BATON ROUGE, La. — Jordy Bahl delivered an outstanding performance, pitching a one-hit shutout and also hitting a home run, as Nebraska decisively defeated Southeastern Louisiana 8-0 to capture victory in the Baton Rouge Regional on Sunday. With this win, Nebraska (41-13) advances to compete in the Super Regional against the seventh-seeded Tennessee next weekend.
The Lions (50-16), after triumphing over 10th-seeded host LSU with scores of 4-3 and 8-7, encountered a significant setback against Nebraska, falling 14-1 prior to this match.
Bahl set the tone early by hitting a 3-2 pitch over the fence in the bottom of the first inning, marking her 22nd home run and fourth during this regional competition, providing all the run support she needed in this dominant display. Ava Kuszak followed suit shortly thereafter with her own home run, marking her 20th of the season, making both Bahl and Kuszak the first Cornhuskers duo to achieve at least 20 home runs each in a season.
Samantha Bland contributed significantly to Nebraska’s offense, knocking in four runs—two on a double in the second inning and two more with a single in the fourth. Overall, Bahl went 2 for 2 at the plate, crossing home plate three times, while Bland finished 3 for 4, and Kuszak contributed with a 2 for 3 performance and drove in three runs. Bland also proved effective from the mound, recording 10 strikeouts over six innings.
Marcie LaRue, who entered the game with a 19-3 record, was the losing pitcher, unable to subdue Nebraska’s powerhouse lineup.