Nebraska scored a run in the top of the ninth and added another in the 10th to sweep Northwestern with an 8-7 win in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.

With the win, the Huskers picked up their first road conference series sweep since 2022 and swept their first opening conference series since 2019.

Nebraska (20-5, 3-0 Big Ten) scored eight runs on eight hits, while Northwestern (10-15, 0-3) tallied seven runs, eight hits and two errors.

Tyler Stone led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Cole Evans had a 2-for-4 afternoon with a double and two RBI. Garrett Anglim had a double and two RBI, while Case Sanderson and Josh Caron recorded one hit each.

Mason McConnaughey pitched 5.2 innings in his first weekend start on the year, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Jalen Worthley tallied three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief, while Kyle Froehlich surrendered two runs on two hits and recorded an out. Kyle Perry improved to 1-0 on the season after dealing 2.1 shutout innings with three punchouts.

Nebraska plated the game’s first run in the opening frame to grab a 1-0 lead behind a pair of hits in the first. Sanderson led off with a single, and Evans drew a full-count walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Stone came through with an RBI double to the wall down the right-field line to score Sanderson and make it a 1-0 game.

Caron was plunked on the first pitch to load the bases with one out, but consecutive lineouts to second prevented the Huskers from tacking on any more runs.

A pair of extra-base hits in the bottom of the first had the Wildcats out front 2-1 after the first. A one-out double to the wall in center set up Jackson Freeman’s two-run homer over the wall in right field.

The Husker offense manufactured five runs with just one hit to snag a 6-2 advantage in the fourth. Nebraska had the bases loaded with one out after walks to Joshua Overbeek, Rhett Stokes and Sanderson. An RBI fielder’s choice from Riley Silva coupled with a pair of Northwestern errors on the play allowed Overbeek and Stokes to score and give the Big Red a 3-2 lead.

Evans picked up his sixth RBI of the weekend with a groundout to the shortstop, scoring Sanderson and doubling the lead to 4-2. The Huskers kept the pressure on the Wildcats with consecutive walks to Stone and Caron to place runners on first and second with two outs.

Nebraska doubled its lead for the second time in the inning after Anglim laced a two-RBI double into the left-center alley to give the Big Red a 6-2 lead through four innings.

A one-out single in the bottom of the sixth ended McConnaughey’s streak of 15 consecutive Wildcat hitters he retired, which began in the first inning. Northwestern cut the deficit in half in the next at-bat after Owen McElfatrick’s two-run homer to left made it a 6-4 game with three innings to go.

Back-to-back one-out singles, followed by Freeman’s three-run homer to right gave Northwestern a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth.

The Husker offense responded with a run on three hits to send the game into the bottom of the ninth locked at seven. Evans began with a double to right-center, followed by Stone’s single to center put runners on first and third with no outs.

Caron came through with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Evans to tie the game at seven. The Wildcats got the lead runner out at third on Anglim’s sacrifice bunt attempt, while the next two Huskers were retired to keep the game locked at seven heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Perry sat down the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Clay Bradford led off the inning with a swinging strikeout on a play where he advanced to second on a passed ball. Sanderson was plunked in the next at-bat, while Silva’s sacrifice bunt advanced the pair to second and third with one out.

Bradford scored the go-ahead run for the Big Red with Evans’ sacrifice fly to center field. Leading 8-7, Perry retired the Wildcats in order for the second straight inning to give the Huskers an extra-inning victory on Sunday afternoon to clinch the series sweep.

Nebraska continues play with a midweek matchup at Creighton on Tuesday, April 2. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field.

HUSKERS RALLY TO SWEEP BADGERS

The Nebraska softball team remained undefeated in Big Ten play with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory in nine innings Sunday at Wisconsin.

Brooke Andrews keyed the comeback with the game-tying RBI in the seventh inning and the game-winning RBI in the ninth.

Nebraska led 3-2 before Wisconsin hit leadoff home runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-3 lead. The Huskers forced extra innings when Brooke Andrews delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. Then in the ninth, Brooke came through again with an RBI double that scored her sister Billie with the winning run.

Brooke finished 2-for-4 with two of Nebraska's four RBIs while Billie scored three of the Huskers' five runs. Ava Bredwell (2-for-4 with two doubles) and Caitlynn Neal (2-for-2 with a double) also produced multiple hits for the Big Red.

The win was Nebraska's 10th victory in its past 11 games. The Huskers moved to 21-13 on the season and stayed perfect in Big Ten play with a 5-0 record.

Kaylin Kinney started and then re-entered the game to earn the win in relief. Kinney (14-8) pitched a total of 6.0 innings on Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) while tying her season high with five strikeouts. Kinney gave up both runs in her first 4.0 innings. She then re-entered the game in the bottom of the eighth and did not allow a run over her final 2.0 innings.

Emmerson Cope gave up two runs on one hit in 2.2 innings of relief. Sarah Harness faced three batters in the fifth inning and was charged with one run in one-third of an inning.

Tessa Magnanimo (5-9) took the loss for Wisconsin, which fell to 12-20 on the season and 1-5 in Big Ten play.

Nebraska grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Billie Andrews led off with a walk, Brooke Andrews singled and Bredwell put down a successful sacrifice bunt to put Huskers on second and third with one out. Samantha Bland then hit a chopper back to the circle and pitcher Gabi Salo threw wildly to home plate, allowing both Andrews sisters to score and give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.

Wisconsin scored twice in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. A one-out triple and an RBI single cut the lead to 2-1. After recording the second out, a single and an error loaded the bases and extended the inning. A bases-loaded walk then brought home the tying run.

Nebraska came back to regain the lead in the top of the third inning. Bredwell led off with a double and scored on a one-out single from Sydney Gray to give the Huskers a 3-2 lead.

Wisconsin tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Ava Kuszak hit a leadoff home run. 

Another leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth from Peyton Bannon gave Wisconsin a 4-3 lead.

Billie Andrews then led off the top of the seventh with a triple down the right field line. She scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly from her older sister Brooke.

After Wisconsin stranded a runner in the bottom of the seventh, Neal reached on a two-out double in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Malia Thoms then lined a ball to deep center but Bannon made a leaping grab to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, a leadoff walk and a one-out double put Badgers on second and third. But Kinney escaped the jam with a strikeout and a ground out.

In the top of the ninth, Billie Andrews reached on a one-out single before Brooke hit an RBI double off the very top of the wall in center that scored Billie with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kinney quickly retired the first two batters before a pair of two-out singles put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. But Kinney came back with a three-pitch strikeout to wrap up the victory.

Nebraska returns home to host five games at Bowlin Stadium next week beginning with a Tuesday matchup at 5 p.m. against Kansas in the Huskers' final non-conference game of the regular season.

Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska won its third straight extra-inning game to improve to 3-2 in extra-inning games this season.
• The Huskers won when trailing after six innings for the fourth time this season. Entering the year, Nebraska had just three wins when trailing after six innings in the previous five seasons combined.
• Ava Bredwell had two doubles in the game, her second game this season and third of her career with multiple doubles.
• Billie Andrews had a triple in the seventh inning. That marked the 93rd extra-base hit of her career, tying her with Jennifer Lizama for the fourth-most extra-base hits in Husker history. 
• The triple also gave Billie Andrews 423 total bases in her career, tied for the third-highest total in Husker history.
• Sydney Gray had a hit and an RBI Sunday as she finished the three-game series 8-for-12 with one double, two homers and seven RBIs.
• Kaylin Kinney gave up a run with one out in the second inning, marking the first run she had allowed in 8.1 innings in the series.
• In the series, Kinney went 2-0 with one save and a 0.54 ERA in 13.0 innings.

HUSKERS DROP MATCH TO NO. 29 WISCONSIN

Madison, Wis. - In NU’s second-straight conference road match, the Nebraska women’s tennis team (10-7, 1-5 Big Ten) fell to No. 29 Wisconsin (14-2, 5-0 Big Ten), 4-0. 

Action against the Badgers started with doubles play. The Huskers battled, but dropped the doubles matches on courts one and three as No. 75 pair Ana Zamburek and Anfisa Danilchenko were defeated 3-6, and Raphaelle Lacasse and Maja Pietrowicz made an impressive comeback to tie at five sets all but lost in two straight sets 7-5. Isabel Adrover Gallego and Lucy Loy’s match on Court Three was abandoned at 6-6 [5-2], and the Badgers claimed the doubles point.

In singles play, Pietrowicz lost to Ariel Johnson on Court Four in straight sets, 2-6, 3-6. On Court One, Lacasse matched up against No. 78 Maria Sholokhova but lost 2-6, 4-6. Lacasse's record is now 10-9 in singles matches. With needing one more point, Wisconsin’s Rosie Garcia Gross defeated Jillian Roa 2-6, 4-6 to end the match. With the loss, Roa’s undefeated streak is snapped with her singles record 3-1. The remaining matches were left unfinished. 

Up next, the Huskers stay on the road and travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue on Sunday, April 7 at 11 a.m. (CT). 

Match Score: 
Wisconsin 4, Nebraska 0

DOUBLES DRAWS
1 Xinyu Cai/Maria Sholokhova (WIS) def. Raphaelle Lacasse/Maja Pietrowicz (NEB) 7-5
2 Taylor Cataldi/Rosie Garcia Gross (WIS) def. Anfisa Danilchenko/Ana Zamburek (NEB) 6-3
3 Ava Martin/ Ellison Reynoldson (WIS) vs. Isabel A. Gallego/Lucy Loy (NEB) 6-6 [2-5] UF

SINGLES DRAWS
1 Maria Sholokhova (WIS) def. Raphaelle Lacasse (NEB) 6-2 6-4
2 Taylor Cataldi (WIS) vs. Anfisa Danilchenko (NEB) 6-3 4-6 UF
3 Xinyu Cai (WIS) vs. Isabel A. Gallego (NEB) 6-1 5-7 UF
4 Ariel Johnson (WIS) def. Maja Pietrowicz (NEB) 6-2 6-3 
5 Kaja Jacobson (WIS) vs. Ana Zamburek (NEB) 5-7 6-2 UF
6 Rosie Garcia Gross (WIS) def. Jillian Roa (NEB) 6-2 6-4

MATCH NOTES
Order of finish:
Singles -- 4 1 6 ; Doubles -- 1 2