Two-Out Runs Doom Huskers in 10-6 Loss

The Nebraska softball team struggled to get the final out in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Rutgers, as the Scarlet Knights scored seven of their 10 runs with two outs in a 10-6 victory over the Huskers.

Each team had 10 hits, but Rutgers had five two-out hits. The biggest blow was a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the game tied at 5-5, Rutgers used a two-out hit batter, a walk, an error and the grand slam to produce the winning margin.

 

Husker pitchers issued a season-high eight walks and hit one batter while allowing a season-high nine runs. Senior right-hander Olivia Ferrell earned the start and allowed a season-high five runs in 3.1 innings as she walked six and struck out four. Junior right-hander Courtney Wallace (5-3) took the loss, but all four of the runs she allowed in her 1.1 innings were unearned. Freshman Caitlynn Neal pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits.

 

Offensively, seniors Cam Ybarra and Rylie Unzicker combined for seven hits. Ybarra tied her career high in hits with a 4-for-4 day that included a double and three RBIs. Unzicker finished 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored. Senior Tristen Edwards continued her perfect weekend.  Edwards homered, walked twice and was hit by a pitch, as she has reached base safely in all 12 plate appearances in the first three games of the series.

 

Ashley Hitchcock (2-6), who took the loss in game one, earned the win in game two, surrendering two runs in 3.1 innings. Rutgers improved to 4-15 with the win while Nebraska fell to 11-8.

 

Nebraska grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Freshman Billie Andrews doubled with one out, Edwards was hit by a pitch and Ybarra singled. Wallace then drew a five-pitch walk to score Andrews with the first run of the game. But the Huskers had to settle for just one run, as a force out at home and a ground out to third prevented further damage.

 

Rutgers answered in the bottom of the first, grabbing a 2-1 lead on a two-run homer from Anyssa Iliopoulos.

 

The Huskers tied the game when Edwards led off the top of the third with a solo home run. The homer marked Edwards’ first official at bat of the series, as she had either walked or been hit by a pitch in her first nine plate appearances against the Scarlet Knights.

 

In the bottom of the third, Rutgers loaded the bases with two outs before a two-run double from Kayla Bock gave the Scarlet Knights a 4-2 lead.

 

Nebraska loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth and Rutgers elected to intentionally walk Edwards, which scored senior Sarah Yocom and cut the lead to 4-3. Ybarra then lined a two-run double to left center to score Unzicker and Billie Andrews, as Nebraska regained the lead at 5-4.

 

A pair of one-out walks in the bottom of the fourth marked the end of the game for Ferrell. Wallace came on and her first offering was a wild pitch that allowed the runners to move up to second and third. Wallace retired the next batter before a two-out infield single tied the game at 5-5.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, the first two batters were quickly retired before a hit batter, a walk and an error extended the inning. Gabrielle Callaway made the Huskers pay for the error as she sent the next pitch over the wall in center for a grand slam.

 

Unzicker doubled with one out in the top of the sixth and Edwards was intentionally walked with two outs. Ybarra then picked up her fourth hit and third RBI of the game with an RBI single through the left side. The Huskers brought the tying run to the plate in the sixth but could not produce any more runs.

Bock homered in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead back to four before Hitchcock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Nebraska and Rutgers wrap up their four-game series with a single game Sunday at 10 a.m. (Central).