No. 24 Nebraska clinched its seventh weekend series in a row this season behind a six-run fifth inning in a 7-3 win vs. Ohio State on Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers (22-6, 5-0 Big Ten) scored seven runs on 11 hits, while Ohio State (12-14, 2-3 Big Ten) recorded three runs on six hits with a pair of errors.

Cayden Brumbaugh finished 2-for-5, with a double and triple, extending his on-base streak to 20 games. Dylan Carey added a pair of hits and smashed his second home run of the season in the fifth inning. Josh Caron and Joshua Overbeek each recorded two knocks, while Riley Silva and Tyler Stone both doubled.

Mason McConnaughey tossed a season-high 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, both earned, on five hits with five strikeouts. It marked the first quality start of the season for the sophomore and the second consecutive for the Husker rotation. Jalen Worthley tallied four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief, earning his second save of the season for NU.

The Buckeyes snagged their first lead of the weekend with Mitchell Okuley’s solo homer to right field in the top of the third.

Ohio State doubled its lead to two in the fourth behind a trio of hits. Consecutive singles and a fielder’s choice had runners on first and third, while Okuley’s RBI single through the right side made it a 2-0 game.

The Husker offense exploded for six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead through five innings. Overbeek’s one-out single up the middle was Nebraska’s first hit of the day, while Carey locked the game at two with a 362-foot two-run homer into the left-field berm.

Stokes followed Carey’s homer with a single through the left side, before back-to-back RBI doubles to left field from Brumbaugh and Silva had the Big Red ahead 4-2. Silva took third on a wild pitch and later jogged home on Stone’s RBI double to center field.

Caron brought home Stone with an RBI single through the left side to conclude the scoring in the six-run fifth inning for the Huskers.

Overbeek began the bottom of the eighth with a single to right field and later scored in the inning on Brumbaugh's two-out RBI triple over the head of the OSU right-fielder to give the Huskers a five-run advantage.

The Buckeyes immediately got the run back in the top of the ninth after a plunked batter and a two-out RBI single through the right side made it a 7-3 game. Worthley induced a flyout to center in the next at-bat to clinch Nebraska's win over Ohio State on Saturday afternoon.

No. 24 Nebraska and Ohio State wrap up the weekend series tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Sunday’s matchup can be seen on B1G+, while fans can also listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.

NEBRASKA EVENS SERIES WITH 10-2 WIN

The Nebraska softball team blew open a close game with a seven-run fifth inning in a 10-2 five-inning victory over Penn State Saturday at Bowlin Stadium.

Nebraska led 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth but brought the run rule into effect by scoring seven times. The Huskers sent nine batters to the plate in the inning and five players had a run-scoring hit, including a two-run homer from Billie Andrews that ended the game.

Peyton Cody paced the Husker offense with a 2-for-3 day with three RBIs. Billie Andrews was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs while Caitlynn Neal was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Samantha Bland and Bella Bacon also drove in a run for the Big Red while Brooke Andrews and Ava Bredwell each scored twice.

In the circle, Sarah Harness started and earned the win. Harness (4-2) went 3.0 innings and allowed only one run and one hit. Kaylin Kinney picked up her fourth save of the season after she entered the game with Nebraska leading by one in the fifth and tossed a scoreless inning. Emmerson Cope also saw action, allowing one run in 1.0 inning.

With the win, Nebraska (23-14) evened the series with Penn State and improved to 6-1 in Big Ten play. Penn State fell to 27-8 with the loss and dropped to 6-2 in conference action. Mady Volpe (7-4) took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) in 3.1 innings.

Nebraska took advantage of two Penn State errors to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. A dropped infield pop up inning began the inning before the next two batters were retired. Katelyn Caneda then hit a line drive to center that Liana Jones had in her glove, but it popped out and Cody came around to score the game's first run. Billie Andrews then hit a ball down the left field line that normally would have been a two-run homer, but a strong wind pushed the ball just outside the foul pole for a foul ball.

The Huskers plated two more runs in the bottom of the third. Brooke Andrews led off with a walk before Bredwell singled. The runners moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from Bland and Cody brought both runners home with a two-out, two-run single.

Penn State cut the lead to 3-1 when Kaitlyn Morrison led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, the Nittany Lions' first hit of the game. Two of the next three hitters doubled as Penn State trimmed the lead to 3-2.

After being held scoreless in the fourth inning, Nebraska scored seven times in the fifth to end the game early. Brooke Andrews and Bredwell began the inning with consecutive walks. Bland then had an RBI single that made it 4-2. Following an out, Cody and Bella Bacon delivered back-to-back RBI singles that stretched the lead to 6-2. A two-run double from Neal made it 8-2 and two batters later, Billie Andrews hit her two-run homer down the left field line to account for the 10-2 final.

Nebraska and Penn State are scheduled to wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at Noon.

Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska posted its seventh run-rule victory of the season, five of which have come in the past 14 games.
• The Huskers scored double-digit runs for the eighth time this season and for the sixth time in the past 14 games.
• Peyton Cody produced a season-high three RBIs.
• Billie Andrews hit the 57th home run of her career, moving into a tie for seventh place on the Big Ten's all-time home run list.
• Brooke Andrews reached base in all three plate appearances, going 1-for-1 with a career-high-tying two walks

HUSKER WOMEN EARN JIM CLICK SHOOTOUT TEAM TITLE

Nebraska track and field wrapped up the Jim Click Shootout with the women bringing home the meet title and the men finishing third. Seven Huskers earned individual titles on Saturday at Arizona’s Drachman Stadium.

The Big Red swept the top-four spots in the women’s shot put, led by reigning national champion Axelina Johansson making her return. With a distance of 60-11 ¼ (18.57m), Johansson currently ranks first in the NCAA. Mine De Klerk finished second with a 57-4 ¾ (17.49m), moving up to fourth in school history and sixth in the NCAA. Amelia Flynt placed third with a 55-11 ¾ (17.06m), a week after throwing a personal-best 56-1 (17.09m) at the Pepsi Florida Relays. Kalynn Meyer added a fourth-place finish with a 53-8 ¼ (16.36m). In the men’s shot put, Kevin Shubert went 62-0 1/2 (18.91m) on his first attempt to win it. Cade Moran threw for 60-8 1/2 (18.50m) to place third.

Darius Luff claimed the 110m hurdles title with a season-best 13.42. That time is among the top-five times clocked in the NCAA so far this season. In the 100m hurdles, Johanna Ilves clocked a 13.56 to place fourth. Ilves added another top-five finish in the 100m, running an 11.88 to cross the line third.

Lishanna Ilves went far on her final long jump attempt to win the event with a 21-0 (6.40m). She led three Huskers in the top five, with Velecia Williams taking runner-up honors with a 20-9 1/4 (6.33m) and Darby Thomas finishing fifth with a 19-7 1/2 (5.98m). Bariborve Deebom added a sixth-place finish with a 19-2 ¾ (5.86m). In the men’s long jump, Kavian Kerr went 24-9 (7.54m) to place fourth.

Nebraska swept the triple jumps, with Ashley McElmurry taking the women’s side with a personal-best 43-8 3/4 (13.33m). That mark is the fifth-best in the NCAA this season. Terrol Wilson won the men’s triple jump with an outdoor personal-best of 51-9 (15.77m), ranking eighth in the NCAA.

Kavian Kerr brought home the 200m title, running a personal-best 20.76. Arianna Walker ran a 24.16 to finish sixth in the women’s 200m. Lorenzo Paissan took sixth in the 100m with a time of 10.76.

Freshman Mason Kooi continues to improve as the season goes on, as he hit a new personal-best with a 6-11 3/4 (2.13m) in the high jump. That mark put him in second among the field. Reid Nelson placed sixth with a 6-8 ¾ (2.05m).

De Klerk threw for 176-10 (53.91m) in the discus to claim third place, while Meyer took sixth with a 172-4 (52.54m). Tyler Brown placed sixth in the men’s discus with a 176-4 (53.75m).

Kylie Clark cleared a personal-best 12-11 3/4 (3.96m) in the pole vault to take fourth. Hannah Preissler added a seventh-place finish with a 12-8 (3.86m). Brooklyn Miller cleared 5-7 (1.70m) in the high jump to tie for fifth.

Cory Berg and Joseph Clifford each pitched in a top-five finish in the 400m hurdles, with Berg running a 53.14 (third) and Clifford running a 53.20 (fourth). Karlie Moore was Nebraska’s top finisher on the women’s side, with a 1:01.87 to finish 14th.

The Husker women (Williams, Arianna Walker, Deebom, Thomas) ran to second in the 4x100m relay with a 44.97. The women’s 4x400m relay team (Abrielle Artley, Meghan Walker, Lotavia Brown, Moore) placed fourth with a 3:44.59.

In the decathlon, Kolby Heinerikson finished 12th with 6,912 points. He ran a 15.68 in the 110m hurdles, threw 121-0 (36.89m) in the discus, cleared 14-3 ¼ (4.35m) in the pole vault, went 173-4 (52.85m) in the javelin and clocked a 4:52.94 in the 1500m today. In the heptathlon, Favour Wanjoku placed 13th with 4,934 points after going 18-7 ¾ (5.68m) in the long jump, 93-1 (28.39m) in the javelin and 2:34.85 in the 800m during the second day of action.

Next, the Huskers will travel to Azusa, Calif. for the Bryan Clay Invitational taking place April 11-13.

HUSKERS FINISH AS NCAA REGIONAL RUNNER-UP

Lansing, Mich. - The Nebraska bowling team ended its season at the Lansing Regional as the Huskers climbed through consolation, but fell to No. 3 Youngstown State in the Regional Championship match.  

After dropping their first match to Maryville on Friday, the Huskers dropped down to the contenders bracket and needed to win every match to stay alive in the regionals. After Maryville lost to No. 3 seed Youngstown State Friday afternoon, the Huskers and Saints faced a rematch Saturday morning. Both teams struggled out of the gate, as freshman Brenna Hartzlet led the team in traditional format tallying a (211) followed by Alexis Buchert at 198. Jillian Martin added a 192 to the mix with Lani Breedlove close at 180. Kayla Verstraete rounded out the Big Red, but was not enough to combat Marysville’s 991-947 victory, and the Huskers were down 0-1. 

The team’s then played a five-game baker total pinfall match. Maryville started strong with a 213-194 lead over Nebraska in game one before the Big Red erased the lead in game two 227-18). A low 189 against a massive 256 would put Nebraska in a 44-pin deficit after game three. With a 214 against a 148, the lead was back to the Big Red at +22 after game four heading into the final game. With clutch performances by Martin and Verstraete, it all came down to the final frames before Martin stepped up to win by a three pin margin to tie the mega match 1-1. 

A best-of-seven baker game would send the winner to the regional finals against No. 3 Youngstown. Maryville took the lead in game one (233-159) before Nebraska tied it up 200-190 in game two. The Huskers took game three (224-158) before Maryville had a chance to tie in game four at 229-212. Game five was all Nebraska’s (210-188) before sealing the deal after a crucial double from Martin in the 10th to win (213-205) advancing Nebraska to the finals. 

NU then faced Youngstown State in the Regional Finals. The Huskers took an early 1-0 mega match lead with the 921-864 traditional match victory. Martin continued her dominance on the lanes leading at 215 and was one of two bowlers from both teams to tally over 200. Buchert showed strong at 190 while Verstreate and Hartzler tallied 186 and 182 respectively. Despite a  lower 148 from Breedlove, she was well covered by the team to take a 1-0 lead against the Penguins. 

Nebraska continued its drive, heading into a five-game baker match taking leads in games one (187-180) and two (225-169) for a comfortable 63 pin lead. A 186-227 in game three allowed the Penguins to chip the lead to only 22 before YSU took the lead in game four (235-201) leaving Nebraska with a 12 pin deficit. After filling the 10th, Martin tied the teams at 1,003 to force a five-frame roll off. The Huskers with a near-perfect five frame game, took the win (138-117) and the mega match 2-0, forcing a final “if necessary” best-of-seven baker match. 

In the tiebreaker match, the Big Red took the lead in game one (168-165) before Youngstown answered back with a massive (243-234) victory tying it up 1-1. Game three was awarded to the Penguins (199-18) and (157-150) before Nebraska stayed alive in game five (197-189). Game six came down to the final frame where a deadly 3-pin split would keep Martin from a mark, awarding Youngstown State the regionals victory and ending NU’s Season.