No. 20 Nebraska softball put an exclamation point on the home portion of its 2025 schedule with a 9-1, six-inning win over Maryland Sunday at Bowlin Stadium. The win clinches for the Cornhuskers (38-12, 17-5 B1G) a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament and a top-three finish in the conference standings.
The Huskers wasted no time jumping out front of the Terrapins (18-31, 3-19 B1G). Jordy Bahl led off the bottom of the first with a home run to right field, her 19th of the season. Samantha Bland followed with a walk, and Ava Kuszak drove in Bland with a double to left. Olivia DiNardo flied out to the wall in the left field, moving Kuszak to third. After Hannah Camenzind reached on a walk, Abbie Squier laid down a squeeze bunt to score Kuszak and move Camenzind first to third. Bella Bacon drove in Camenzind with a single to right to cap the four-run first.
Then in the bottom of the second, Lauren Camenzind led off the inning with a single to left, then scored on Bland’s double to left. Bland scored two batters later when DiNardo doubled to center, pushing Nebraska’s lead to 6-0. Then in the third, Bacon led off with a double to left, then scored on Bredwell’s single to center.
Maryland tallied a run in the top of the fifth, but in the bottom of the sixth, Bland drew a leadoff walk. Kuszak followed with a line drive home run, her 19th of the season, to cap the mercy-rule win, Nebraska’s 22nd of the season.
Bahl (22-5) dominated in the circle, throwing four no-hit innings while walking two and striking out seven. Bri Godfrey (6-8) took the loss, allowing four runs in an inning of work.
Kuszak led the offense, hitting 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI. Bacon was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
The crowd of 2,628 was tied for the third largest at Bowlin Stadium this year, one day after NU drew a school-record crowd of 3,021. The three-game series attendance of 7,929 also set a school record. Six of the 10 largest crowds in school history came to Bowlin Stadium this year.
Nebraska will now prepare for the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday in West Lafayette, Ind. The Huskers have earned a first-round bye, and will likely end up as the No. 3 seed, playing Thursday at 6 p.m.