A one-out solo homer by Hannah Coor Off of Ruby Meylan stayed up just long enough to clear the wall in left center and the Huskers had an insurance run they surely craved. The previous inning she had made a diving catch of a sinking liner to stymie a rare Cowgirl chance.
There was one out in the top of the 5th inning and the score was now 3-1. Following her leadoff pop-up to second, Jordy Frahm grabbed her glove and headed to the bullpen. Everyone, including freshman starter Alexis Jensen knew Frahm would be entering the game. And Jensen had a case for staying after throwing 4 innings, giving up only 2 hits and striking out 7 while allowing only one unearned run.
But Rhonda Revelle would not be giving the Cowgirls a chance to figure her out. As Hannah Camenzind flied out to left for the second out, it was time to bring in Frahm and see if she could out-duel Meylan out of the bullpen for the second straight time going back to Stillwater in late February.
Except the offense had other ideas.
Ava Kuszak singled. Jessie Farrell took a walk. Sammie Bland smacked a THTH shot through the third baseman to load the bags.
And Cowgirls Coach Kenny Gajewski had seen enough. Their pitching coach headed to the circle and, as it played out, Ruby Meylan’s college career was over. Was the hook too quick in a 3-1 game? Said Gajewski, “I just can honestly say I think Ruby was out of gas. She’s what we rode, we rode her to get here, and (I’m) thankful for all she poured into this place.”
Rylee Crandall took the circle for Okie St and plunked Kacie Hoffman. 4-1. Pinch-hitter Alina Felix thwacked one in the right-side hole to score two more. 6-1. And then Lauren Camenzind, who had been ice cold in the regionals, lifted another deep one to left-center which also just barely made it out. 9-1.
Jordy’s workload had just been potentially lowered from three innings to one and with a run-rule victory now in sight and she wasted little time making quick work of it. A dribbler to first for one. A sharp single to right field to delay things. And then two straight strikeouts and it was time for a road trip and to see if Oklahoma City had restocked their stores of Busch Light.
It certainly didn’t start that way.
A walk, a passed ball and a two-out single gave the Cowgirls the lead in the bottom of the 1st. That held only until the top of the 3rd, when Frahm walked and Coor doubled her home evoking memories of the previous weekend’s regional. Frahm beat the throw home and Coor took third base while that was happening. Next up was Hannah Camenzind who just missed a home run of her own. However, the ball was hauled in only a foot or two from the right field wall giving Madison Hoffman virtually no chance at gunning the fleet Coor when she tagged up.
She crossed the plate about time the ball hit the cutoff. 2-1 Nebraska.
Everyone was settling in for the continuing Meylan-Jensen duel and guessing in which inning Revelle would turn to Frahm – until the Huskers blew the doors off of Rhonda Revelle Stadium with their seven 7th-inning runs and left zero doubt what they’d be doing in the coming week.
So in the end, the Thursday night soaking didn’t extend the Lincoln Super Regional’s potential ending and Bowlin Stadium got to celebrate the Huskers first trip to Oklahoma City in 13 years. There’s a bit of waiting as Nebraska became only the third team to close out their series after Tennessee and Arkansas.
But they are in.
The opening round games of the WCWS will be played on Thursday, May 28 and continue through Monday, June 1st. The best 2-of-3 finals will be played Wed, June 3rd through Friday, June 5th. All games are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2.