The No. 10 Nebraska softball team upset No. 1 and defending national champion Texas, 8-5, before beating UTSA, 6-3, Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
The win over the Longhorns (2-1) was the Cornhuskers’ fourth all-time over the NFCA No. 1 team and first since April 8, 2016, when Nebraska (3-1) defeated then No. 1 Michigan. This victory had a little more offense. Jordy Frahm led off the game with a home run to center field. After Hannah Coor reached on an error, Jesse Farrell rolled an infield single to the left side. Ava Kuszak followed with a three-run home run to give Nebraska a 4-0 lead after half an inning.
Texas scored two in the bottom of the first, but in the top of the third, Kuszak and Hannah Camenzind both singled ahead of Emmerson Cope, who clocked a three-run homer to left to push the NU lead to 7-2. Three batters later, Lauren Camenzind homered to push the lead to 8-2. A three-run homer by the Longhorns’ Leigh Ann Good in the bottom of the inning cut Nebraska’s lead to 8-5.
Then, the bullpens took over. Cambria Salmon entered the game for Texas and retired all 12 batters she faced. Meanwhile, the Huskers lifted starter Alexis Jensen after three up-and-down innings and inserted Frahm, who’d lost to the Longhorns Friday after allowing six earned runs in three innings. But Saturday, Frahm was much sharper, scattering three hits over the final four innings. She retired the last eight batters she faced, clinching the win with a strikeout of Katie Stewart.
Forty minutes later, Nebraska had to turn the page to face the home-standing Roadrunners (0-2). RBI singles by Coor and Hannah Camenzind in the first inning gave the Huskers a 2-0 lead through half an inning. Frahm homered in the second, pushing the lead to 3-0. But then the Roadrunners pushed across a run on an RBI single by Taryn Madlock to cut the NU lead to 3-1. In the top of the fifth, Hannah Camenzind hit a two-run homer to boost the Nebraska advantage to 5-1. Then in the top of the sixth, a leadoff home run by Carlie Muhlbach in her first start as a Husker opened the lead to 6-1. The Roadrunners scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth off Jensen, who’d entered in relief, but with the bases loaded and one out, Jensen got back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
Then in the seventh, Samantha Mundine hit a leadoff triple down the right-field line. The next batter, KK Madrid, struck out on a pitch in the dirt that kicked away from Muhlbach. As she threw toward first, Mundine tried to score. But Frahm returned the throw to the plate in time to get Mundine for the first out. After Jensen struck out Brookelynn Meador, Katon Ledbetter flied to right field to end the game.
The Huskers will look to finish the weekend with a win Sunday in San Antonio against Washington. First pitch is slated for 10:05 a.m.