Freshman Devin Nunez delivered the go-ahead two-RBI single in the top of the ninth inning, as the Huskers evened the series at USC with a 6-5 win on Saturday afternoon at Great Park in Irvine, Calif.

Nebraska (10-12, 2-6 Big Ten) scored six runs on seven hits and an error, while USC (13-9, 3-5 Big Ten) recorded five runs, nine hits and an error.

Nunez led NU at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Dylan Carey and Joshua Overbeek posted a double and two RBI each for the Huskers. Cayden Brumbaugh, Cael Frost and Cayden Brumbaugh recorded one hit apiece.

Ty Horn pitched five innings in the start, surrendering two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Carson Jasa gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in 0.2 innings.

Caleb Clark and Casey Daiss combined to pitch a shutout frame, allowing a pair of singles. Luke Broderick improved to 1-0 on the season after dealing 2.1 shutout innings. The junior gave up one hit and two walks while striking out three.

The Trojans struck first in the opening frame with one run on a pair of hits to grab an early lead. USC had runners on first and second with a leadoff walk and single, followed by a sacrifice bunt. An RBI single lifted to left-center scored the game’s first run for the Trojans.

A one-out single and a stolen base, joined with a two-out RBI single to left field, doubled the lead to two for USC in the bottom of the third.

The Husker offense poured in four runs on four hits in the top of the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Nunez tallied NU’s first hit of the afternoon with a one-out single to center field. A well-executed hit-and-run had runners on first and third after Brumbaugh lifted a single to right field.

Brumbaugh stole second to put runners on second and third with one out, before Carey lifted a 2-2 pitch to deep center for a sun-aided, two-RBI double that locked the game at two. Sanderson was plunked on the first pitch in the next at-bat, while Overbeek laced a two-RBI double down the right-field line to score Carey and Sanderson to give the Big Red a 4-2 advantage.

Horn retired the Trojans in order in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to maintain Nebraska’s two-run lead through five innings.

Three two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth gave USC a 5-4 lead through six innings. Jasa retired the first hitters with a pair of flyouts, while a single, walk and hit batter loaded the bases for the Trojans.

USC took back the lead on a pair of RBI hits that didn’t leave the infield. An RBI single to shortstop scored the first run, while a two-RBI single to second base handed the Trojans a 5-4 lead.

The Huskers threatened in the top of the eighth but stranded the tying run at third base. Nunez led off with a full-count walk and stole second, before advancing to third on a groundout to first.

Nebraska scored two runs on two hits in the top of the ninth to send a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. A leadoff walk and a wild pitch put the tying run on second with no outs for the Huskers. Frost’s two-out single to second base moved the tying run to third and had the go-ahead run at first for the Big Red.

Robby Bolin was plunked on the first pitch, before Nunez ripped a two-RBI single up the middle to plate Jaron Cotton and Frost to give Nebraska a one-run lead.

USC threatened in the bottom of the ninth when a leadoff single and walk had runners on first and second with no outs. Broderick picked up his third strikeout of the afternoon, before Carey deked the Trojans into a game-ending double play.

Carey dropped the infield-fly popup at shortstop, tricking the Trojans’ baserunner at second to advance to third. The junior picked up the ball and fired the relay to Overbeek at third, who applied the tag for the game-ending out at third base to clinch Nebraska’s 6-5 win on Saturday.

Nebraska and USC conclude the weekend series tomorrow afternoon at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. First pitch between the Huskers and Trojans is set for 2 p.m. CT.

Huskers Clinch Series Victory on Saturday

Hannah Camenzind grabbed the pitching win and notched three RBIs to lead the No. 21 Nebraska softball team to an 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday at Bowlin Stadium. NU drew a crowd of 2,473, the fourth-largest in school history. 

4. Camenzind (4-2) pitched 4.2 innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out a career-high seven batters en route to the victory. Offensively, she was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Jordyn Bahl pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to pick up her first save of the season. Sydney Schwartz (4-9) took the loss for the Gophers. 

Ava Kuszak, Ava Bredwell and Samantha Bland also notched two hits apiece. As a team, NU grabbed 12 hits to the Gophers’ nine, including eight with runners on and four with runners in scoring position. 

The Huskers moved to 22-8 on the season with a 3-1 mark in conference competition, while Minnesota fell to 13-7 (2-4 Big Ten). 

Minnesota got on the board first in the top of the first on an RBI single.

NU evened the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Bahl reached first on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on a H. Camenzind single and scored on an RBI single by Olivia DiNardo.  

Ava Bredwell singled to open the bottom of the fourth inning and a Bland single advanced her to second. Squier got to first on a fielder’s choice and Bredwell reached third. Kuszak logged a single to score Bredwell and send Squier to third. Kuszak stole second and Bahl walked to load the bases. H. Camenzind hit a three-run double to give NU a 5-1 lead going into the fifth inning. 

The Gophers cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the fifth, but Nebraska continued its solid offensive day to extend the advantage to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Emmerson Cope reached second on a fielding error that also scored Bland and Lauren Camenzind, who had both singled earlier in the inning. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Bahl walked and advanced to second when H. Camenzind walked. A DiNardo groundout sent Bahl to third and H. Camenzind to second. Bahl reached the plate on a Hoffmann single and made the lead 8-3 going into the final inning.

Bahl, who came in to pitch in the fifth inning, retired three straight in the top of the seventh to lock up the series victory for the Huskers.

The Big Red will take on Minnesota in the series finale tomorrow, March 23 at Noon (CT). The game will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network. 

Postgame Notes

• Jordyn Bahl extended her hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the bottom of the first. 
• Bahl also notched a save after she came in to pitch in the fifth inning. That marks the first save by any Husker pitcher this season. 
• Hannah Camenzind grabbed a new career high with seven strikeouts
• This is the first win of the season without a home run for the Huskers.