Max Buettenback delivered the game-tying hit, scored the go-ahead run in the eighth and added an RBI single in the ninth, as the Huskers recorded a 6-4 win at Iowa in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Duane Banks Field.

Nebraska (16-20, 5-10 Big Ten) scored six runs on seven hits and four errors, while Iowa (23-11, 14-4 Big Ten) totaled four runs, eight hits and two errors.

Buettenback led NU at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Joshua Overbeek was 2-for-4 with a homer, RBI and two runs, while Tyler Stone and Dylan Carey each had a solo home run.

Jackson Brockett pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks. Tucker Timmerman tossed 2.2 shutout frames in his return from injury.

Casey Daiss improved to 1-0 on the season after allowing an unearned run on two hits across 1.1 innings. Grant Cleavinger recorded one out, before Luke Broderick pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to pick up his seventh save of the season.

Iowa took advantage of a pair of hits in the bottom of the second inning to grab a 1-0 lead. A one-out single through the left side, followed by a groundout back to Brockett on the mound, had a runner on second with two outs. An RBI double down the left-field line broke the scoreless deadlock and gave the Hawkeyes a 1-0 lead through two innings.

The Huskers evened the game at one when Overbeek lifted a 378-foot solo homer over the right-field wall.

Brockett worked a scoreless third frame, while the Huskers added two more runs behind a pair of homers in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 3-1. Stone began the fourth inning with a 448-foot solo blast over the right-center field wall, while a two-out solo homer to left field off the bat of Carey had the Big Red out front by two.

The Hawkeyes answered with a pair of runs on one hit and two Nebraska errors in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at three. A single and one-out fielding error had runners on first and second, while a second fielding error in the inning allowed a run to come home.

Iowa evened the score with a sacrifice fly that was lifted to deep right field to send a 3-3 game into the fifth inning.

The Hawkeyes took advantage of Nebraska’s fourth error of the afternoon to plate the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. A plunked batter and a throwing error on a fielder’s choice had runners on first and second with one out. Iowa took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning after a one-out RBI double down the left-field line gave the Hawkeyes a one-run lead.

Nebraska responded immediately with two runs on one hit and two Hawekeye errors to take the lead back at 5-4. Rhett Stokes opened the inning with a walk to put the tying run at first with no outs. Buettenback roped a double down the right-field line, where Stokes scored on an errant relay throw to tie the game at four.

Buettenback scored from second on a play where Stone reached on a throwing error from the Iowa second baseman to give the Big Red a 5-4 lead.  

Broderick replaced Cleavinger on the mound in the bottom of the eighth with runners on second and third and two outs. The right-hander induced a lineout to right field to preserve Nebraska’s lead through eight innings.

The Big Red added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to double the lead to 6-4. Overbeek began the inning with a single through the left side and moved to second on Riley Silva’s sacrifice bunt. Stokes advanced Overbeek to third with a groundout to shortstop for the second out of the inning, before Buettenback lined an RBI single to left field to plate Overbeek and make it a 6-4 game.

Iowa brought the tying run to the plate after a four-pitch walk with one out. Broderick induced a popup for third base for the second out, while Silva made a leaping catch at the wall in center field to preserve Nebraska’s 6-4 win on Sunday.

Nebraska travels to Omaha on Tuesday, April 15 for a midweek matchup at Creighton. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field.

Huskers Claim Series With Second Consecutive Run-Rule

The No. 21 Nebraska softball team notched its second straight run-rule win with a 10-1 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats in five innings on Sunday in Evanston, Ill.

The Huskers moved to 31-10 (10-3 Big Ten) on the year, while Northwestern fell to 20-14-1 (9-3 Big Ten). With the series win, the Big Red snapped the Wildcats’ streak of winning 20 consecutive Big Ten series. 

Samantha Bland and Kacie Hoffmann each had three hits, and Bland added a home run. Jordyn Bahl and Ava Kuszak both had two hits and two RBIs with a home run. Olivia DiNardo contributed two RBIs.

Kylee Magee (5-3) claimed the win in the circle after pitching 5.0 innings for a complete game. She allowed one run on only three hits and struck out four batters. Riley Grudzielanek (8-8) took the loss for Northwestern. 

Bahl and Bland opened the game with back-to-back home runs. DiNardo walked and Hoffmann and Kuszak singled to load the bases. DiNardo and Hoffmann scored on a single by Bella Bacon and a respective Northwestern error, and NU led 4-0 after the first.

Neither team scored again until Northwestern hit a solo home run to make the score 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth.

In the top of the fifth, Hoffmann was hit by a pitch and Kuszak knocked a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-1. Bacon singled and Bredwell reached on an error and a Lauren Camenzind groundout advanced the runners to second and third, respectively. Bahl singled to score Bacon and Bland reached on a fielder’s choice that also advanced Bredwell to third. Bredwell stole home as part of a double steal before Bland went to third on a passed ball. Hannah Camenzind walked and Nessa McMillen came into pinch run. Bland and McMillen both scored on a DiNardo two-run single. The Big Red locked up the 10-1 run-rule win.

Postgame Notes

• With the win, the Big Red snapped Northwestern’s streak of winning 20 consecutive Big Ten series. The last time the Wildcats lost a conference series was against Minnesota in 2022.
• Nebraska has won the first two games of the series via the run rule. The last time Northwestern was run-ruled twice in a row was the 2016 season.
• Nebraska has now hit back-to-back home runs seven times this season after Jordyn Bahl and Samantha Bland began the game with consecutive homers.
• The Huskers have produced 15 innings with multiple home runs in 2025.
• Nebraska has won its last four Big Ten series.
• NU has scored 10+ runs in 19 games this season.
• Today marked the Huskers’ 20th run-rule win of the season, which is the most in program history.
• Kylee Magee threw 5.0 innings for a season-high mark and her first complete game of the year.