No. 16 Nebraska softball split its first two games of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Thursday in Cathedral City, Calif. After defeating Baylor, 4-1, the Huskers fell to No. 4 UCLA, 9-1 in six innings.
Jordy Bahl dominated in the circle for Nebraska, throwing seven innings while allowing one unearned run and two walks while striking out nine. A Bella Bacon home run in the second got the Huskers on the board. Then in the fourth, Hannah Camenzind drove in a run with a single to left to push the lead to 2-0. Hannah Camenzind drove in another run with a single to center in the sixth to make it 3-0, and Abbie Squier’s sacrifice fly made the lead four. The Bears’ lone run came in the seventh inning.
In game two, the Bruins got on the board in the bottom of the second, only to see Nebraska answer with a run a half-inning later. But then UCLA scored one in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the sixth to capture the mercy-rule win. Hannah Camenzind took the loss, allowing two earned runs and two hits in 3.1 innings pitched.
Nebraska played without reigning Co-Big Ten Player of the Week Ava Kuszak, who was working through concussion protocol. She had been the Huskers’ leadoff hitter and starting shortstop the first 10 games of the season.
Next up for the Cornhuskers is No. 11 Duke at 3 p.m. Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.