Nebraska plated seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to clinch the series win with an 8-3 victory vs. Minnesota on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (24-24, 11-13 Big Ten) scored eight runs on 13 hits and an error, while Minnesota (22-24, 8-16 Big Ten) totaled three runs, 10 hits and an error.

Gabe Swansen was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Robby Bolin, Cayden Brumbaugh, Will Jesske and Joshua Overbeek pieced together two-hit performances.

Dylan Carey had a 1-for-4 afternoon with a solo home run, and Case Sanderson was 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI.

Jackson Brockett allowed two runs on five hits with a pair of punchouts and two walks in 4.2 innings of work. Casey Daiss and Colin Nowaczyk recorded an out apiece, before Pryce Bender surrendered a run on a hit in one inning.

Grant Cleavinger recorded two outs and improved to 1-0 on the season, while Drew Christo and Luke Broderick tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings.

Nebraska threatened in the bottom of the third with a pair of baserunners but couldn’t plate the game’s first run of the afternoon. Bolin reached on a fielding error, before Brumbaugh singled through the left side to put runners on first and second with one out. The next two Huskers were retired to keep the scoreless deadlock through three innings.

The Gophers broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth with two runs on a pair of hits. A two-out single through the right side set the table for a two-run homer to right field that gave Minnesota its 2-0 advantage.

Carey cut the deficit in half with a 387-foot solo shot down the left-field line to bring the Big Red within 2-1 after six innings.

A leadoff walk and a one-out fielding error set the table for an RBI single up the middle that stretched Minnesota’s lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh.

The Huskers responded immediately with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh to grab a 4-3 advantage. Riley Silva drew a leadoff walk, while Bolin singled to center field to put runners on first and second with no outs.

Swansen ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to plate Silva from second, before a wild pitch allowed Bolin to score and lock the game at three. Swansen slid safely around the tag at the plate on an RBI fielder’s choice by Stone to give Nebraska its first lead of the afternoon.

Christo blanked the Gophers in the top of the eighth, while the Husker offense poured in four runs in the bottom of the eighth to grow the lead to 8-3. The Huskers had the bases loaded with no outs after a walk to Bolin and singles from Silva and Brumbaugh.

Swansen lifted the first pitch for a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Silva. Sanderson lined a two-RBI double down the right-field line that scored Bolin and Brumbaugh and gave NU a 7-3 lead.

The Huskers tacked on one more run when Overbeek smacked a 1-2 pitch up the middle for an RBI single, scoring Sanderson from second and making it an 8-3 game.

Broderick worked around a one-out double in the top of the ninth to preserve Nebraska’s 8-3 win on Sunday afternoon.

Nebraska steps out of conference play for a midweek matchup with Creighton on Tuesday in Lincoln. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6:02 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Kuszak Walks Off Huskers’ Run-Rule Win Over Terrapins

Ava Kuszak hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to clinch a 9-1, six-inning win for the No. 20 Nebraska softball team over the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium. 

NU drew a crowd of 2,628 on Sunday to put the total weekend attendance at 7,929, making this weekend’s series the highest-attended three-game series in Husker softball history. The Big Red moved to 38-12 (17-5 Big Ten) on the season, while Maryland fell to 18-31 (3-19 Big Ten). 

Kuszak and Jordyn Bahl both hit home runs in the game, and Bahl’s put the Huskers over 400 runs for the season, which is a new school record. Kuzsak added three RBIs and Bella Bacon contributed three hits. As a team, NU outhit the Terrapins 10-3. 

Bahl (22-5) grabbed the win in the circle after tossing 4.0 scoreless and hitless innings. She struck out seven batters in the process. Kylee Magee pitched the final 2.0 innings for the Big Red and allowed one run. Bri Godfrey (6-8) took the loss for UMD. 

The Huskers saw a four-run first inning, sparked by a leadoff home run by Bahl. Samantha Bland walked and scored on a Kuszak double. An Olivia DiNardo fly out sent Kuszak to third, and she scored on an Abbie Squier sacrifice bunt. The sac bunt also advanced H. Camenzind to third, who had walked earlier in the inning. A Bacon single scored H. Camenzind and made the score 4-0 after the first.

H. Camenzind started the bottom of the second with a single and scored on a Bland double. DiNardo doubled to score Kuszak and extend the lead to 6-0. 

In the bottom of the third, Bacon doubled to left field and scored on a Bredwell single. NU led 7-0 going into the fourth.

Maryland got on the board in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Bland walked and Kuszak knocked a two-run homer to lock up the 9-1, run-rule win.

With today’s win, NU earned a bye in the Big Ten Tournament and will play on Thursday, May 8. For opponent, timing and streaming information, stay updated with huskers.com and @HuskerSoftball on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Postgame Notes

  • The Huskers are now at 409 runs on the season, which is the highest total in program history. The previous record was 400 runs in 2015.
  • Nebraska’s total weekend attendance was 7,929, which is the highest total attendance for a three-game series in program history.
  • NU has now scored 4+ runs in an inning 38 times this season. 
  • Today marked the Huskers’ 22nd run-rule win of the season, which is the most in program history.
  • Jordyn Bahl has allowed no earned runs and only two hits in her last 18.0 innings pitched.