Nebraska Softball Celebration, Nebraska v. Iowa Game One 2024 // Nebraska Athletics
LINCOLN -The Nebraska softball team swept a doubleheader from Iowa on Tuesday at Bowlin Stadium, posting walk-off wins in both games.
Bella Bacon hit a walk-off double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Nebraska softball team to a 1-0 victory over Iowa in game one of a Tuesday doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium.
Bacon’s game-winning hit was the lone hit of the game for either team with a runner in scoring position. Bacon’s hit made a winner of Kaylin Kinney, who tossed an 8.0-inning, six-hit shutout. Kinney (16-12) tossed the first extra-inning shutout of her career and her first shutout this season.
Offensively, Bacon drove in the game’s lone run and finished 1-for-4 with her clutch double. Samantha Bland and Sydney Gray each doubled and produced two hits for the Big Red, with Bland scoring the game’s lone run.
Nebraska improved to 26-19 with the win and moved to 9-6 in conference play. Jalen Adams (9-11) took the loss for Iowa (16-22, 4-12 Big Ten). Adams allowed one run in 7.2 innings.
The game’s first scoring threat came in the top of the third when Iowa had runners at first and third with two outs but Kinney escaped the jam with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nebraska loaded the bases with two outs. Gray doubled and Emmerson Cope and Peyton Cody walked before Bacon made solid contact but flew out to the warning track in center.
Iowa stranded a runner at third in the fifth inning and in the sixth, the Hawkeyes had runners at first and second with one out. Iowa then had runners at first and third before Kinney ended the inning with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the sixth, Bland led off with a double. She moved to third with one out following a ground out from Gray. Cope was then hit by a pitch and pinch runner Mckinley Malecha moved up to second base. But Nebraska stranded runners at second and third after a strikeout and a pop out.
Both teams stranded a runner in the seventh inning. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Bland and Gray began the inning with consecutive singles. The next two Huskers flew out before Bacon lined her double to the gap in right center, scoring Bland and setting off a celebration at home plate.
GAME TWO:
Ava Bredwell hit a walk-off two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to power the Nebraska softball team to a 7-6 victory over Iowa and complete a doubleheader sweep Tuesday at Bowlin Stadium.
Nebraska led 4-0 early and took a 5-3 lead into the seventh inning. But Iowa used a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. Bredwell answered with her seventh home run of the season to give Nebraska its second walk-off win of the doubleheader.
With the win and hte doubleheader sweep, Nebraska improved to 27-19 on the season and moved to 10-6 in Big Ten play.
Bredwell and Billie Andrews each had two RBIs in the game while Bella Bacon was 2-for-4 and Katelyn Caneda went 2-for-3. Samantha Bland was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs and Peyton Cody went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI.
In the circle, Sarah Harness started and re-entered the game in the seventh inning to earn the win. Harness (6-4) allowed three runs in 5.0 total innings. Emmerson Cope pitched 2.0 innings and gave up three runs.
Jalen Adams (9-12) took the loss for Iowa, which fell to 16-23 on the year and 4-13 in conference play.
Nebraska nearly grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Billie Andrews narrowly missed a leadoff home run. Andrews hit a deep drive into the wind in center and the ball had home-run distance but Iowa center fielder Grace Banes reached over the wall to rob a would-be home run.
The Huskers had two hits in the second inning but could not score.
Then in the third, Nebraska scored four runs. Caneda led off with a double and Brooke Andrews followed with a single. Billie Andrews lined a two-run double to left center to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead. Billie Andrews then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. With two outs, Cody walked and Bacon reached on an error to load the bases before a wild pitch brought home the fourth run of the inning.
Iowa got a run back in the top of the fourth on a solo home run.
In the fifth, Iowa loaded the bases with one out. A two-run single then cut the Husker lead to 4-3 and the Hawkeyes still had runners on second and third with two outs but the Huskers escaped further damage.
Nebraska got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. Bland drew a leadoff walk and stole second after the next two Huskers were retired. Cody then came through with an RBI single.
In the top of the seventh, a leadoff walk, a single and a three-run homer gave Iowa a 6-5 lead.
That set the stage for Bredwell’s big hit in the bottom of hte seventh. Cody drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch runner Alina Felix. After a pop out marked the second out of the inning, Bredwell launched a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left for the win.
Nebraska remains home this weekend when the Huskers host league-leading Northwestern in a three-game series at Bowlin Stadium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
