Lincoln Regional Game 2 Recap – Huskers Surge Past Scrappy ‘Yotes: #1 NEBRASKA 4 – South Dakota 1
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I wouldn’t say the Husker Faithful were freaking out or anything – the roars of support were still strong and unwavering. For comparison’s sake, there was nothing like the groans which escape the Memorial Stadium crowd when another disappointment comes crashing through. And the #1-ranked Cornhuskers softball team had met every challenge head on in 2026 and had entered the NCAA tourney with a 46-6 record against the nation’s 11th rated schedule to prove they won most of those challenges.
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But the nerves were getting a little frayed by the time they came to bat in the bottom of the 5th trailing 1-0 to the RPI #159 South Dakota Coyotes. Alexis Jensen, who otherwise pitched almost flawless softball, had left one over the dish to Autumn Iversen in the top of the 4th, and Iversen belted it out to unexpectedly put the 20-34-1 Coyotes on top.
In the bottom of the inning, the Huskers responded by loading the bags with no one out, and followed that with two pop-ups and a strikeout – not ideal. Then they led off the bottom of the 5th with a couple of quick outs. Again, Husker fans had seen this team come back from worse, but some fingernails were beginning to be unconsciously gnawed.
Then up came Jordy Frahm.
She was on a small 1-for-10 slump going back to the previous weekend in College Park, MD. But enough was enough. She ripped a classic too-hot-to-handle shot through the Coyote third baseman and beat the throw in to second – it went into the books as a double. Hannah Coor, also slumping, ripped a shot over everyone’s head off the wall in right-center scoring Frahm, and then beat the throw to third by a hair for a triple.
Tie game.
Next up was Hannah Camenzind, who had watched pitcher Madison Evans working the outside corner on her. In almost a carbon copy of her first at-bat against Michigan the previous weekend, she went with it and drove the pitch the opposite way into the left field corner for a double scoring Coor and giving Nebraska the lead 2-1. She tried her luck charging for third when the throw got away. She was thrown out after a South Dakota challenge overturned the original safe call, but the momentum had swung red.
Jensen who had looked fantastic for the second straight start in earning her 23rd win, allowing only 2 hits in 5 innings of work, including the dinger, and struck out 6 while walking only one. But it was time to shut down the Coyotes upset fantasy, so in came Frahm. She faced the minimum six batters in her 2 innings of no-hit ball striking out 3 for her school-record and NCAA-leading 11th save.
Asked if she expected to add closer to her many roles before the season started, she said, “I had no idea that’s how it was going to work out, but it’s been really fun splitting games with her.”
Frahm got a little more breathing room in the top of the 7th after Kacie Hoffman drove in Kennadi Williams and Sammie Bland with a 2-run double off the wall for the 4-1 lead in the Huskers final ups, but Jordy didn’t need it.
South Dakota’s Madison Evans deserves credit here as she had her team and maybe a few Huskers fans convinced that she was going to add another notch to her pitching belt after the Summit Conference Tourney run she had which I detailed earlier today. She did not allow a Husker hit until the 4th inning and pitched out of that no-out bases-loaded jam as noted above.
If Louisville takes her lightly in tomorrow’s first elimination game, they could find themselves on the first plane home.
The Huskers take on Grand Canyon at noon CST tomorrow in the winner bracket matchup with the winner getting to take the rest of the day off. Those on the road, or just preferring Nate Rohr’s call, can listen in on the Husker Radio Network.
Lincoln Regional Schedule
TV/Streaming TBD as the tournament progresses.
- May 15
- Game 1: Grand Canyon 4 Louisville 1
- Game 2: Nebraska 4 South Dakota 1
- May 16
- Game 3: 12 p.m. | Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
- Game 4: 2:30 p.m. | Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
- Game 5: 5 p.m. | Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3
- May 17
- Game 6: 2 p.m. | Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5
- Game 7 (if necessary): 4:30 p.m. | Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5