No. 20 Nebraska softball kept rolling at home as the Huskers throttled Purdue, 13-1 in five innings, Saturday at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln. The win was the Cornhuskers’ fifth in a row and 12th of the last 14 games. It was also Nebraska’s 15th mercy-rule win of the year. The Huskers are 8-0 at home this season, with five of those wins coming by the mercy rule.
The second inning is when the Huskers took control. After it appeared that Abbie Squier had scored on a squeeze bunt, but had instead returned to third to load the bases, Samantha Bland singled to right to score Squier and get the Huskers on the board. Ava Kuszak followed with a two-run double to right-center. Then Jordy Bahl flared a two-run single to right to push the lead to 5-0. After Hannah Camenzind singled, Ava Bredwell hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Bahl to make it a six-run NU lead. Olivia DiNardo singled to right to drive in Hannah Camenzind to push the lead to seven.
Home runs by Hoffman and Kuszak made it 9-0 Nebraska in the third. Then in the fourth, with Bredwell at second and one out, DiNardo singled up the middle to score Bredwell. After a Lauren Camenzind walk, Hoffman hit her second home run of the day, a towering three-run shot to right, to build the Huskers’ lead to 13.
That was more than enough run support for Bahl, who allowed just two infield singles and one unearned run in five innings pitched. Bahl walked one and struck out eight to win her eighth straight decision.
The Huskers will look for the conference series win against Purdue Sunday at Bowlin Stadium. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.