The script was perfect and so was Jordy Frahm through 5 1/3 innings.
She handed out a walk with one out in the inning, but still took a no-hitter into the 6th. When asked afterward if she ever considered lifting Frahm due to the heat, Head Coach Rhonda Revelle was quick to point that out with only the slightest look of exasperation on her face.
Take Jordy out with a no-no going? C’mon.
I wrote in this morning’s preview that Jordy was having issues in the post-season at the plate, but that a quick bounce-back
in the circle after the loss to Alabama could be expected. I also brought up the fact she was hitting .219 in post-season play, hadn’t homered in almost a month and a similar bounce-back at the plate would be needed immediately if the Husker run was to extend past Texas.
The answer came on the third pitch and first swing of the game.
Frahm sent a 1-1 riseball to the same spot where the Huskers three previous dingers had landed at the WCWS – the front of Devon Park’s center field bleachers. It was her first home run since the Penn State series at the beginning of the month, their final regular season games.
The Huskers led 1-0 and then Frahm took to the circle and began mowing down the Longhorns in order over and over. Through 5 innings, she had 5 strikeouts and had allowed only the one runner. It appeared the legend was about to add another chapter of resilience to her autobiography. Everyone, even the Longhorns and their fans, sensed there was a 1-0 no hitter on the horizon with Frahm’s home run being the only score.
Then came the bottom of the 6th and an M. Night Shyamalan twist. (The 6th Sense guy, everyone)
Jaycie Nichols smacked a grounder deep in the hole to short that Ozzie Smith wouldn’t have had a play on with Nichols’ speed. Ava Kuszak smartly held the ball so as not to help Texas, but they wouldn’t need it. Kayden Henry ripped a grounder into the right side hole.
And up came Katie Stewart, she of the .425 average, 27 homers and 72 RBI’s. When asked afterward, she said she remembered how Frahm pitched her in their February meeting and that she had been learning more as the game went along. Another riseball, this time on an 0-1 pitch, stayed in the zone and Henry crushed it.
3-1 Texas.
Kacie Hoffman ripped a single into left in the top of the 7th, but the Huskers couldn’t capitalize and suddenly the 2026 dream run was over.
It seemed almost strange Frahm didn’t get one more storybook ending. Husker fans filing out in the small sample I saw weren’t angry, overly sad or griping. Stunned is too strong a word. It was more like just confused. It was going to be a no-hit 1-0 victory and onto a Monday battle against Tennessee. Everyone knew it. What just happened.
Well, Katie Stewart happened.
Instead, it’s time to move on after some long reflection of the 2026 squad. Is it Nebraska’s best softball team ever?
(It probably is, but I’ll dig in on that later.)
Rhonda Revelle will now be faced with questions after a bit – can she run with this success and start forging immediate returns to future Super Regionals and WCWS’s or was Frahm a shooting star? Don’t bet against her as she has been exceeding expectations since 2022.
For now, let’s just reflect and enjoy the ride on which this incredible group of young ladies, coaches and everyone else involved took us.
It was a hell of a trip.
