Question: Who is the last Nebraska Cornhuskers sports team to win two games in a season of #1 ranked teams in a sport?
Answer: I don’t know either, but now it’s Huskers softball after just defeating #1 Texas Tech for their 2nd win over a #1 team in as many weekends!
When UCLA transfer Kaitlyn Terry took strike three on the low and away corner, I was up in the air with Jordy Frahm and Jesse Farrell on TV and I hit the ground shotgunning fist pumps before unleashing a “WOOOO!“ Ric Flair would be proud
of. I love the press box, but even at home games, whooping it up is frowned upon. Thus a living room empty but for me, my laptop for writing, my phone for texting/tweeting and a big ol’ flatscreen was the perfect time and place for a good screaming.
What I didn’t consider was I’d opened all the windows with temps approaching 70.
……
Oh well. Let’s knock out this write-up and head for a victory beverage before someone knocks on the door to ask if I’m alright. Or wanted. That may have ended up sounding like I might’ve committed a violent felony, but I swear I was just going for joy.
Tech was looking like a the team who was going to win the pitching battle – which was Jensen-Canady and not the Frahm-Canady matchup ESPN+ promised on their lead-in, but no matter. The Huskers had not seriously threatened in the first 3 innings, but they started the 4th inning with a full-on armed home invasion.
First, it was Hannah Camenzind sending a rip to the wall in left-center before Jesse Farrell blasted the first pitch she saw from Canady to left field and this game was suddenly tied 2-2. With 2 down and Dakota Carter, pinch-running for Carlie Muhlbach on 1st base, Canady made what would prove a critical mistake by throwing a wild pitch.
Still, there didn’t seem much to fear with Hannah Coor coming to the plate with an .069 average, as Coach Rhonda Revelle appeared set to leave her in the order come hell or high water. So what better way for Coor to show her gratitude but a clean shot to left field for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning RBI?
But none of this was happening without the 2026 one-two punch of senior Jordy Frahm and true freshman Alexis Jensen. No matter what order they pitched in, they were going to have to keep the Red Raiders in check somewhat as the enemy would be countering with 2026 National Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady. Anything was possible but expecting a huge offensive outburst against her would not be what sane people call solid planning.
Jensen, throwing against her second #1 team in as many weekends, already ran into trouble in the 1st and the 3rd innings, with Tech being aided with some wind and bad hops. Winds being brought by the storms, which had pushed the start time of Sunday’s ahead by three hours, were blowing at 20 mph with gusts to 40 out to right center most of the day.
Katelyn Caneda, normally a 2nd basemen, was stepping into her first start at 3rd for Sammie Bland, out with a shoulder (?) injury suffered on Saturday – the extent of the damage and her availability going forward will not be known until she is examined upon returning to Lincoln.
In the 1st, Caneda and shortstop Ava Kuszak were set to spinning after a popup fouled behind 3rd base blew back into fair territory and dropped. Tech Coach Gerry Glasco then called a masterful double steal while the batter showed bunt drawing Caneda in from 3rd out of position for the throw. A sac-fly gave the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead.
They would strike again in the 3rd when Caneda was charged with an error on a check swing dink down the 3rd base line. But was it? When the ball hit, it spun back toward the field before taking a bad hop right in front of her. And even the announcers said she probably had no chance even if fielded cleanly. But whatever. A double to the center field fence was good for a 2-0 lead and a bunt single had Tech threatening again, but Jensen bore down with 2 strikeouts…and a clean groundout to Caneda to end what would be their last serious threat.
Then, as soon as Coor had given the Huskers the lead, Revelle sent Frahm to the bull pen and it was on.
In Jensen’s final inning, she gave up a leadoff double then retired the next three in order. Huskers go up 3-2. Jordy’s turn.
5th inning. 1-2-3.
6th inning. 1-2-3.
7th inning. 1-2-3.
Game, set and match.
Jensen got the win, her third, and Frahm got the save, her 3rd. In 4 innings of work, Jensen gave up 5 hits, only 1 earned run, 7 strikeouts and 0 walks. Thru her first 22 1/3 innings, she 41 K’s and 3 BB’s. Let that soak in.
Jordy pitch 3 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts and, as shown above, did not allow a baserunner while mowing through the most expensive lineup in college softball. Watching Jensen improve in her second weekend, while Frahm finished it looking like an All-American firing on all cylinders. The team will be armed much differently than last season when the NCAA tournament starts.
And keep an eye out mid-week for a piece on another weapon which is heating up.
The Huskers fire it up again starting next Friday at the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, CA, with even more SEC competition on the menu. Back-to-back games against South carolina and Hawaii are scheduled to start at noon with streaming available on FloSoftball ($) and radion call with Nate Rohr on the Huskers Radio Network.
