The Nebraska softball team erased a two-run deficit to rally for its third consecutive win, defeating Sacramento State 5-4 in its second game of the day Saturday in Las Cruces, N.M.

Nebraska (5-3) trailed 2-0 after two innings before tying the game with a pair of runs in the third inning. NU went on to build a 5-2 lead, and the Huskers held on after the Hornets scored a single run in both the sixth and seventh innings. Sacramento State had 11 hits in the game, including six leadoff singles in the Hornets' seven turns at bat. But Nebraska limited Sacramento State to just 4-for-19 with runners on base.

Kaylin Kinney (3-2) earned the win, scattering nine hits while allowing three runs with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Emmerson Cope picked up her second save despite allowing the first run of her career. Cope pitched the seventh inning and allowed one run on a pair of singles.

Offensively, Bella Bacon and Alina Felix both finished 2-for-3, with each producing their third consecutive game with multiple hits. Bacon led Nebraska with two RBIs, while Felix, Brooke Andrews and Peyton Cody had one RBI apiece. Cody's RBI came on her first home run as a Husker.

Caroline Evans (2-1) allowed five runs on seven hits in 4.0-plus innings to take the loss for the Hornets (5-2).

Sacramento State manufactured a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Haley Hanson led off with a single and stole second base. She moved to third on a Husker error and scored on a squeeze bunt.

The Hornets used a similar strategy to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the second. A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt put a runner at second base who scored on a two-out, RBI single.

A leadoff single for the third straight inning and a stolen base gave Sacramento State a runner at second with no outs in the top of the third. But Kinney responded with back-to-back strikeouts and a ground out to keep it a 2-0 deficit.

Nebraska put its first runner in scoring position in the bottom of the third. Caitlynn Neal drew a one-out walk before Brooke Andrews was hit by a two-out pitch. Ava Bredwell then singled to load the bases and Bacon delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single up the middle to tie the game.

Kinney worked around another leadoff single in the top of the fourth before Cody led off the bottom of the frame with a home right to right field to give Nebraska its first lead at 3-2. Alina Felix followed with a single before Smetter hit a ball that dropped in between three players in shallow right field, but Sacramento State was able to field the ball on one hop and throw to second in time to force out Felix. Caitlynn Neal then singled and Samantha Bland walked to load the bases with one out before Andrews stretched the lead to 4-2 with an RBI ground out.

The Huskers added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Bacon led off with a single - her second hit of the game - to force a Sacramento State pitching change. New pitcher Keeli Smith retired the first two batters she faced before Felix delivered an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2.

Sacramento State brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the sixth after the first two batters reached on consecutive singles. Kinney then coaxed a double play before a two-out infield single cut the Husker lead to 5-3.

The Hornets continued to try and rally in the top of the seventh. A leadoff single and a ground out put a runner at second base with one out. An RBI single then cut the lead to 5-4 but on the play, Nebraska was able to tag out batter as she tried to advance to second base. Cope then coaxed a ground out to end the inning.

Nebraska wraps up play at the Troy Cox Classic on Sunday with a rematch against Sacramento State at 10 a.m. (Central).

Post-Game Notes

  • Nebraska's win was its third straight, and the Huskers have come from behind in all three wins.
  • Bella Bacon had a career-high two RBIs in the game, her first career game with multiple RBIs. She finished 2-for-3 for her third straight game with multiple hits.
  • Alina Felix also finished 2-for-3 to produce her third consecutive game with multiple hits.
  • First-year transfer Peyton Cody hit her first home run as a Husker in the fourth inning. The homer was the 21st of her career.
  • Emmeron Cope earned her second save in three games for the Big Red.

13-RUN INNING POWERS HUSKERS PAST GRIZ

Behind a 13-run fourth inning, the Nebraska softball team rallied for a 15-4 five-inning victory over Montana in the first of two games Saturday at the Troy Cox Classic in Las Cruces, N.M.

The scoring outburst helped Nebraska overcome a shaky defensive start, as the Huskers trailed 4-1 after allowing four unearned runs in the first inning. Nebraska sent 17 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, producing 10 hits, including six doubles and home run. The Huskers also benefitted from three walks and one error in the inning.

Behind the big inning, Nebraska (4-3) set season highs for hits (16) and runs (15). The Huskers also had eight extra-base hits, another season high. All 10 Huskers who had an at bat produced a hit, with nine players scoring a run and eight producing an RBI.

Samantha Bland, Brooke Andrews, Ava Bredwell, Bella Bacon, Alina Felix and Ashley Smetter all had two hits apiece. Bland added a career-high two doubles, while Bredwell had a double and a home run as both players drove in two runs. Sydney Gray and Caitlynn Neal each had three RBIs to lead the Huskers.

In the circle, Nebraska’s three pitchers did not allow an earned run. Sarah Harness made the start and was charged with four unearned runs in 2.2 innings. Emmerson Cope (1-0) relieved Harness and earned the first win of her career by tossing 1.1 innings of two-hit, shutout relief. Caitlin Olensky then pitched a perfect fifth inning to wrap up the victory.

Grace Haegele (2-2) took the loss for Montana, which fell to 3-5 on the season. Haegele gave up five runs (four earned) in 3.0-plus innings.

Nebraska took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Andrews reached on a one-out single and was at second base with two outs following a stolen base. Bacon then brought Andrews home with a two-out RBI single to right field.

The Husker defense faltered in the bottom of the frame as Montana took a 4-1 lead, scoring four unearned runs. The first two batters reached on throwing errors before Nebraska missed a chance at an out on a soft infield single. Riley Stockton then hit a hard ground ball that deflected off a Husker glove for a two-run single. Following a wild pitch and a ground out, Jessica Stanfield delivered an RBI single to right with the first ball hit to the outfield in the inning. Grace Hardy capped the inning with an RBI single to left that made it a 4-1 game.

Nebraska still trailed by three until erupting for its 13-run fourth inning. The Huskers loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and an error. Felix then drove in the first run with a bases-loaded walk that marked the end of the day for Haegele. Peyton Cody came on to pinch hit and greeted new pitcher Emmalyn Brinka with a two-run double that tied the game at 4-4. Neal gave Nebraska the lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Cope. Bland followed with an RBI double that scored Ashley Smetter before an RBI bunt single from Andrews put Nebraska on top 7-4. Bredwell brought Andrews home with an RBI double, Nebraska’s fifth consecutive hit.

Leading 8-4, Montana finally recorded the second out of the inning but Nebraska was not done. After Cope singled, Gray hit a three-run homer to make it 11-4. Felix followed with a single and Smetter doubled to put Huskers on second and third. Neal then had a two-run double to make it 13-4 before Bland capped the 13-run inning with an RBI double that scored Neal.

Nebraska added to its lead in the fifth when Bredwell led off with her first home run of the season. Leading 15-4, the Huskers loaded the bases with only one out but could not produce another run. But it did not matter after Olensky made quick work of the Griz in the bottom of the fifth.

Nebraska takes on Sacramento State in its second game on Saturday.

Post-Game Notes

  • Nebraska scored 15 runs in the game, marking its first time scoring 15 or more runs since Feb. 25, 2023 against New Mexico (15).
  • NU also set season highs with 16 hits and eight extra-base hits.
  • All 10 Huskers who had an at bat produced a hit, while nine players scored a run and eight had an RBI.
  • Six Huskers produced multiple hits in the game, while five had multiple RBIs.
  • The Huskers scored 13 runs on 10 hits in the fourth inning. Through the first six games of the season, Nebraska’s season highs for a game were seven runs and eight hits.
  • Alina Felix had two hits for the second straight game, the first two multi-hit games of her career.
  • Bella Bacon produced a multi-hit game for the second straight game, a first in her career.
  • Ashley Smetter, who made her first career start at second base (second career start overall) went 2-for-3 to produce her first career multi-hit game.
  • Samantha Bland set career highs with two doubles and two RBIs.
  • Emmerson Cope and Ashley Smetter each set a career high with two runs scored.
  • Nebraska's freshmen pitchers Emmerson Cope and Caitlin Olensky combined for 2.1 scoreless innings against Montana. The two have thrown 7.1 scoreless innings through Nebraska's first three games in New Mexico.

HUSKERS PLACE SECOND AT QUALIFIERS

The No. 8 Nebraska rifle team finished second out of three teams at its NCAA Qualifier match on Saturday morning. NU shot an aggregate score of 4,703, while No. 10 Ohio State shot a 4,710 to place first and No. 12 Akron shot a 4,689 to finish third. 

Today’s score will make up half of the team’s qualifying score and will be combined with the Huskers’ best three scores from separate locations – 4,728 (at Air Force, 10/15/23), 4,722 (vs. West Virginia, 10/29/23) and 4,720 (at UTEP, 1/27/24). 

Four-time All-American Cecelia Ossi placed first overall with an aggregate score of 1,188. Sophomore Emma Rhode earned a third-place finish with a 1,182 aggregate total. 

Rhode shot a 596 in the air rifle to finish in first place, while Ossi placed third with a 595. The Big Red shot a 2,362 as a team.

Ossi, the defending smallbore national champion, placed first in the event with a 593, which ties the second-highest score in school history. Rhode finished fifth with a 586, and junior Mackenzie Strauch was sixth, also with a 586. The tiebreaker was determined by the number of 10-point shots by each athlete. NU scored a 2,341 in the smallbore to tie the fifth-highest score in program history.

The NCAA Rifle Selection Show will air at 5 p.m. (CT) on Monday, Feb. 19. The championships will take place on March 9-10 in Lexington, Kentucky.

HUSKERS DOMINATE AT RECORD-BREAKING MEET

Lincoln, Neb.- The No. 5 Huskers made impressive marks on the day, as they snagged the win in the tri-meet against Army and Greenville at home in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Big Red claimed five event titles in the historic meet, highlighted by captain Zac Tiderman breaking a school record for the high bar individual record after scoring a 14.65 and earning the title. The record was previously set by Anton Stephenson in 2018 with a 14.60. Freshman Chase Mondi also made history after being the first Husker to do a triple-full on vault in Nebraska school history. 

 

Floor

Nebraska began the tri-meet on floor, where the squad registered a score of 70.800 as a team, documenting a new season best at home and surpassing last season’s season-best team score on the floor exercise. One of the Nebraska captains, Taylor Christopulos, led the team by earning the floor title and collecting a new career-best (14.75). Sam Phillips, also a captain, followed closely earning a third-place finish and season-best score (14.15). Toby Liang notched a career-best (14.05), while Luke James put up a season-best (14.05), both tying in fourth position. Chase Mondi earned a 13.80.

 

Pommel Horse

On the second rotation of the evening, NU earned a team score of 67.300. Cooper Giles highlighted the event after snagging the title with a 14.65, a career-best for the senior. James Friedman put up a 13.20, while Travis Wong earned a 12.25, respectively. Yanni Chronopoulos impressed with strength after adding a new career-best to the accolades (14.00) and taking second overall. Christopulos anchored with a 13.20.

 

Rings

On rings, Nebraska scored a 64.800 as a team. Chris Hiser earned the event title with a season-best score of 13.85. James Friedman earned second overall (12.90), while AJ Morgan put up a 12.35, respectively. Travis Wong and Asher Cohen both registered a 12.85 on rings. 

 

Vault

The Huskers collectively notched a new season-best team score of 72.300 on vault. Chase Mondi made a historic impact on the event after being the first Nebraskan to do a triple-full on vault for the Huskers in history. The freshman earned second-place overall with a career-best 14.85. Chronopoulos registered a 13.50 for the Big Red, while James collected a 14.35 respectively. Tiderman impressed with a solid 14.75. Christopulos anchored with big marks and a season-best of 14.85.

 

Parallel Bars

Nebraska earned a team score of 67.400 on parallel bars. Asher Cohen and Sam Phillips shared the title, putting up a strong 14.10, a career-best for Phillips and just 0.06 below Cohen’s career-best. Friedman notched a 13.00 season-high, while Joey Pepe scored a 12.50. Toby Liang registered a 13.70, good for fourth.


High Bar

The Huskers impressed on high bar with each gymnast landing among the top-five and scoring a season-best team score (70.100). Tiderman notably made Nebraska history for the second time this meet, replacing the school record for the individual record on high bar with a score of 14.65, a new career-best for the captain. The record was previously held by Anton Stephenson with a score of 14.60 in 2018. Sam Phillips finished in second with a career-best (14.25). Chronopoulos snagged third position with a career-best routine (14.200). Joey Pepe landed in fourth (13.65) with a career-best. Cole Partridge took fifth overall (13.35).

Up Next

The Huskers are set to travel to California to compete in a quad against Cal, Air Force, and Stanford on Sunday, March 3, in Berkeley, California. The meet will commence at 2 p.m. (CT). Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.

HUSKERS WRAP UP PLAY AT THE GATOR

Led by Hamish Murray and Harry Crockett, the Nebraska men’s golf team finished play at The Gator in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday afternoon.

While battling inclement weather for the second tournament in a row, juniors Murray and Crockett produced the best individual performances for the Huskers.

Murray, the transfer from Sydney Australia, struggled in his first round, shooting a 76 (+6), but came back with two solid rounds of 69 (-1) and 70 (E). Crocket, the Oxted, England native, jumped out to a good start in the first round with a 68 (-2) and finished the next two with a 72 (+2) and 75 (+5). Both ended with 215 strokes over three rounds (+5) on the 6,701-yard par-70 layout of the Mark Bostick Golf Course and tied for 35th individually.

Also contributing for the Big Red was senior Gentry Scheve in his return to the lineup. He displayed consistency for the Huskers with rounds of 71 (+1), 73 (+3), and 72 (+2). He tied for 40th, sitting just one stroke behind Murray and Crockett at six-over (216). 
Rounding out the Husker contingent was sophomore Quinn Yost, finishing with 226 strokes (+16) and tying for 75th, and senior Evan Myers, with 230 strokes (+20).

Nebraska finished 14th out of the talented 16-team field, with a total of 870 strokes (+30) after 54 holes. Host Florida won the team title with all five players in the lineup finishing in the top 25. The Gators finished at 814 (-26), three strokes ahead of their B-team who placed second.

North Florida’s Nick Gabrelick placed first out of all individuals at 13-under (197), narrowly beating his teammate in Andrew Riley at 12-under (198) in second place.

The Huskers will have a break before their next competition, when they will head to St. Simons Island, Ga., for The Johnnie O on March 10. Live updates and scoring can be found at HuskerMGolf on Instagram and X, and Golfstat.com. Complete tournament coverage will be available on Huskers.com. 

The Gator
Feb. 16-17, 2024
Mark Bostick Golf Course (University of Florida)
Par 70, 6,701 yards

Final Team Results
1. Florida - 276-262-276=814 (-26)
2. Florida (B) - 270-270-277=817 (-23)
3. North Florida - 273-276-278=827 (-13)
4. South Florida - 277-281-283=841 (+1)
T5. Florida Atlantic - 281-273-291=845 (+5)
T5. Furman - 279-285-281=845 (+5)
7. UCF - 285-283-284=852 (+12)
T8. Augusta - 286-274-295=855 (+15)
T8. Kentucky - 290-277-288=855 (+15)
10. Liberty - 285-282-294=857 (+17)
11. Jacksonville - 294-274-292=860 (+20)
12. West Virginia - 285-288-290=861 (+21)
13. FGCU - 285-288-290=863 (+23)
14. Nebraska - 287-287-296=870 (+31)
15. Penn State 295-283-293=871
16. Navy - 296-295-302=893

Final Individual Results
1. Nick Gabrelick, North Florida - 68-65-64=197 (-13)
2. Andrew Riley, North Florida - 68-64-66=198 (-12)
3. Ian Gilligan, Florida - 69-62-69=200 (-10)
4. Egor Eroshenko, UCF - 68-66-69=203 (-7)
5. Josh Ryan, Liberty - 68-69-67=204 (-6)
T6. Jake Peacock, South Florida - 67-70-68=205 (-5)
T6. Parker Bell, Florida - 65-72-68=205 (-5)
T6. Joe Pagdin, Florida - 70-65-70=205 (-5)
T6. Jack Turner, Florida - 68-66-71=205 (-5)
10. Ryan Hart, Florida - 68-65-73=206 (-4)

Nebraska Individuals
T-35. Hamish Murray - 76-69-70=215 (+5)
T-35. Harry Crockett - 68-72-75=215 (+5)
T-40. Gentry Scheve - 71-73-72=216 (+6)
T-75. Quinn Yost - 73-74-79=226 (+16)
T79. Reed Malleck - 75-73-82=230 (+20)

BIG RED BATTLE, FALL 3-4 TO OREGON

Eugene, Ore. - The Nebraska men’s tennis team (6-4, 0-0 Big Ten) battled, but fell short against Oregon (8-2, 0-0 Pac 12) in its Saturday afternoon match. The match came down to a three-set thriller at the No. 3 singles slot, and despite the team loss, yielded a Husker win over nationally ranked doubles Ducks.

To start off the eighth all-time matchup between the Huskers and the Ducks, Court One took a dominant lead. No. 1 doubles duo Anton Shepp and Nic Wiedenhorn only dropped two games in their victory over Oregon’s nationally ranked duo, No. 31 Quinn Vandecasteele and Matthew Burton, winning, 6-2. On Court Three, Leo Linquet and Shunya Maruyama had a 2-2 start, but dropped their set to Robertson and Shugar, 4-6. With the doubles point on the line, No. 2 doubles duo Lars Johann and Calvin Mueller came back from being down 2-5 to take the set win in a tie-break, 7-6(7). The Court Two win clinched the doubles point for NU and was the duo’s sixth win this spring.

In singles, No. 113 Shepp cleaned up on Court Two quickly, taking down David Cierny, 6-3, 6-1. At No. 4 singles, Johann wasn’t far behind, pushing the match score to NU 3, OU 0, with his 6-3, 7-5 win over Matthew Burton. On Court One, Mueller faced No. 93 Quinn Vandecasteele in his fourth match of the season against a ranked opponent. The No. 1 matchup went to three sets, but Mueller eventually fell to Vandecasteele, 4-6, 6-1, 1-6. Next to finish was No. 6 singles Nikolay Sysoev and Lenn Luemkemann. Sysoev kept it close in the first set, but lost the tie break, and then the second set, losing 6(5)-7, 4-6. It was Sysoev’s first singles loss of the spring. No. 5 singles Linquet had two close sets against Vanderstappen but was defeated 5-7, 6(5)-7, which pushed the match score to 3-3. Court Three would decide the match, and Maruyama and Vlad Breazu put on a three-set thriller. Maruyama took the first set 6-4 and fought from down 2-5 in the second set to push to a tiebreak at 6-6. Maruyama lost the second set, but battled until the end, losing 6(10)-7. Breazue finished strong, clinching the win for the Ducks, as Maruyama fell 6-4, 6(10)-7, 3-6.

Although the Huskers fell, their 6-4 start is a program best since 2019, and NU’s doubles teams came to play. With Johann and Mueller’s comeback win on Court Two, Mueller and the No. 2 doubles slot, improved to 8-2 in the spring. At No. 1, Shepp and Wiedenhorn secured a ranked win over No. 31 Vandecasteele and Burton, and moved to 5-3 in the spring. Shepp, who was recently ranked nationally at No. 113 in singles, got his ninth win of the spring to hold a 9-1 mark and is 11-3 overall.

Next, the Huskers return home to the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center to take on Texas Tech on Friday, Feb. 23. The match is set to start at 6 p.m. (CT), and admission and parking are free. NU will also host Tulsa, Sunday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. (CT). Live stats and video will be available on Huskers.com, as well as live updates and content posted on X/Twitter at @HuskerMTennis.

Nebraska 3, Oregon 4

Doubles competition:
1. Anton Shepp and Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) def. #31 Matthew Burton and Quinn Vandecasteele (Ore) 6-2
2. Lars Johann and Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. David Cierny and Ray Lo (Ore) 7-6, [9-7]
3. Lachlan Robertson and Avi Shugar (Ore) def. Leo Linquet and Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-4

Singles competition:
1. #93 Quinn Vandecasteele (Ore) def. Calvin Mueller (NEB) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
2. Anton Shepp (NEB) def. David Cierny (Ore) 6-3, 6-1
3. Vlad Breazu (Ore) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 4-6, 7-6(12-10), 6-3
4. Lars Johann (NEB) def. Matthew Burton (Ore) 6-3, 7-5
5. Zian Vanderstappen (Ore) def. Leo Linquet (NEB) 7-5, 7-6(7-5)
6. Lenn Luemkemann (Ore) def. Nikolay Sysoev (NEB) 7-6(7-5), 6-4

HUSKERS CLAIM CLOSE BATTLE WITH NITTANY LIONS

In a contest that came down to the wire, the Nebraska women’s gymnastics team (5-4, 3-2 Big Ten) conquered the No. 23 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-4, 1-4 Big Ten) by a score of 196.500-196.400 on Saturday evening in front of a crowd of 2,293 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Isabel Sikon and Ayzhia Hall tied for the title on vault, each with a 9.850. That marked Sikon’s first event title at Nebraska. Sophia McClelland claimed the floor title with a 9.925. Emma Spence and Csenge Bácskay split the all around title, both earning a 39.325.

Sikon registered a career-high 9.850 on vault, and tied her career high on beam with a 9.800. Bácskay also notched a career high on beam with a 9.825. McClelland tied her career high on floor with a 9.925.

Rotation One
The Big Red kicked off the night on vault and posted a 49.025 as a team. Hall and Sikon led NU, both with a 9.850. Sikon’s marked a new career high, while Hall’s was a season high, and the two tied for the event title. Emma Spence, Bácskay and Martina Comin all scored a 9.775, and Sophia McClelland rounded out the rotation with a 9.750. 

Rotation Two
Up next, the Huskers took on the bars and scored a 49.100 as a team. Clara Colombo and Kinsey Davis posted a 9.850 to lead the Big Red, followed by Spence and Bácksay with a 9.825. Whitney Jencks (9.800) and Emma Simpton (9.775) finished the rotation. 

Rotation Three
NU continued with beam, where Bácskay, Hall, and Spence all scored a 9.825 to lead the team. This marked a career high for Bácskay, and tied Spence’s season high. Sikon earned a 9.800, which tied her career high. Allie Gard followed with a 9.675, and McClelland rounded out the event with a 9.650. As a team, the Big Red scored a 48.950.

Rotation Four
To finish out the night and secure the meet, Nebraska scored a 49.375 on floor. McClelland tied her career high with a 9.925 to lead the team. Spence and Bácskay were both able to notch a 9.900, Spence’s tying her season high. Comin earned a 9.825, and Rourke finished out the lineup with a 9.775.

Up Next
The Big Red will travel to State College, Pa., to compete in the annual Big Fives meet on Friday, Feb. 23. NU will face No. 10 Michigan State, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 15 Minnesota and Rutgers. The meet will start at 5 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.