Mason McConnaughey tossed seven scoreless innings and struck a career-high nine batters for the second time this year in No. 23 Nebraska’s 16-1 win at Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Bointon Field.

Nebraska (23-9, 6-2 Big Ten) totaled 16 runs on 14 hits, while Rutgers (21-13, 2-6 Big Ten) scored one run on nine hits and two errors.

Case Sanderson and Dylan Carey had three hits apiece along with a homer. Ben Columbus was 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and five RBI. Joshua Overbeek went 2-for-3, while Rhett Stokes, Cole Evans, Josh Caron and Gabe Swansen recorded one hit each.

McConnaughey moved to 4-2 on the season after blanking the Big Ten’s top offense across seven frames. The sophomore matched his career high with nine strikeouts and worked around six hits. Ty Horn allowed one run on two hits in one inning, while Caleb Clark allowed one hit and struck out three Scarlet Knights in the ninth inning.

Rutgers pieced together the first threat of the game with a pair of two-out baserunners after a single and plunked batter in the bottom of the second. McConnaughey eluded the damage with a three-pitch strikeout to send a scoreless game into the third inning.

The Huskers hung five runs on three hits and an error to jump out to 5-0 lead in the third inning. Riley Silva was plunked, and Cayden Brumbaugh reached on a fielding error to put runners and first and second with one out. A double steal moved the pair to second and third for the Big Red, while a full-count walk to Overbeek loaded the bases.

A wild pitch brought home Silva to score Nebraska’s first run of the game, before Evans blooped a two-RBI single down the right-field line to extend the lead to three. Sanderson tacked on two more to the lead, lifting a 1-1 pitch into the berm in left field for his second homer of the season.

Carey reached on a one-out single to left in the top of the fourth. The sophomore moved to second on a wild pitch, before advancing to third and home on a pair of passed balls to grow the lead to six.

The Huskers plated runs for the third consecutive inning, extending the lead to 9-0 behind three runs on two hits. Sanderson’s single, followed by consecutive hit by pitches to Caron and Swansen loaded the bases for the Big Red with no outs.

Columbus plated two for the Huskers with a ground-rule two-RBI double to left-center, followed by Swansen touching home on a double play to make it a 9-0 lead in the fifth.

Nebraska’s lead reached double-digits in the sixth when Swansen ripped a two-RBI double down the left-field line to balloon the advantage to 11 for the Big Red.

The Big Red enlarged its lead to 16 behind back-to-back homers from Columbus and Carey. A four-pitch walk to Evans, followed by Sanderson’s single through the left side placed runners on first and second with one out. Caron ripped an RBI single back up the middle to enlarge the lead to a dozen.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Columbus lifted an 0-1 pitch over the wall in center for a three-run homer, his second home run on the week for the Huskers. Carey followed Columbus with a solo blast to left to conclude the scoring for Nebraska on Saturday.

The Scarlet Knights plated their lone run of the day in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI fielder’s choice after a pair of singles earlier in the inning.

Nebraska and Rutgers conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT at Bainton Field. Sunday’s series finale can be seen on the Big Ten Network, with Connor Onion and Danan Hughes on the call. Fans can also listen to Dave Gustafson and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.

HUSKERS BOUNCE BACK WITH 13-5 WIN

The Nebraska softball team scored in every inning but one Saturday as the Huskers evened their three-game series at Rutgers with a 13-5 six-inning win.

NU scored multiple times in four of its five run-scoring innings, including a three-run first and a five-run fourth. Eight Huskers had a hit in the game, nine scored a run and six produced an RBI. 

Ava Bredwell led the way with a big day at the plate. Bredwell finished a single shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run. She scored twice and drove in three runs.

Caitlynn Neal went 2-for-3 with four RBIs while Katelyn Caneda was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Emmerson Cope also had multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

In the circle, Kaylin Kinney tossed a complete game to pick up her 15th victory of the season. Kinney (15-10) allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out two.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 24-16 on the season and moved to 7-3 in Big Ten play. Rutgers fell to 26-17 overall and 8-5 in conference action. Morgan Smith (8-9) took the loss, allowing seven runs in 4.0 innings.

Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate in a three-run first inning. Caneda reached on a one-out double before Peyton Cody and Samantha Bland drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Cope was then hit by a pitch to score Caneda with the game's first run. Neal followed with a two-run single to give Nebraska a 3-0 lead.

Rutgers got a run back in the bottom of the second on a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1.

The Huskers answered with a run in the top of the third. Cody led off with a single before Bland walked. A catcher's interference call loaded the bases and pinch runner Alina Felix scored on a wild pitch. NU still had runners at second and third with one out but could not add to its 4-1 lead.

NU did add to its lead in the top of the fourth when Bredwell led off with a home run down the left field line. Following a pitching change, Billie Andrews walked and stole second before a Rutgers error put runners on first and third with one out. Bland then lined an RBI single to center to give the Huskers a 6-1 lead. Cope followed with a single to load the bases before Neal brought two runs home with her second two-run single of the game as Nebraska took an 8-1 lead. Bella Bacon made it 9-1 with a sacrifice fly one batter later.

In the top of the fifth, Bredwell doubled with one out and Billie Andrews followed with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Caneda then scored both runners with a two-run RBI single as the Husker lead grew to 11-1.

Rutgers fought back in the bottom of the fifth. A one-out RBI single cut the lead to 11-2 before a three-run homer pulled the Scarlet Knights to within 11-5.

Nebraska answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to bring the run-rule back into effect. Cope began the inning with a single before the next two Huskers were retired. Sydney Gray then reached on a two-out single before Bredwell drove a two-run triple to the wall in center to give Nebraska a 13-2 lead.

Kinney then worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth to wrap up the win.

Nebraska and Rutgers wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at Noon.

Post-Game Notes

• Nebraska scored 13 runs, marking the ninth time this season the Huskers have scored double-digit runs.
• The Huskers have scored double-digit runs at least once in each of their first four Big Ten series.
• NU posted its eighth run-rule victory of the season and third in Big Ten play.
• Ava Bredwell went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and a home run. The three extra-base hits were a career high and marked the sixth time this season she has had multiple extra-base hits in a game.
• Bredwell now leads Nebraska with three triples this season and ranks second with 22 extra-base hits.
• Caitlynn Neal went 2-for-2 with four RBIs. The four RBIs were a season high and Neal now has nine RBIs in her last four games.
• Samantha Bland went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run score while setting a career high with two walks.
• Peyton Cody scored twice, her first game as a Husker scoring multiple runs.

HUSKERS FINISH SEASON RANKED NO. 24

The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team ended at No. 24 in the final Road to Nationals poll. 

The Huskers posted a final NQS of 393.380, consisting of their regional score of 196.600 and season NQS of 196.780. 

NU saw many accomplishments in 2023-24, including three athletes being named to All-Big Ten teams. Emma Spence was a First-Team honoree, while Sophia McClelland and Kinsey Davis were tabbed as Second-Team members.

As a team, the Big Red ended the regular season with a streak of three meets scoring over a 197.000, highlighted by an impressive 197.375 at Arkansas on March 15 that was the 10th-highest away score in program history.

Eleven Huskers earned a career high in at least one event this season.

Nebraska gymnasts also had a solid offseason, as sophomore Csenge Bácskay qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, representing Hungary on vault. Spence competed in the 2023 Gymnova Cup and finished first on floor and second in the all-around. 

Fourteen Huskers also were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team – Katelyn Barth, Clara Colombo, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Genesis Gibson, Lauren Homecillo, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland, Halle Rourke, Emma Simpton, Emma Spence and Annie Worley.

HUSKERS SHUT OUT JAYHAWKS ON SATURDAY

The Nebraska soccer team defeated the Kansas Jayhawks by a score of 2-0 on Saturday at the Barbara Hibner Stadium. The Huskers had 10 shots on goal to KU’s seven.

NU gained its 2-0 advantage after the first period, as the team notched two goals on three shots. Abbey Schwarz put the ball in the back of the net at the 6:05 mark with an assist from Ella Rudney, and Rudney scored a goal of her own with 2:36 left in the period.

The second 30 minutes of the game was evenly matched, as both teams took two shots on goal but failed to find the net. The Big Red maintained its 2-0 lead going into the last period.

Neither team scored in the final 30 minutes, and Nebraska came out with the 2-0 victory.

Up Next
The Huskers will face off against Colorado on Saturday, April 20 at Barbara Hibner Stadium at 7 p.m. (CT). Admission is free for fans.