February 9, 2024
Brooke Andrews drove in four runs for No. 18 Nebraska as Cornhusker reliever Kaylin Kinney threw four scoreless innings, pushing NU to a 7-2 victory over Long Beach State on Friday at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
Long Beach (0-1) jumped ahead in the top of the first inning on a two-out double from Sinclair Lawhorn that plated Makayla Medellin. Billie Andrews responded right away for Nebraska (1-2) with a leadoff triple in the first; she scored on a bunt by Brooke Andrews, tying the game at 1-all.
Sara Olson led off the LBSU third with a double and scored on a single by Medellin, but the Cornhuskers again found their footing and this time took the lead – Caitlynn Neal led off with a walk, reached third after Billie Andrews doubled, and after Ava Bredwell was hit by a pitch, Brooke Andrews drove in all three with a double to make the score 4-2. The hits kept coming for NU as Emmerson Cope doubled in Brooke Andrews to make it 5-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, NU’s Sydney Gray doubled in pinch runner Alina Felix, and Kinney’s full-count single drove in Gray to make it 7-2. Billie Andrews closed the game with three hits and two doubles for the Cornhuskers; Kinney allowed two hits and struck out two.