Husker Offense Powers Past No. 16 Arizona

The Husker offense powered past No. 16 Arizona, 10-3, Saturday evening at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. 

Nebraska (13-6) totaled 10 runs on 16 hits to win its eighth consecutive game, while Arizona (13-6) recorded three runs on six hits. Seven of NU’s 16 hits were extra-base hits, including a season-high four home runs. 

Seven Huskers recorded multi-hit games. Leading the Big Red offense was Brooke Andrews who finished 3-for-4 on the day with a double and a homer and three RBI. Talia Tokheim and Ava Bredwell each added two hits and two RBI while Billie Andrews, Sydney Gray, Mya Felder and Katelyn Caneda all added two hits of their own. 

Jasmine Perezchica finished 2-for-4 with one RBI for Arizona while Taylor Biehl added a two-run triple.

Courtney Wallace took care of business in the circle for the Huskers, recording the win and moving to 7-3 on the season. Wallace pitched the complete game, holding the Wildcats to three runs on six hits while striking out three. 

Devyn Netz (6-5) earned the loss for Arizona. Netz pitched 2.1 innings, giving up five runs on six hits. 

The Huskers were the first to score with a lead off home run from sophomore Ava Bredwell. It marked Bredwell’s first homer of the season as NU went ahead early, 1-0. 

The Wildcats responded in the bottom of the second with three runs. Singles from Netz and Sophia Carroll put runners on first and second. A triple from Biehl scored two. Perezchica followed it with a single, scoring one, as the Wildcats took the 3-1 lead. 

The Big Red dominated the third inning, scoring five runs on six hits. Billie Andrews led off with a single. With one out, Gray doubled down the left field line as Andrews advanced to third. Singles from Felder and Bredwell scored two runs. 

Arizona made a pitching change in the middle of the third as Aissa Silva entered the circle. With two outs, Tokheim singled to center field, scoring Bredwell and Dakota Carter, who was pinch running for Felder. Brooke Andrews added a double to center field, scoring the fifth run of the inning and regaining the NU lead, 6-3. 

NU added another run in the fourth. Billie Andrews led off with a solo homer to left field. After a one-out single from Gray, Arizona’s Sydney Somerndike entered the circle and recorded the final two outs for the Wildcats. Nebraska led going into the fifth inning, 7-3. 

The Husker offense continued to shine, tallying two more runs in the fifth. Caneda singled to the shortstop, and Brooke Andrews followed with a two-run homer to right field, extending the lead to 9-3. 

Caneda smashed the fourth homer of the game with a solo shot to start the top of the seventh off as Nebraska made it a 10-3 game. 

With one out, a single to third base gave Arizona a base runner in the bottom of the seventh. However, a line drive to Wallace gave her the opportunity to make a double play, getting the out at first, and securing the upset victory over No. 16 Arizona, 10-3. 

The Huskers return to action Sunday, March 5, for the final game of the Hillenbrand Invitational against CSUN. The game is set to begin at 10 a.m. (CT). Fans can listen to the action live on the Huskers Radio Network and Huskers.com with the call from Nate Rohr and Mattie Fowler Burkhardt. The game will also be streamed live on FloSoftball (subscription required).

Game Notes

• Today’s win marked the first win over a ranked team since the Huskers took down No. 23 Michigan on May 14, 2022 in the Big Ten Tournament title game. 
• This marks the first time Nebraska has beaten Arizona at Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. 
• This also marks the first road-victory at a Pac-12 school since Nebraska beat Oregon on May 26, 2013 at the NCAA Super Regional to secure a trip to the 2013 Women’s College World Series. 
• Arizona entered today’s game averaging 8.3 runs per game. NU held the Wildcats to just three runs on the day. 
• Nebraska had four different Huskers record a home run today. This marks the most homers in a game this season. It also marks the most home runs in a game by a Nebraska team since NU hit four against South Dakota State on March 4, 2022. 
• Three of the four Nebraska home runs were lead off solo shots. 
• NU recorded a season-high 16 hits. The last time Nebraska hit more than 15 hits in a game was when the Huskers tallied 15 against New Mexico State on Feb. 17, 2022. 
• Billie and Brooke Andrews both recorded home runs in today’s game. This marked the fourth time both Billie and Brooke Andrews have recorded homers in the same game.