Nebraska swept Saturday’s doubleheader vs. Northwestern with a 5-2 win in the series finale at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (19-21, 7-11 Big Ten) scored five runs on nine hits and an error, while Northwestern (17-20, 8-10 Big Ten) totaled two runs, six hits and two errors.

Max Buettenback, Gabe Swansen and Robby Bolin tallied two-hit performances, while Case Sanderson, Joshua Overbeek and Will Jesske had one hit apiece.

Jackson Brockett moved to 1-3 on the season after dealing five shutout frames. The senior surrendered just two hits and struck out five with one walk. Jalen Worthley gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits across a pair of innings. Pryce Bender and Caleb Clark combined to deal 1.1 scoreless frames, while Luke Broderick picked up the final two outs to collect his ninth save of the season.

Brockett worked around a double in the first and second innings and retired the Wildcats in order in the top of the third to keep Northwestern off the board through three innings.

Nebraska plated the game’s first run with a pair of hits in the bottom of the third. Jesske began the inning with an infield single, before a wild pitch and a groundout moved the sophomore to third with two outs. A second wild pitch in the inning allowed Jesske to score from third and break the scoreless tie.

The Huskers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to grow the lead to 3-0. Bolin reached second on a bunt single and throwing error, while Dylan Carey laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Bolin to third.

Overbeek lined an RBI double down the left-field line to score Bolin, while Sanderson’s first-pitch RBI single through the right side plated Overbeek from second to give Nebraska its three-run lead.

Back-to-back one-out singles from Swansen and Bolin had runners on first and third for the NU offense in the bottom of the fifth. A double steal of second and home stretched the lead to four for the Big Red.

The Wildcats capitalized on an NU error in the top of the seventh to climb back within 4-1. A leadoff error, followed by an RBI double down the left-field line later in the inning with two outs allowed Northwestern to score its first run of the series finale.

The Huskers answered immediately with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead back to four at 5-1. Silva entered the game as a pinch-runner after Buettenback’s leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. The senior took third on Tyler Stone’s flyout to center, before jogging home on Swansen’s sacrifice fly to right field.

Northwestern made it a three-run game again in the top of the eighth with a solo homer to right field.

The Wildcats brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth inning after a pair of one-out singles had runners on first and second. Broderick entered the game and struck out the next to Northwestern hitters to clinch the series win for the Huskers on Saturday.

Nebraska welcomes Kansas to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch between the Huskers and Jayhawks is set for 6:02 p.m. on B1G+.

Huskers Draw Program-Record Crowd for Walk-Off Win

The No. 18 Nebraska softball team recorded a seven-run third inning and downed the Indiana Hoosiers in five innings by a score of 12-4 on Saturday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers drew 2,699 fans, which is a program record for attendance. The previous record was set on April 27, 2024 against Northwestern.

With the win, NU evened the series to 1-1 and improved to 33-11 (12-4 Big Ten), while Indiana fell to 29-13 (8-8 Big Ten). 

Samantha Bland notched four RBIs on two hits for the Big Red, who outhit IU 13-to-7. The Huskers were 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Eight NU athletes notched at least one hit on the day and four had two or more hits. Hannah Camenzind had two RBIs, while Kacie Hoffmann added three hits. Ava Kuszak and Ava Bredwell contributed two hits apiece. 

Kylee Magee (6-3) grabbed the win in the circle after tossing 4.0 innings and allowing four earned runs. She also struck out five batters, a season-high mark. Jordyn Bahl pitched a scoreless final inning for the Big Red. 

Hoffmann singled up the middle to kick off the bottom of the second. Bredwell doubled and Bella Bacon walked to load the bases. Lauren Camenzind got to first on a fielder’s choice and Hoffmann scored on a Hoosier error. Bahl was hit by a pitch, which sent Bredwell to the plate and L. Camenzind and Bacon scored on a Bland single. Nebraska led 4-0 going into the third.

Taylor Minnick knocked a home run to make the score 4-1 in the top of the third.

Hoffmann hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the third and Kennadi Williams pinch ran for her. Bredwell singled and Williams went to third, before both advanced on respective stolen bases. Bacon was hit by a pitch and a L. Camenzind groundout sent Bacon to second and Bredwell to third. Bahl walked to load the bases and Bacon and Bredwell scored on a Bland single. Cope hit a single and Kuszak followed up with another single that scored Bahl. Malecha pinch ran for Cope and her and Bland crossed the plate on an H. Camenzind double. Hoffmann singled and Kuszak scored to give NU an 11-1 lead going into the fourth. 

Indiana notched three runs in the top of the fourth to put the score at 11-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kuszak doubled and H. Camenzind got to first on a fielding error. Hoffmann walked before Bacon reached on a fielder’s choice and Kuszak was out at home. L. Camenzind singled to score H. Camenzind and clinch the 12-4 walk-off victory.

The Huskers will travel to Seattle, Wash., to take on the Washington Huskies from April 25-27. Friday’s game will start at 8 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on FS1. It can also be heard across the Huskers Radio Network. 

Postgame Notes

  • NU has scored 10+ runs in 20 games this season.
  • Today marked the Huskers’ 21st run-rule win of the season, which is the most in program history.
  • Nebraska drew a crowd of 2,699 fans, which is a program record. The previous record was 2,691 fans, set against Northwestern on April 27, 2024.
  • Kylee Magee struck out five batters, a season high. 
  • The Huskers have scored 6+ runs in 15 innings so far this season.

NU Garners Six All-America Awards at NCAA Championships

Ann Arbor, Mich.- The No. 4 Nebraska men’s gymnastics team grabbed the fourth place spot at the NCAA National Championships with a total score of 326.222. This is head coach Chuck Chmelka’s 10th consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships. Chase Mondi won a silver medal on the floor with a 14.566. Chris Hiser was the fourth-place finisher on rings with a 14.133 to close out his career as a Husker. Taylor Christopulos (pommel horse, all-around), Asher Cohen (rings), Chase Mondi (floor) and Max Odden (high bar) all received All-America honors after receiving eighth place or higher on their respective event.

First Rotation-Vault 
Alex Nitache continued his NCAA run with a 14.33, good for 10th. Mondi matched his fellow Husker with a 14.33 but nabbed 12th place due to having a lower difficulty score. Luke James hit a 14.066, tying for 16th place. Team captain Christopulos rounded out the four-man lineup with a 13.933. Nebraska led the competition with a 56.665 vault score. 

Second Rotation-Parallel Bars 
Yanni Chronopoulos stuck his dismount with a 13.733 for a 10th-place finish. Joey Pepe made his postseason debut, earning a 13.466 for 18th place. Nathan York tied Pepe with a 13.466 but had a 19th-place finish.  All-Arounder Christopulos scored a 12.366.

Third Rotation- High Bar 
Odden capped off the event with a 13.66 for the eighth spot and his first All-America award. Christopulos came just behind him with a 13.566 for 10th place. Cole Partridge had a 13.566 for 16th. Chronopoulos posted a 12.833. 

Fourth Rotation-Floor 
Mondi had a stellar night with a stick and second place finish scoring a 14.66. The sophomore earned his first All-America award after coming in ranked No. 1 in the country on the event. York was 14th and Christopulos in 16th tied with a 13.566. James also stuck his floor routine with a 13.466, putting him just outside the top-20.

Fifth Rotation-Pommel Horse
Graduate student Christopulos took the final All-American spot, as he finished eighth with a 13.766. Chronopoulos had a 13.5533 for the 13th spot. Senior Travis Wong finished off his collegiate career posting a 13.133. York hit a 12.40 on the pommel horse. 

Sixth Rotation-Rings 
In his final meet as a Husker, Chris Hiser stuck his dismount for fourth place and earned his first All-America honors with a 14.133 on still rings. Asher Cohen received his second All-America award on rings, posting a 13.933 for seventh place. Christopulos anchored the event and put up a 13.666 for the 15th spot. Chronopoulos concluded his career at NU with a 13.533 and 18th place.