Ferrell Leads NU in 10-2 Win

Lincoln – Senior Olivia Ferrell was one out away from her first career no-hitter, as her performance led the Nebraska softball team to a 10-2 five-inning victory and completed a doubleheader sweep of the Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium.

Ferrell took a no-hitter into the fifth and final inning and quickly retired the first two batters. Following a walk, an error extended the game before a two-out infield single spoiled the no-hitter and the shutout. Despite narrowly missing the no-hitter, Ferrell (5-4) did not allow an earned run in a complete-game effort, tossing a one-hitter with five strikeouts.

Behind Ferrell’s effort, Nebraska (9-6) swept the doubleheader and clinched a series victory over Penn State (0-15) by winning the first three games of the four-game series. Vanessa Oatley (0-2) took the loss, allowing nine runs (seven earned) in 3.1 innings. Most of the damage was done in Nebraska’s eight-run fourth inning, the Huskers’ highest-scoring inning this season.

Offensively, Nebraska scored a season-high 10 runs and produced 11 hits, one shy of its season high. Eight Huskers scored at least once and six drove in at least one run. Freshmen Billie Andrews and Sydney Gray and junior Anni Raley paced the NU attack with two hits each. Andrews finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs, Gray was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs and Raley went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Senior Rylie Unzicker had a two-run double in her lone at bat of the game and classmates Tristen Edwards, Sarah Yocom and Cam Ybarra each drove in a run for the Big Red.

Nebraska grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a key Penn State error. Edwards was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and Billie Andrews followed with a bunt single. The runners moved up to second and third on a ground out from Ybarra. After a pop out, a ground ball to second was booted, allowing Edwards and Andrews to score the game’s first two runs.

Neither team mounted much of an offensive threat again until Nebraska erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-0 lead. Freshman Kaylin Kinney, Gray and Raley began the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Unzicker brought the two freshmen home with a two-run double to right. Raley then scored to make it 5-0 on a sacrifice fly from Yocom. Edwards produced an RBI double and Billie Andrews followed with an RBI single to make it 7-0. Ybarra then won a 12-pitch at bat with an RBI single for the sixth run of the inning. The inning was capped by a two-run double from Gray that pushed the lead to 10-0.

Penn State used a two-out rally to score twice in the top of the fifth. After the first two batters were retired, a walk and an error put Nittany Lions on first and third. An infield single then broke up the no-hitter and shutout and a passed ball allowed the final run of the game to score.

Nebraska and Penn State wrap up their four-game series Sunday at 11 a.m.