For the second straight game, No. 20 Nebraska softball throttled Iowa. This time, the Cornhuskers blasted the Hawkeyes, 14-1 in five innings, Saturday in Iowa City. The win was Nebraska’s 18th mercy rule win of the season, setting a new school record for most mercy-rule wins of the year. With six home runs on the game, the Huskers tied the school record for home runs in a game, tying the record set Feb. 24, 1996 against Creighton. The half-dozen homers also gave Nebraska 75 for the season, tying the school record in 2022 for most home runs in a season.
Saturday’s contest continued a dominant weekend so far for the Huskers. In the two games combined, Nebraska has defeated the Hawkeyes 26-1 in 10 innings, scoring in nine of ten innings, including multiple runs in seven innings. The Huskers have hit seven home runs and piled up 19 total hits.
It started in the first inning. Samantha Bland hit a fly ball to center field that landed just out of the grasp of the Iowa centerfielder Tatianna Roman. Bland circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run to get Nebraska on the board. The Hawkeyes tied the game at one in the bottom of the first. But in the second, Lauren Camenzind drove a two-out, solo home run to center. After Jordy Bahl drew a walk, Bland clubbed a two-run home run to center to make it 4-1. Then in the third, Bella Bacon hit a two-out, three-run home run to push the lead to 7-1.
Then in the fourth, Bland hit her third home run of the game, again to center field, tying the school record for home runs in a game. Ava Kuszak followed with her 14th homer of the year to build the lead to 10-1. Then in the fifth, Bahl came to the plate with two on and no outs. She doubled to right, driving in one. Bland followed with a sacrifice fly to right. Olivia DiNardo closed the scoring with a two-run double to right, pushing the lead to 13.
Bland ended the day 3-for-3 with three home runs and five RBI. Bacon was 2-for-3 with three RBI. DiNardo was 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Huskers. Kylee Magee earned the win, throwing three innings while allowing one earned run and one hit. Hannah Camenzind threw the final two innings, allowing one hit.
Nebraska guns for the sweep of the Hawkeyes on Sunday in Iowa City. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.