Nebraska and Texas both got their bats going to the point Where they ended up knocking each other’s ace starters, Jordy Frahm and Teagan Kavan, out of the game.
And that was where the comparisons ended
on a Saturday night in San Antonio at a game which was determined to never end as the Longhorns just kept pounding away in the top of the 7th inning. They slapped 5 runs on the Huskers for the second time in the game, perhaps as punishment for the Huskers having the temerity to drop 5 runs of their own in the bottom of the 5th inning cutting a 9-2 Longhorn to 9-7.
By the time the ‘Horns had run it back up to 15-7 under a clear Texas sky, the stands had more yawns than cheers as the game clock neared three hours. The DJ was so exhausted that when the Huskers got the third out, he thought the game was mercifully over and spun up “Closing Time”. He was wrong, but some fans followed his lead and made for the exits anyway.
The Huskers jumped out first as Jessie Farrell drove her second homer of the day over the same left field fence as the first, part of 3-for-4 effort, and the Huskers had their first and last lead of evening. In the comeback 5th inning, center fielder Hannah Coor drilled her first hit as a Husker, a 3-run homer which sparked the fleeting Husker comeback hopes. Hannah Camenzind was battered on the mound in relief of Frahm but kept it going at the plate, also going 3-for-4.
The pitching staff was simply shredded by Texas bats giving up 15 runs, 11 earned, in the 7 innings. The Huskers didn’t help themselves with 2 errors (a couple more could’ve been charged), 2 wild pitches and 1 0r 2 passed balls, also taking time to throw it around on occasion and advance Longhorns runners. Texas had help up and down the lineup, but Kayden Henry especially stood out going 3-5 with 3 RBI’s, 4 runs scored and speed which just sparked her squad and made the Huskers play on pins and needles.
The ladies, to their credit went down swinging – literally. Nebraska put five runners on base and pushed 3 more runs across in the bottom of the 7th to cut the final score to 15-10 and least left with the knowledge they could get to the staff of the defending national champions.
And if Hannah Coor had just walked on that final at-bat, Jordy would’ve been up with the bases loaded and the score 15-11.
Just sayin’…
Play continues in San Antonio tomorrow with back-to-back games beginning at 3:35 against Texas and then 30 minutes following the conclusion of that one against UTSA. I would guess that Frahm will get the start after an early exit in which she only threw 58 pitches, but I haven’t been right yet, so don’t go making any prop bets when you login over your VPN at breakfast.
See y’all tomorrow.
