Bowlin Stadium was looking like a launching pad atmosphere with 30mph-plus winds blowing napkins and hot dog wrappers out of fans’ hands, not to mention pointing the flags behind center field straight out.
Many, including me in this morning’s preview, were expecting these conditions to be just the balm to loosen up the Huskers bats and provide a few fireworks after earlier wins of 4-1 and 2-0 against South Dakota and then Grand Canyon the previous day.
It looked like we might have been on our way when Hannah Camenzind blasted one over the right field fence and into the side of the Gordon Complex. Instead, unbeknownst to her, she had just crushed the game’s winning run with her solo job.
Sophomore sensation Oakley Vickers threw 5 1/3 innings of stellar ball against Nebraska, scattering 5 hits with the only mark on the scoreboard being Camenzind’s home run. Unfortunately for her, she was up against freshman Alexis Jensen, who threw a stellar 5 innings of 1-hit ball while striking out 7 and walking only one.
After the 5th, Revelle turned to Jordy Bahl, who had struck out a career best 16 against the Antelopes the previous day. On this afternoon, she pitched two hitless innings, striking out 5 more, walking one and hitting two batters in the 7th. The second one of these came low in the dirt and was followed by one of the worst calls you will ever see. Let’s just say a batter isn’t allowed to kick at a pitch and have count as a HBP. The GCU coach challenged exactly that should be the call – what the hell with both left in the 7th? – and the reviewer agreed.
The facepalm thwacks, as well as some colorful disagreement from the Husker faithful followed, but fortunately Jordy just decided to strike the last batter the hell out and be done with it all. That final whiff was Frahm’s 21st in her 9 innings of work on Saturday and Sunday and just for fun with numbers, that would be one more than the MLB record of 20 for a 9-inning game.
Oklahoma State finished off Stanford 11-5 shortly after in the Stillwater Regional and will be Nebraska’s opponent in the best 2-of-3 Lincoln Super Regional next weekend. I will have some more details and info from the final game and the weekend tomorrow – including the Corn Nation Regional All-Name Team. Oakley Vickers is the first aboard.
I would have more now, but I’ve got a storm to beat back to Omaha. Adios.