Nebraska softball team shuts out No. 23 Oregon

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) – The Nebraska softball team put together its most complete game of the season Saturday in a 6-0 shutout of No. 23 Oregon in Cathedral City, Calif.

The Huskers posted their first shutout of the season and first shutout of a ranked team since 2018. Offensively, Nebraska scored off all three Oregon pitchers, and the Huskers had nine hits in the game, including a pair of home runs.

Sarah Harness and Kaylin Kinney combined on the shutout for Nebraska (7-5). Harness started and tossed 3.2 shutout innings, allowing three hits. Kinney (4-4) earned the win in relief with 3.1 shutout innings, surrendering two hits.

Offensively, Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. She hit her third home run in two games. Samantha Bland also homered – the first of her career – while Ava Bredwell was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs.

Morgan Scott (4-3) took the loss for the Ducks (9-7). Scott allowed four runs (three earned) in 2.0 innings.

Nebraska jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Billie Andrews led off with a single and Peyton Cody followed with another single and an error in the outfield allowed Andrews to advance to third and Cody to second. Bredwell then brought in the game’s first one with a sacrifice bunt that scored Andrews. Bella Bacon made it 2-0 when she scored Cody with a sacrifice fly to center.

Oregon loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first on a hit batter and back-to-back walks. But Harness got out of the jam without any damage with a force out at home plate and a strikeout.

The Huskers doubled their lead in the top of the third. Alina Felix led off with a single before Billie Andrews homered to center field to make it 4-0.

Nebraska stretched its lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth. Billie Andrews led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI double from Bredwell.

Bland made it 6-0 with a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth.

Oregon had one base runner in both the sixth and seventh innings before Kinney closed out the shutout.

Nebraska wraps up its weekend with a pair of games on Sunday. The Huskers take on No. 20 Utah at 11 a.m. (Central) followed by a contest with Cal State Fullerton.

Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska posted its first victory over a ranked team in four tries this season.
• The Huskers shut out a top-25 opponent for the first time since Feb. 10, 2018 (5-0 over No. 15 Utah).
• Nebraska homered twice in the game marking the first time this season the Huskers have hit multiple homers in back-to-back games.
• Billie Andrews went 3-for-4 to extend her hitting streak to seven games. Today marked the 13th time in her career that Andrews has had three or more hits in a game.
• Andrews hit her third home run in the past two games. The home run against Oregon was the 48th of her career, moving her into sole possession of fourth place on Nebraska’s career home run list.
• Andrews also moved into a tie for seventh place in Husker history with 78 career extra-base hits.
• Andrews is 7-for-13 this weekend with three home runs.
• Ava Bredwell went 2-for-2 and tied her career high with two doubles. She extended her hitting streak to six games.
• Bredwell is 9-for-19 during her hitting streak with four doubles and six RBIs.
• Peyton Cody had one hit to extend her hitting streak to six games.
• Cody is 10-for-17 during her hitting streak with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs.

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