The big inning taketh, then the big inning giveth to No. 18 Nebraska softball Saturday night in Wichita, all in the top of the fourth. Missouri’s six-run top of the fourth keyed the Tigers’ 7-1 win over the Huskers. And Nebraska (14-6) responded with a 12-run top of the fourth against Wichita State as the Huskers hammered the Shockers, 15-0, in a game shortened to five inning by the mercy rule.
Mizzou and Nebraska were deadlocked 0-0 through three innings. But in the top of the fourth, the Tigers drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. A throwing error by Ava Bredwell allowed the first run to score. Haidyn Sokolowski followed with an RBi infield single to push the led to 2-0. A squeeze bunt by Kayley Lenger drove in a third run. Julia Crenshaw drove a two-run double to left-center to make it 5-0, MU. Madison Walker’s RBI single made it a half-dozen for the Tigers in the fourth.
The Huskers scored once in the bottom of the fourth, but Missouri answered with one in the top of the fifth to rebuild the margin to six. Taylor McCann (4-3) pitched a complete game victory for the Tigers, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out three. Hannah Camenzind (1-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs (three earned) in five innings pitched. Walker paced the Mizzou offense by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bredwell was the only Husker with more than one hit.
In the nightcap against WSU, NU took the lead in the second when a run scored on an error. Nebraska tacked on a run in the third with an RBI by Olivia DiNardo to build a 2-0 lead.
But in the top of the fourth, the floodgates opened. Hannah Camenzind set the tone with a leadoff homer to left. With one out, Abbie Squier singled. Ava Kuszak followed with her nation-leading 11th home run to push the lead to 5-0. After Jordy Bahl hit an infield single, she advanced to second, third, then home plate on three wild pitches to Samantha Bland, who drew a walk. An error and a walk loaded the bases for Lauren Camenzind, who drew a walk to drive in the fifth run of the inning, pushing the Huskers’ lead to 7-0. Hannah Camenzind followed with another bases loaded walk to make it 8-0, Huskers. Bella Bacon drove in a run with a single to make it 9-0. Squier clubbed a two-run double to push it to 11, and Kuszak followed with her second home run of the inning. In all, 12 runs, eight hits, at one point, 12 straight batters reached base. Alina Felix homered to make it 15-0 in the fifth.
That run support was more than enough for Bahl (7-3), who threw four one-hit innings to earn the win, boosting her record to 7-3 on the year. Kylee Magee pitched the fifth and didn’t allow a run. Kuszak finished the game 2-for-4 with 5 RBI and two home runs. Squier was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a double. Bahl hit 2-for-3 as well, while Bacon was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ryley Nihart took the loss for Wichita State, allowing an unearned run in 2.2 innings pitched. Her successors from the Shockers’ bullpen combined to allow 11 earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched.
Nebraska will seek to end the weekend Sunday with a win over Missouri. First pitch time has been moved up to 11 a.m. to try to complete the tournament before impending weather.