Nebraska’s Bella Bacon (3) hits the ball during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nebraska’s Bella Bacon (3) hits the ball during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska.
No. 18 Nebraska looked to keep its winning streak going as they took on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the No. 16 Oklahoma State Cowgirls. For the Huskers, it would be another weekend where they faced good competition in Wichita.
Junior left-handed pitcher Hannah Camenzind got the start in game one for the Huskers. Camenzind came into the game with a 1-1 record and a 2.06 ERA. Freshman right-hander Taylor Baker started in the circle for the Jackrabbits. Baker, a four-time first-team all-district member back in high school, came into the game with a 1-3 record.
There was no time for Baker to settle in as Nebraska loaded the bases in the first and took a 2-0 lead after sophomore designated player Emmerson Cope delivered with a two-RBI single to right field.
After a busy first inning for Baker, she went the next two innings scoreless until senior left fielder Abbie Squier stayed hot from last week and singled to add another run for the Huskers. Camenzind continued to cruise in the circle after three scoreless innings.
Baker went four innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run. Freshman pitcher Madi Mangulis replaced Baker in the fifth and allowed a run after Cope hit a solo home run to extend the Husker lead.
Camenzind went four and two thirds and was replaced by sophomore pitcher Kylee Magee.
The Jackrabbits brought eight hitters up in the fifth inning and tied the game after sophomore third baseman Abby Gentry capped off the inning with a bases-clearing three-RBI double.
Sophomore center fielder Akayla Barnard gave South Dakota State the lead heading into the seventh after a two-out solo home run to make it 5-4.
Cope delivered again for the Huskers launching her second home run of the game with two outs in the seventh to tie it at 5-all.
The game headed to extras after Nebraska brought in junior pitcher Jordy Bahl to lock down the bottom half of the seventh, striking out two in the inning.
Junior shortstop Ava Kuszak gave Nebraska the lead in extras after a double brought in a run. The Huskers wouldn’t stop there, adding two more in the inning after another double this time by Bahl and another as she would later come in to score, making it 8-5 going into the bottom of the eighth.
Bahl would close it out in the circle, striking out three of the six batters she faced to cap off a big 8-5 comeback win after being down to their final out.
Bahl stayed in the circle for the Huskers in game two as they faced a talented Oklahoma State squad. Omaha native junior pitcher Ruby Meylan got the start for the Cowgirls. The Washington transfer was a member of the first-team All-PAC 12 a season ago and came in with a 1-0 record. Meylan was also in the circle for the Husker opener last year in the game where Bahl was injured.
It was an early pitcher’s duel in Wichita as both combined for eight strikeouts in two innings and no hits through two.
Oklahoma State loaded the bases in the fourth after a couple of walks and an error, but Bahl would get a pop up to get out of the jam. The Huskers headed to the bottom half of the fourth still looking for their first hit in a 0-0 ballgame.
The Cowgirls got on the board first with a solo home run from senior Megan Bloodworth. It was Bloodworth’s second hit of the day, and the second hit of the game for Oklahoma State.
Cope singled in the fifth for the first Husker hit of the game, however, she was left stranded and the score remained 1-0 headed to the sixth.
Bahl finished with seven innings pitched, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out eight.
The Huskers got runners on second and third in the seventh with one out, but Meylan was too much for Nebraska as she would toss a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out nine.
Nebraska went 1-1 on its first day in Wichita and will match up against Missouri and Wichita State tomorrow.
sports@dailynebraskan.com
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