Talia Tokheim blasted two home runs with Sam Bland and Syd Gray adding two more as the Huskers outhammered the Badgers for their 3rd straight Big 10 win.

Going through my pre-game notes, when it appeared the rising Caitlyn Olensky would be out as well as Emmerson Cope - “As in most days this season, this one will be up to the bats.”

On this day, the bats answered again when the Huskers broke open an already high-scoring 7-7 tie with three homers in the last three innings. Sammie Bland stayed red hot banging a solo shot in the top of a 2-run 5th inning.

Sydney Gray and Talia Tokheim then added exclamation points with back-to-back blasts in the top of the 7th, Tokheim’s being her 2nd of the day. Kaylin Kinney then closed out the bottom for an 11-7 Husker victory.

Any remaining hopes were dashed when defensive whiz Brooke Andrews made a diving snag on a sinking liner. Lost in sister Billie’s record setting season is the fact that Brooke has turned center field as a zone where opposing runs disappear.

The scoring explosions began detonating in the 2nd when Talia Tokheim, recently returned from an injury early in the 2023 season, kicked things off with a 3-run shot to left, scoring Sam Bland and Sydney Gray for a 3-0 lead. Wisconsin answered with 4 of their own in the bottom frame highlighted by an Emmy Wells solo shot. Wisconsin 4 Huskers 3.

The teams traded runs again the 4th. The Huskers plated 4 more on consecutive 2-run singles by the Andrews sisters at the top of the order, Billie adding a stolen base in her pursuit of being Nebraska’s first career 50-50 player. Sarah Harness gave up 3 runs on 4 straight hits to start the inning before being mercifully replaced by Kaylin who got three quick outs including a DP to escape further damage. 7-7 all tied up.

That would be the last runs of the day for Wisconsin as Kinney rebounded from some rough outings to toss 4 innings of shutout ball. For the time being, anyway, it appears Kinney and Harness will be eating up the innings with Olensky and Cope still out. It has to be frustrating for Coach Rhonda Revelle as three current injuries have the staff, for the moment anyway, back in the same boat as last season with just two healthy arms.

The win lifts the Huskers to 19-13 and 3-0 in Big Ten play. They resume play in Madison tomorrow vs. the Badgers at 1pm.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Wisconsin Badgers