No. 18 Nebraska softball won a slugfest with Missouri Sunday in Wichita, Kan., avenging a Saturday loss with a 10-9 victory over the Tigers in the final day of the Wichita State Invitational. The win moved the Huskers’ record to 3-2 for the weekend and 15-6 for the season.
It started inauspiciously for Nebraska. In the bottom of the first, Mizzou first scored on an error. Then a two-run home run by Madison Walker gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead. But the Huskers responded in the top of the second. Hannah Camenzind homered for the second straight day, driving a ball over the right-center field fence for a two-run homer to pull Nebraska within one. Then with two runners on, Jordy Bahl hammered a three-run home run to left to give NU a 5-3 lead. A Kara Daly home run in the bottom of the third cut Nebraska’s lead to one.
The Huskers pushed the lead to four in the fifth when Olivia DiNardo hit a three-run home run to make the score 8-4. But in the bottom of the fifth, Walker came to the plate with the bases loaded for Mizzou and hammered a grand slam to left-center to tie the game at eight.
Nebraska wasted no time in responding in the top of the sixth. Abbie Squier was walked and Ava Kuszak was hit by a pitch. A Bahl single loaded the bases with no one out. Samantha Bland hit a sacrifice fly to score Squier and give the Huskers the lead. Ava Bredwell followed with a sacrifice fly to score Kuszak to make it 10-8. Mizzou cut the lead to one in the bottom of the sixth when Julia Crenshaw homered to make it 10-9, Nebraska, but the Tigers didn’t draw any closer and the Huskers hung on to win.
Bahl (8-3) earned the win despite allowing a career-high four home runs. In seven innings, Bahl allowed eight hits, seven earned runs while collecting nine strikeouts. Nathalie Touchet (0-1) took the loss, allowing a walk and a hit by pitch to the two batters she faced, both of whom came in to score.
Bahl paced the Nebraska offense, hitting 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run. DiNardo was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Hannah Camenzind was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a home run. Walker led the Mizzou attack, hitting 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and six RBI.
After playing their first 21 games on the road, the Huskers will play their home opener Thursday at Bowlin Stadium against Northern Colorado. The doubleheader starts at 2:30 p.m.