Nebraska softball wins Big Ten Championship, beats UCLA 7-2
For the second time in five seasons, No. 1 seed Nebraska softball (45-6, 23-1) is the Big Ten Tournament Champion. The Huskers also won the Big Ten regular season outright.
The victory is a little sweeter after a dominant 7-2 win over No. 3 seed UCLA (47-8, 20-4). After getting down 2-0, the Huskers stormed back to score three runs in the third and two in the fourth and sixth innings.
The Bruins lead the country with 182 home runs. Heading into Saturday’s championship, they had a .389 team batting average. UCLA hit .192 against Frahm and the Huskers.
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The Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Jordy Frahm, pitched a complete game, her second in three days. The senior gave up five hits, two runs with one earned, one walk and struck out eight in 95 pitches.
UCLA ace Taylor Tinsley threw another six innings. In the Big Ten Tournament, she pitched 17 innings, throwing all but one inning for the Bruins. On Saturday, she allowed six hits, seven runs with five earned, two walks and struck out two batters. The senior threw 312 pitches in three days.
The Huskers look forward to learning their seed in the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced on Sunday, May 10 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
Game turns on its head in third inning
UCLA scored the first two runs of the championship game. But the Husker offense stormed back for a 7-2 victory, scoring three runs in a chaotic third inning.
In the top of the second, Aleena Garcia hit a leadoff single. Bri Alejandre placed a bunt down the third base line, forcing a tough play by Frahm. Frahm’s throw was too low and far away from Bella Bacon at first and rolled into right field. The error cost NU a run.
Megan Grant made history in the top of the third inning. She smashed a 0-2, two-out pitch to center field for her 38th home run to go up 2-0. The senior set the NCAA single-season home run record with 38. The previous record of 37 homers was set in 1995 by Arizona’s Laura Espinoza.
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Tinsley finally showed a few cracks in the third inning. She gave up a single to designated player Emmerson Cope and hit right fielder Kacie Hoffmann on the right wrist with a pitch. Hoffmann was in a lot of pain but returned to right field and the lineup.
Nebraska loaded the bases after Frahm was intentionally walked. After a Hannah Coor grounder to the second baseman, Frahm plowed into Kaniya Bragg and was out due to interference. UCLA challenged a malicious contact, but it was ruled incidental, and Frahm was not ejected.
With the rain coming down and after a long delay, Hannah Camenzind cracked a hit through the middle for two RBI. A third run scored after a throwing error at home to take a 3-2 lead.
Hoffmann extended the lead to 5-2 with a two-run shot to right field in the bottom of the fourth. It seems a hard hit to the right wrist wasn’t enough to take down Hoffmann.
Ava Kuszak crushed a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning for a 6-2 lead. Lauren Camenzind reached on a throwing error in which Nessa McMillen (Jesse Farrell‘s pinch runner) scored.
Frahm and her defense allowed one hit in the last four innings. She struck out the last two batters to secure her second conference tournament championship.
