won the bars title. She has scored a 9.975 twice this season in the event. Spence posted an impressive 9.900. Jencks and Clara Colombo each recorded a 9.875, with Jencks’ being a career best and Colombo’s marking her season high. Csenge Bácskay (9.800) and Sophia McClelland (9.725) rounded out the lineup.

Rotation Two
The Big Red competed on vault and scored a 48.500 as a team. Martina Comin earned a 9.900 to lead the team. Sikon tied her career-high score with a 9.800 and Spence followed her with 9.725. McClelland (9.700), Ayzhia Hall (9.275) and Bácskay (9.275) finished out the rotation.

Rotation Three
Nebraska looked to bounce back on the floor and posted a 49.250 as a team. McClelland and Spence both scored a 9.900 to lead the team, with McClelland’s marking a season best and Spence’s tying her season high. Comin notched a 9.850 and Jencks and Bácskay followed her with 9.800s. Halle Rourke rounded out the rotation (8.975). 

Rotation Four
NU concluded the night on beam and scored a 48.950 as a team. McClelland led the Big Red with a 9.875 and Spence followed her with a 9.825 that tied her season high. Allie Gard and Bácskay both scored a 9.775, and Sikon (9.700) and Emma Simpton (8.950) finished out the lineup. 

Up Next
The Huskers will return home to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday, Feb. 17. The meet will start at 7 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on B1G+.

BIG RED FALL SHORT AGAINST RAZORBACKS

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska men’s tennis team (5-3, 0-0 Big Ten) fell just short in its match against the Arkansas Razorbacks (5-3, 0-0 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, losing 3-4. The Big Red will play again at the Dillon Tennis Center against Gonzaga on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. (CT).

To start off doubles play against the Razorbacks, No. 1 duo Anton Shepp and Nic Wiedenhorn took on UA’s Jared Horwood and Melvin Manuel. Court One had back and forth games, but the Huskers came out on top, Shepp and Wiedenhorn winning 7-5. Court Two’s Lars Johann and Calvin Mueller were next to finish, clinching the doubles point for the Big Red with their 7-5 win over Gerard Planelles Ripoll and Alan Sau Franco. With the doubles point decided, No. 3 duo Leo Linquet and Shunya Maruyama left the match unfinished against Connor Smillie and Jacob Sweeney, abandoned at 5-6. 

Recently ranked No. 113 Anton Shepp took an early and dominant lead over Božo Barun on Court Two to start singles play. Shepp took the first set 6-1, but dropped the second 2-6. The No. 2 matchup went to a third set tie break, and Shepp walked away with the win after taking a huge rally, and a double fault from AU. Shepp improved to 7-1 in spring singles play with the win.

On Court Six, Nikolay Sysoev had a massive set comeback from 1-4, winning five games straight to take the first set 6-4. Sysoev defeated Razorback Karlo Kajin, 6-4, 6-3, securing a singles point for NU.

Christiansen faced Benedikt Emesz on Court Five, and battled but fell 1-6, 3-6, giving UA its first point. Maruyama dropped his first set against Stefanos Savva on Court Four, but had a comeback set win in the second, winning four consecutive games after being down 2-3. Maruyama forced the third set, but was defeated by Savva, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6. On Court Three, Johann took on recently ranked No. 107 Melvin Manuel, and fell after three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7.

In the No. 1 slot, Muller took on Planelles Ripoll, and secured the first set 7-5. Planelles Ripoll came back fighting in the second set, taking it 6-3, to force a third set. With all other singles matches finished, and the team scores 3-3, the match-deciding point came down to Court One’s final set. Mueller battled, but fell short, defeated by Planelles Ripoll, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6.

It was the sixth matchup between NU and UA, and the Big Red fell to 0-6 against Arkansas.

Up next, the Huskers face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. (CT). Attendance and parking are free at the Dillon Tennis Center. Live stats and video will be available on Huskers.com, as well as live updates and content posted on X/Twitter at @HuskerMTennis.