Nebraska clinched its sixth weekend series in a row this season with a 9-5 win at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.

Nebraska (19-5, 2-0 Big Ten) scored nine runs on 11 hits and an error, while Northwestern (10-14, 0-2 Big Ten) totaled five runs, seven hits and an error.

Cole Evans led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI. Dylan Carey was 2-for-4, while Josh Caron drove in four with a grand slam. Case Sanderson, Tyler Stone, Garrett Anglim, Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes recorded one hit apiece.

Drew Christo made his sixth start of the season, allowing two runs on two hits in 4.2 innings. The junior issued three walks and struck out three Wildcats in the no-decision. Will Walsh moved to 3-0 on the year after pitching 3.1 innings in relief. Walsh allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and recorded two punchouts in the relief outing.

Evans opened the scoring on Saturday, drilling a 390-foot solo homer over the wall in the left for his second homer of the season to give the Huskers a lead in the opening frame.

Northwestern responded with a pair of runs off one hit to hold a 2-1 lead through the first inning. A walk and a plunked batter set up a two-RBI double from Jackson Freeman to give the Wildcats a one-run lead.

A seven-run explosion across five hits in the top of the second had the Big Red out front 8-2. The second frame began with four consecutive singles from the NU offense, highlighted by Carey’s RBI single down the left-field line and Rhett Stokes’ bunt single to load the bases with no outs.

Case Sanderson picked up his ninth RBI of the season after scoring Overbeek via an RBI groundout. The Huskers loaded the bases a second time in the inning after Riley Silva was plunked a 14th time on the year. Evans collected his second RBI of the day, lifting a sacrifice fly to center to plate Carey.

The Husker offense loaded the bases for the third time in the second frame with an intentional walk issued to Stone, before Caron blasted a 385-foot grand slam over the wall in left to blow the game open at 8-2.

Silva reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second for his 16th stolen bases of the year, before Evans drove in his third run of the day with a single to right-center to score Silva and grow the lead to 9-2 in the fourth.

Northwestern scored its first runs since the opening frame with two runs behind three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Three consecutive two-out singles plated the Wildcats’ third run, while a passed ball made it a 9-4 game through six innings.

The Wildcats tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh after back-to-back doubles to trim the Husker lead to 9-5 with two innings to play.

Nebraska and Northwestern conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park. Sunday’s matchup can be seen on B1G+, while fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.

GRAY LEADS HUSKERS TO SERIES-CLINCHING WIN

Sydney Gray had four hits and drove in five runs to lead the Nebraska softball team to a 7-3 series-clinching victory over Wisconsin Saturday afternoon in Madison.

Gray, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, had a pair of singles, a double and a home run to give her seven hits in the first two games of the series. Her three-run homer in the fifth inning gave Nebraska the lead for good.

Behind Gray's big day, Nebraska clinched a series victory over Wisconsin and won its 20th game of the year. The Huskers improved to 20-14 on the season and stayed unbeaten in conference play with a 4-0 record. Nebraska has won nine of its last 10 games heading into Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.

Sarah Harness (3-2) pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just one run to earn the win in relief. Kaylin Kinney picked up her second save of the year after she scattered six hits in 3.0 scoreless innings. Emmerson Cope, returning from a three-week injury absence, earned the start for Nebraska and allowed two runs in 1.1 innings.

Tessa Magnanimo (5-8) took the loss for Wisconsin (12-19, 1-4), allowing seven runs in 4.2 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Billie Andrews reached on an error to start the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from her older sister Brooke. Ava Bredwell then brought home the game's first run with a double to right center. Following a ground out, Gray scored Bredwell with a two-out RBI single.

Wisconsin tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. A leadoff double came around to score with one out when Nebraska threw late to home plate on a ground ball to second. That was followed by an RBI triple that tied the game. Harness then entered the game with a runner on third and only one out and kept the game tied with back-to-back strikeouts.

Each team scored one run in the third inning. In the top of the frame, Samantha Bland singled with two outs and Gray followed with an RBI double to put Nebraska on top 3-2.

Wisconsin answered with a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the bottom of the third .

Nebraska scored four times with two outs in the top of the fifth to take a 7-3 lead. The Huskers had runners on first and second with one out after Brooke Andrews reached on an error and Bredwell walked. The runners moved up to second and third on a two-out wild pitch before Gray launched a three-run homer to right field. Talia Tokheim followed with a solo blast to cap the four-run inning and give Nebraska a four-run lead. The Huskers nearly added more runs with runners on first and second but Katelyn Caneda hit a hard line drive directly to the first baseman to end the inning.

In the bottom of the frame, a hit batter and a double put Badgers on second and third with one out. But Kinney escaped the jam with an out at home and a fly out to left.

Wisconsin threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with one out. But Kinney again pitched out of trouble, ending the inning with a strikeout and a pop out to Bella Bacon at first base.

The Badgers continued to threaten in the bottom of the seventh. Wisconsin got a pair of one-out singles but on the second single, Husker right fielder Caitlynn Neal threw out the runner attempting to advance to third for the second out of the inning. A softly-hit infield single extended the game before Kinney wrapped up the win with her third strikeout.

Wisconsin stranded 13 runners in the game and was just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska has won nine of its last 10 games. The Huskers have clinched their first series win at Wisconsin since 2017.
• Sydney Gray went 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and five RBIs. The four hits were a career high for Gray.
• Gray is 7-for-8 in the first two games of the series with one double, two homers and six RBIs.
• Gray and Talia Tokheim hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning. It marked the second straight game the duo hit back-to-back home runs.
• Tokheim, who missed one full year due to injury, has returned to start the last three games for Nebraska. In those three starts, Tokheim is 5-for-11 with three homers, six runs and six RBIs.
• Peyton Cody went 2-for-2 with a walk, marking her first multi-hit game since Feb. 23. 
• Kaylin Kinney has tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in the first two games of the series.
• Kinney earned the save, and she now has picked up the win (13) or save (2) in 15 of Nebraska's 20 wins this season.
• Emmerson Cope started in the circle, marking her first career Big Ten start. Cope played for the first time since March 9 as she has been dealing with a back injury.

HUSKERS ADD TWO FLORIDA RELAYS TITLES ON SATURDAY

Nebraska track and field finished its opening weekend of the outdoor season on Saturday, adding two Florida Relays titles and three all-time marks. 

Amelia Flynt recorded the second-best shot put mark in the NCAA this season with a 56-1 (17.09m). With her personal-best distance, Flynt won the title and moved up to fifth on the all-time list. In the discus, Flynt placed 11th with a 153-0 (46.63m). Kalynn Meyer added a sixth-place finish with a 53-4 1/4 (16.26m) in the shot put invite. Cade Moran represented the Big Red in the men’s shot put invitational, going 60-4 (18.39m) to place sixth.

Rhianna Phipps went 43-10 (13.36m) in the triple jump, securing the win. That distance is the second-best in the NCAA this season and moves Phipps up to ninth on the all-time list. Ashley McElmurry (42-4 ¼, 12.91m) and Lotavia Brown (42-1 ¼, 12.83m) added top-eight finishes, placing fourth and seventh. Micaylon Moore placed fifth overall and second among collegiate athletes in the triple jump with a distance of 52-0 3/4 (15.87m).

Darby Thomas flew to a wind-aided 11.35 in the 100m to place sixth overall after six heats. That time is among the top-five wind-aided times in school history. Kavian Kerr ran a personal-best 10.45 in the men’s 100m to place 15th and Lorenzo Paissan grabbed 21st with a 10.66.

Darius Luff bettered his prelims time and place in the 110m hurdles final, running to second with a time of 13.46. He closed just .003 seconds behind the victor.

Niko Schultz crossed the line at a personal-best 1:47.40 in the 800m, to place fifth overall and third among collegiate runners. That time moved Schultz up to sixth on the all-time list.

In the men’s discus invitational, Brett Schwartz provided a sixth-place finish with a 183-0 (55.79m). Tyler Brown finished eighth with a distance of 172-7 (52.62), a day after claiming a fourth-place javelin finish.

Brooklyn Miller pitched in a fourth-place high jump invitational finish with a height of 5-8 1/2 (1.74m). Rebecca Pecora took seventh with a 5-6 1/2 (1.69m).

Tyrell Pierce clocked a personal-best 47.04 in the men’s 400m to claim 11th, while Meghan Walker finished 23rd in the women’s 400m, running a 55.35. Johanna Ilves placed 16th in the 100m hurdles prelim with a time of 13.70.

The Husker women (Abrielle Artley, Ilves, Arianna Walker, M. Walker) ran to third in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:39.71. The men (Pierce, Jacob Hyde, Schultz, Cory Berg) finished seventh in the invitational section with a 3:09.36.

At the Stanford Invitational, Berlyn Schutz clocked a 2:09.85 in the 800m. At the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, Lindsey Blehm ran the 800m and finished 26th with a 2:13.35. Holden Ruse placed 10th in the men’s 800m with a 1:51.42.

Nebraska will be back in action next weekend at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Ariz. Action begins Friday at 12:30 p.m. (CT).