The No. 19 Nebraska softball team had the tying run at third base and the winning run at second base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but No. 7 Tennessee held on for a 3-2 victory on Saturday evening at the NCAA Super Regionals in Knoxville, Tenn.
The win evened the series at 1-1 and set up a winner-take-all third game on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Central).
Jordyn Bahl, Samantha Bland, Hannah Camenzind, Bella Bacon and Emmerson Cope each notched a hit for the Big Red and H. Camenzind added two RBIs.
Bahl (26-7) took the loss in the circle, her first career loss in NCAA Tournament play. She threw all 7.0 innings for the Huskers and allowed four hits and three runs while striking out six batters. Karlyn Pickens (23-9) grabbed the win for Tennessee.
Nebraska moved to 43-14 on the season, while the Vols improved to 44-15.
Tennessee struck first and took a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the first.
NU bounced back right away, as Bahl and Bland opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles, and both advanced on an Ava Kuszak fly out. Bahl and Bland crossed the plate on a H. Camenzind two-run single to even the score at 2-2.
The Vols grabbed the lead back at 3-2 on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
Neither team would score again but the Huskers threatened in the bottom of the seventh. NU got runners to second and third with two outs but a fly out locked up the Tennessee win.
Sunday’s game can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network and will be televised on ESPN.
Postgame Notes
- The Huskers moved to 69-57 all-time in NCAA Tournament games and 3-4 in Super Regional matchups.
- Nebraska will play in a winner-take-all third Super Regional game for the second time in program history. In 2013, the Huskers won the deciding game at Oregon to win the super regional.
