From Nebraska Athletics Communications:
The No. 18 Nebraska softball team split a pair of games Friday at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico. The Huskers dropped their first game of the day to No. 11 Duke, 6-1, before rebounding to defeat Long Beach State, 7-2.
Billie Andrews produced Nebraska’s lone hit against the Blue Devils, a leadoff home run in the seventh inning that spoiled a potential Duke shutout.
In game two against Long Beach State, Nebraska had six extra-base hits (five doubles and one triple). Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple while Brooke Andrews was 1-for-2 with a double and four RBIs.
Kaylin Kinney was the pitcher of record in both games Friday. She started and took the loss against Duke before earning the win with 4.0 shutout innings of relief against Long Beach State. Kinney finished Friday allowing five runs (three earned) in 9.0 innings.
Offensively, Billie Andrews went 4-for-7 on Friday with two doubles, a triple and a home run. She accounted for four of Nebraska’s nine hits on the day.
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FULL GAME RECAPS BELOW
Duke 6, Nebraska 1
No. 11-ranked Blue Devils top No. 18 Huskers
Jala Wright tossed a one-hitter to pitch No. 11 Duke to a 6-1 victory over the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team in the first of two games Friday at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico.
Wright (1-0) retired the first 18 batters she faced, taking a perfect game into the final inning before Billie Andrews produced Nebraska's first run of the season with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. Wright finished the game allowing only one Husker to reach base while striking out eight.
Nebraska senior right-hander Kaylin Kinney, who was making her first appearance in the circle in nearly one year, took the loss. Kinney (0-1) allowed five runs (three earned) in 5.0 innings against a Duke lineup that ranked 23rd nationally in scoring last year and put up 16 runs in a win over Iowa State earlier Friday. Freshman left-hander Caitlin Olensky pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed only one run.
In the top of the first, Kinney struck out the leadoff batter before issuing a walk and a hit batter. She retired the next hitter but a two-out, two-run double off the fence in right gave Duke a 2-0 lead.
An error and some bad luck contributed to Duke stretching its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third. After an error extended the inning, the Blue Devils had the bases loaded with two outs. Kinney then coaxed a ground ball that Sydney Gray was in position to field, but the ball hit the third-base bag and bounced into the outfield for an RBI single.
Duke added two more runs in the top of the fourth to stretch its lead to 5-0. A leadoff single, a stolen base and a ground out put a Blue Devil on third base with one out. A fly ball to deep left then popped out of the glove of the Husker outfielder, with the runner on third scoring and the batter advancing to second. A single and a successful squeeze bunt accounted for the second run of the inning.
The Blue Devils made it 6-0 when Jada Baker greeted Olensky with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth.
Billie Andrews broke up the perfect game when she launched a solo home run to left to lead off the bottom of the seventh. But Wright retired the next three hitters to move Duke to 2-1 on the season.
Nebraska (0-2) continues play on Friday with a second game against Long Beach State.
Post-Game Notes
Nebraska 7, Long Beach State 2
Huskers beat the Beach for first win
Brooke Andrews drove in four runs to power the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 7-2 victory over Long Beach State Friday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Brooke finished 1-for-2 with a double and four RBIs while her younger sister Billie went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored. Emmerson Cope and Sydney Gray added RBI doubles for the Huskers.
Nebraska produced eight hits in the game, including six extra-base hits.
The win over the 2023 Big West Conference champions gave Nebraska (1-2) its first victory of the season after the Huskers lost their first two games to top-15 opponents.
Kaylin Kinney, who had an RBI single at the plate, earned the win in relief. Kinney (1-1) tossed the final 4.0 innings and did not allow a run while surrendering only two hits. Sarah Harness started and gave up two runs in 3.0 innings of work.
Shannon Haddad (0-1) took the loss for Long Beach State (0-1). Haddad allowed five runs in 2.0 innings.
In the top of the first inning, Harness retired the first two batters before issuing a walk. A bloop double to shallow left then plated the game’s first run and gave the Beach a 1-0 lead.
Billie Andrews led off the bottom of the first with a triple to right. She then scored Nebraska’s first run two batters later on a sacrifice squeeze bunt from her sister, Brooke.
Long Beach State regained the lead in the top of the third, using a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single to take a 2-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, Caitlynn Neal worked a leadoff walk before Billie Andrews doubled to the wall in left and Ava Bredwell was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brooke Andrews then delivered again, lining a bases-clearing double to the gap in right center to give Nebraska a 4-2 lead and mark the end of the game for Haddad. Cope greeted the new pitcher with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Brooke Andrews and pushing the Husker lead to 5-2.
Nebraska added to its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first two Huskers were retired before Cope drew a two-out walk. Gray followed with an RBI double that scored pinch runner Alina Felix. Kinney then helped herself with a two-out RBI single to right center, scoring Gray to give Nebraska a 7-2 lead.
Nebraska wraps up its stay in Mexico with a fourth and final game on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (Central) against Utah Valley.
Post-Game Notes
The No. 18 Nebraska softball team split a pair of games Friday at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico. The Huskers dropped their first game of the day to No. 11 Duke, 6-1, before rebounding to defeat Long Beach State, 7-2.
Billie Andrews produced Nebraska’s lone hit against the Blue Devils, a leadoff home run in the seventh inning that spoiled a potential Duke shutout.
In game two against Long Beach State, Nebraska had six extra-base hits (five doubles and one triple). Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple while Brooke Andrews was 1-for-2 with a double and four RBIs.
Kaylin Kinney was the pitcher of record in both games Friday. She started and took the loss against Duke before earning the win with 4.0 shutout innings of relief against Long Beach State. Kinney finished Friday allowing five runs (three earned) in 9.0 innings.
Offensively, Billie Andrews went 4-for-7 on Friday with two doubles, a triple and a home run. She accounted for four of Nebraska’s nine hits on the day.
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FULL GAME RECAPS BELOW
Duke 6, Nebraska 1
No. 11-ranked Blue Devils top No. 18 Huskers
Jala Wright tossed a one-hitter to pitch No. 11 Duke to a 6-1 victory over the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team in the first of two games Friday at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico.
Wright (1-0) retired the first 18 batters she faced, taking a perfect game into the final inning before Billie Andrews produced Nebraska's first run of the season with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. Wright finished the game allowing only one Husker to reach base while striking out eight.
Nebraska senior right-hander Kaylin Kinney, who was making her first appearance in the circle in nearly one year, took the loss. Kinney (0-1) allowed five runs (three earned) in 5.0 innings against a Duke lineup that ranked 23rd nationally in scoring last year and put up 16 runs in a win over Iowa State earlier Friday. Freshman left-hander Caitlin Olensky pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed only one run.
In the top of the first, Kinney struck out the leadoff batter before issuing a walk and a hit batter. She retired the next hitter but a two-out, two-run double off the fence in right gave Duke a 2-0 lead.
An error and some bad luck contributed to Duke stretching its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third. After an error extended the inning, the Blue Devils had the bases loaded with two outs. Kinney then coaxed a ground ball that Sydney Gray was in position to field, but the ball hit the third-base bag and bounced into the outfield for an RBI single.
Duke added two more runs in the top of the fourth to stretch its lead to 5-0. A leadoff single, a stolen base and a ground out put a Blue Devil on third base with one out. A fly ball to deep left then popped out of the glove of the Husker outfielder, with the runner on third scoring and the batter advancing to second. A single and a successful squeeze bunt accounted for the second run of the inning.
The Blue Devils made it 6-0 when Jada Baker greeted Olensky with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth.
Billie Andrews broke up the perfect game when she launched a solo home run to left to lead off the bottom of the seventh. But Wright retired the next three hitters to move Duke to 2-1 on the season.
Nebraska (0-2) continues play on Friday with a second game against Long Beach State.
Post-Game Notes
- Senior Kaylin Kinney started in the circle for the Big Red. It marked her first start since Feb. 25 of last season, as Kinney missed the final three months of the 2023 season due to injury.
- Freshman Emmerson Cope started as the designated player, marking her first career start.
- Making their season debuts for the Huskers were Alina Felix, Ashley Smetter and Haidyn Werner.
- Billie Andrews hit the Huskers' first home run of the season. The home run was the 44th of her career (6th in Nebraska history).
Nebraska 7, Long Beach State 2
Huskers beat the Beach for first win
Brooke Andrews drove in four runs to power the 18th-ranked Nebraska softball team to a 7-2 victory over Long Beach State Friday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Brooke finished 1-for-2 with a double and four RBIs while her younger sister Billie went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored. Emmerson Cope and Sydney Gray added RBI doubles for the Huskers.
Nebraska produced eight hits in the game, including six extra-base hits.
The win over the 2023 Big West Conference champions gave Nebraska (1-2) its first victory of the season after the Huskers lost their first two games to top-15 opponents.
Kaylin Kinney, who had an RBI single at the plate, earned the win in relief. Kinney (1-1) tossed the final 4.0 innings and did not allow a run while surrendering only two hits. Sarah Harness started and gave up two runs in 3.0 innings of work.
Shannon Haddad (0-1) took the loss for Long Beach State (0-1). Haddad allowed five runs in 2.0 innings.
In the top of the first inning, Harness retired the first two batters before issuing a walk. A bloop double to shallow left then plated the game’s first run and gave the Beach a 1-0 lead.
Billie Andrews led off the bottom of the first with a triple to right. She then scored Nebraska’s first run two batters later on a sacrifice squeeze bunt from her sister, Brooke.
Long Beach State regained the lead in the top of the third, using a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single to take a 2-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, Caitlynn Neal worked a leadoff walk before Billie Andrews doubled to the wall in left and Ava Bredwell was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brooke Andrews then delivered again, lining a bases-clearing double to the gap in right center to give Nebraska a 4-2 lead and mark the end of the game for Haddad. Cope greeted the new pitcher with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Brooke Andrews and pushing the Husker lead to 5-2.
Nebraska added to its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first two Huskers were retired before Cope drew a two-out walk. Gray followed with an RBI double that scored pinch runner Alina Felix. Kinney then helped herself with a two-out RBI single to right center, scoring Gray to give Nebraska a 7-2 lead.
Nebraska wraps up its stay in Mexico with a fourth and final game on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (Central) against Utah Valley.
Post-Game Notes
- The win was Nebraska's first win on foreign soil. The Huskers had been 0-6 outside of the United States, losing their first six games in Puerto Vallarta (2017 and 2024) before breaking through against the Beach.
- Six of Nebraska's eight hits in the game went for extra bases (five doubles and one triple).
- Brooke Andrews had four RBIs in the game, marking her fourth career game with at least four RBIs.
- Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple against Long Beach State. In two games Friday against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams, Andrews was 4-for-7 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
- Billie Andrews' three extra-base hits tied her career high.
- Freshman Emmerson Cope made her first career start at first base in the game, and classmate Samantha Bland made her first career start in left field.
- Cope had her first career hit and RBI with an RBI double in the third inning.
- Mckinley Malecha and Peyton Cody both made their season debuts, with Cody recording a pinch-hit single in the sixth inning in her first at bat as a Husker.
