The Huskers spotted the Georgia Bulldogs a 6-2 lead, perhaps due to a questionable pitching substitution (more on that below) and the Nebraska rally was literally a 2-out gun to the plate from at least extending the game to the bottom of the 7th inning.
Like the Washington game last Sunday, another chance for a quality win against a ranked team slipped through their fingers. They entered the top half trailing by 2 runs. Jordy Frahm, quiet up until that point, absolutely torched a liner to the right
center field fence and streaked to third, no throw attempted. Hannah Camenzind stayed hot by ripping a liner to center to score Bahl. With 2 down, Ava Kuszak, who has been struggling, worked the count to walk.
Here came speedy sophomore Nessa McMillan on to run for Hannah Cam and redshirt freshman Carlie Muhlbach to hit for Emmerson Cope who was an uncharacteristic 0-3 with 3 strikeouts. If Muhlbach was nervous in the moment she didn’t show it calmly singling through the left side of the Bulldog infield. McMillan rounded 3rd and steamed home for the tying run.
Except left fielder Jadyn Goodwin, with other ideas, scooped it on the run and fired a strike to home plate gunning McMillan by about 5 feet.
Perhaps Coach Rhonda Revelle should’ve challenged as this year’s hyper-silly rule is the home plate obstruction call. Nebraska has thrown several runners out at the plate and about every one has been challenged for obstruction. Georgia finally cashed that silly ticket when the Dawgs challenged a Husker putout in the bottom of the 3rd when the runner missed the plate. The umpire ridiculously agreed that Jessie Farrell should somehow have stopped her body on a dime when dropping to grab the throw from right – a move which eventually gave Georgia 2 runs and the run was pasted up.
But the Huskers didn’t exactly help themselves either.
A statistic which doesn’t get a ton of attention, but which can mean the world, is the ability to get that leadoff runner aboard. It quickly puts pressure on the defense to make plays and tightens up the pitcher’s options. To put it simply, Georgia did it (five times in 6 innings) and Nebraska didn’t (zero times in 7 innings with an egregious 5 strikeouts).
The other error, one which was made several times last season, was to bring Kylee Magee on in a tight game, this time with Georgia leading 3-2. She gave up 3 hits, a walk, a wild pitch and 3 runs, 1 earned, in the inning as 3-2 became 6-2.
Magee has good stuff but has control problems and simply can’t stop allowing runners on base. A hits/bb’s ratio of 1.000 or below is elite. 1.25 is pretty good and over 1.50 is workable but not necessarily someone you want to be throwing out there in crucial situations. Magee’s ratio through 3 seasons is 1.788. She suffered a wrist injury earlier in 2024 and people point that out that as a reason for 2025’s numbers – except those track with her pre-injury ratios.
After 2 appearances in 2026, the ratio is 2.273. Hannah Camenzind, who came on for Magee with 3 scoreless innings and has a ratio around 1.500, needs to be the 3rd option behind Frahm and Jensen if the team’s interests are at the forefront – with Emmerson Cope next up after her.
In any case, the leadoff hitters, Magee and another silly rule (remember when everyone was challenging runner leaving first early on home runs??) were far from the only reasons the Huskers came up short. Alexis Jensen backslid a little giving up 2 more homers while allowing those first 3 Georgia runs in the game’s opening 2 innings. Remember she is a freshman and there will be a learning curve.
Sammie Bland went 1-for-3 and is looking more and more comfortable at the plate after battling the flu the opening weekend. Hannah Coor continues to struggle at the plate, but we got a look at her glove today as she caught two at the fence, going up to rob Georgia of a dinger on one.
Two final notes – first, Addisen Fisher looked very good early against the Huskers before they finally got to her in the 3rd and the 4th. The UCLA transfer did not pitch against Nebraska in 2025 as a freshman and maybe that was a good thing.
And, finally, a quick shout to Nate Rohr, who makes listening to the games a blast. He’s insightful, funny (“I’ve called games from a deer stand.”) and has probably forgotten more about softball than I know. Thanks, Nate, you’re appreciated.
The Huskers face #2 Tennessee tomorrow in a rematch of the last year’s Knoxville Super Regional at 11am CST; broadcast on ESPN2. See you then.
