No. 23 Nebraska wrapped up its four-game slate in Arizona with a 3-1 loss to Grand Canyon on Monday afternoon at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Huskers (2-2) scored one run on four hits, while GCU (2-2) totaled three runs, 10 hits and an error.

Case Sanderson was 2-for-4 with a double, while Joshua Overbeek went 1-for-3 with a double. Cayden Brumbaugh scored Nebraska’s lone run and had a 1-for-3 afternoon at the plate.

Jackson Brockett pitched six innings in the start, allowing just one run on six hits and three punchouts. Drew Christo took the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Luke Broderick and Caleb Clark teamed up to record the final two outs for the NU bullpen.

The NU offense plated a run in the opening frame for the third consecutive game on Monday afternoon. Brumbaugh led off the game with a single and stole second, before an RBI groundout from Dylan Carey allowed the redshirt junior to trot down the third-base line and score.

The Huskers threatened in the second, loading the bases with a pair of outs. GCU eluded the damage and induced a popout to keep the Big Red’s lead at one.

A leadoff double in the bottom of the third had the Lopes’ first runner in scoring position on the afternoon. The Lopes attempted a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over, but a diving Brockett caught the pop-up in front of the mound. The southpaw gathered himself and fired a strike back to Carey at second base to double off the baserunner and put a halt to GCU’s threat.

A one-out solo blast to right off the bat of Eli Paton locked the game at one in the bottom of the fifth.

Two singles from the Lopes in the bottom of the seventh placed runners on first and second for Grand Canyon. A wild pitch moved the runners over to second and third, before Christo escaped any damage with a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the inning.

The GCU offense plated a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the eighth to take its first lead of the afternoon at 3-1. Consecutive singles and a wild pitch had runners on second and third with two outs for the Lopes. Facing a 2-2 count, Cannon Peery lined a two-RBI double down the left-field line to make it a 3-1 game after eight innings.

Nebraska travels to Lafayette, La., for a three-game series next weekend at Louisiana on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Ragin’ Cajuns is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

Bahl, Kuszak Earn Big Ten Weekly Awards

Nebraska softball players Jordyn Bahl and Ava Kuszak both garnered Big Ten weekly honors, as Bahl was named the Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week and Kuszak was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the week. 

The duo helped the Huskers to a 5-0 finish at the Troy Cox Classic last weekend. All five victories came in run-rule fashion, and NU outscored its opponents 69-9 while notching 20 home runs and hitting .446. The Big Red also scored 10+ runs in five straight games for the first time in program history.

Bahl was dominant at the plate and in the circle, producing nine extra-base hits at the plate while tossing a no-hitter in the circle. She went 2-0 in her two appearances in the circle – both starts – tossing 10.0 shutout innings and allowing only two singles while striking out 13 batters. At the plate, Bahl was 10-for-16 (.625) with nine extra-base hits, four doubles, four home runs, one triple, nine runs scored and nine RBIs. Bahl averaged 2.0 hits, 1.8 extra-base hits, 1.8 runs and 1.8 RBIs per game. 

On the first day of the tournament, Bahl went 4-for-6 with a double, three home runs, four runs and four RBIs against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and host New Mexico State, including her first career multi-homer game against the Aggies. Bahl also started in the circle against NMSU and tossed 5.0 shutout innings, allowing only a pair of singles. On day two, Bahl went 2-for-6 at the plate with one double, one home run, two runs scored and four RBIs. But her biggest contribution came at pitcher against Northern Colorado, when she threw a 5.0-inning no-hitter and did not allow a ball out of the infield. Bahl concluded the tournament going 4-for-4 with a single, two doubles and a triple against Montana with one RBI and three runs scored. She had a career-high four hits against the Griz and also set career highs with two doubles and one triple and tied her career high with three runs and three extra-base hits.

Kuszak went 9-for-14 (.643) with six home runs in five games as Nebraska went 5-0 at the Troy Cox Classic. She averaged 1.8 hits, 1.2 home runs, 2.0 runs and 2.6 RBIs per game in only 14 at bats and 19 plate appearances. In addition to her .643 average, Kuszak posted a .684 on-base percentage and a 1.929 slugging percentage. Kuszak homered in four of Nebraska’s five games, including tying the Nebraska and Big Ten record with three home runs as part of a 4-for-4 day against Montana in the final game of the tournament. 

She set career highs against the Griz with four hits, three home runs, four runs and six RBIs. Kuszak opened the tournament by going 2-for-5 with two home runs, two walks, three runs and four RBIs in a pair of games against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and host New Mexico State. On day two, Kuszak went 3-for-5 with a homer, two walks, three runs and three RBIs in wins over Montana and Northern Colorado.

The last time that a Nebraska softball player won a Big Ten weekly award was last season, when Billie Andrews was named the Player of the Week on March 18, 2024. The last time that NU had a Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week in the same week was in 2016, when MJ Knighten won Player of the Week and Cassie McClure won Pitcher of the Week.

Bahl, Kuszak and the rest of the Huskers will continue their season on Thursday, Feb. 20 against No. 24 Baylor at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The game is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on FloSoftball. It can also be heard for free across the Huskers Radio Network.