On a blustery and cold Tuesday night, the Nebraska softball team blew out the Creighton Blue Jays 11 – 1 at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, NE. It was the 13th time this season the Huskers posted a run-rule victory in the fifth inning.
NU freshmen pitcher Kaylan Jablonski had a marvelous outing in the circle. She went the distance allowing just 2 hits and striking out 4. The only Creighton run came in the third inning and it was unearned.
The Huskers blasted 13 hits to produce 11 runs in the first 3 innings of the game. Eight Huskers had hits in an offensive juggernaut. It began when Alicia Armstrong and Steph Pasquale hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Nebraska exploded in the second inning plating seven runs. Six hits in a row including a 2-run homer by Kiki Stokes stretched the Husker lead to 9 – 0.
In the bottom of the third, the Big Red scored their final two runs. Three singles by Huskers Laura Barrow, MJ Knighten and Alicia Armstrong plus a Bluejay error lengthened the Nebraska lead to 11 – 1.
The entire NU line-up contributed on this night but 4 were especially big for the Big Red. Armstrong, Barrow, Knighten and Pasquale all had multiple hits. Armstrong went 3-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Pasquale went 2-3 with a homer. Barrow went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Knighten went 2-for-3.
It was a special evening for Nebraska shortstop Alicia Armstrong. In a pregame ceremony at the pitching circle, it was announced she will be receiving the Julie Geis Memorial Scholarship. A four-year letter winner in softball (1976-1979) for the Huskers, Julie Geis was a victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. The Geis family established a scholarship in Julie’s name to be awarded annually to a Husker softball team member. Congratulations, Alicia!!
Nebraska improves to 26-19 on the season. They head out on the road to Madison, WI for a 3 game series with the Wisconsin Badgers starting on Friday night. This will be their last away series of the season. The Huskers will return home to finish out the season with a single game against Drake and a conference series with Illinois. Follow Nebraska softball here and as always, GO BIG RED!!