Northwestern (20-16, 8-4 Big Ten) and Nebraska (24-18, 11-4 Big Ten) continue their series at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, though bad weather is in the forecast. Stay tuned to NUsports.com for any potential updates.
Northwestern earned the first rally of the game the hard way in the top of the second. Freshman Sammy Nettling (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon del Oro) and Julia Kuhn (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) both reached base to lead off the frame when they were hit by pitches from Nebraska starter Emily Lockman. One out later, senior Olivia Duehr (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) singled back through the middle to load the bases, but Lockman got a pair of strikeouts to work out of the jam unscathed.
Nebraska took advantage to cash in on its first rally, plating three runs in the bottom of the second for a 3-0 advantage against NU starter Kristen Wood (Trevor, Wis./Wilmot Union).
The Wildcats wasted no time coming right back at the Huskers. Freshman Sabrina Rabin (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) led off the top of the third with an infield single before Andrea DiPrima (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) squared up a pitch as perfectly as possible, crushing it into the pine trees beyond center field for a two-run home run. The blast was her ninth of the season and the 13th of her career, and it put NU back within a run, 3-2.
Efficiency in the circle became a theme through the middle innings. In the bottom of the third, Wood got a pair of one-pitch outs -- including one on a tremendous leaping DiPrima catch in right -- before Lockman retired the Wildcats in order on just four pitches in the top of the fourth. In the top of the fifth, Rabin out-raced a one-out single to second before swiping second base, but she ended the inning still there.
Nebraska ended the game early with a relentless rally in the bottom of the fifth, scoring seven runs without making a single out to make the final score, 10-2 (5).
Wood (9-7) took the loss while throwing every pitch for the Wildcats.
Rabin had two hits, a steal and a run for NU at the plate while DiPrima had both NU RBIs on her home run.
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