Nebraska softball is moving on to the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinals in Iowa City, Iowa.
No. 4 seed NU (30-22) run-ruled No. 5 seed Minnesota (28-25) 11-2 in five innings Thursday afternoon. The game ended on a three-run walk-off home run by Billie Andrews.
An All-Big Ten First-Team selection, Andrews went 2-for-3 on the day, with both hits going over the outfield wall. Sarah Harness allowed just three hits in her 5.0 innings in the circle.
Nebraska advances to Friday’s semifinal round against No. 8 seed Indiana. The Hoosiers upset top seed Northwestern 4-3.
Nebraska Athletics Post-Game Notes
- Nebraska won its 30th game of the season, its third straight 30-win season and the 24th time the Huskers have won 30 games under Rhonda Revelle.
- The Huskers have now advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight season. Nebraska is the only team who has made three straight Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
- Emmerson Cope homered in the first inning, her fourth home run in her last six games.
- Billie Andrews hit a pair of home runs to give her 60 career home runs. She is the first Husker and just the eighth player in Big Ten history to hit 60 career home runs.
- Andrews produced her eighth career game with multiple home runs. That is a Nebraska record, breaking the tie she shared with Tristen Edwards with seven multi-homer games.
- With the two home runs Andrews increased her total to 99 career extra-base hits. That is tied for the second-most extra-base hits in program history.
- Andrews’ two hits increased her career total to 234 hits, moving her into sixth place on Nebraska’s all-time hit list.
- Minnesota’s leadoff home run to begin the game was the first home run Sarah Harness had allowed in 20.0 innings.