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Jordy Bahl leads Nebraska to Super Regional win over Tennessee
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Jordy Bahl has been dynamic for Nebraska all season long, powering the Huskers into a Super Regional matchup vs. No. 7 seed Tennessee. While the Vols are hosting the Knoxville Super Regional, Friday’s Game 1 was all about Nebraska.
It started at the top of the 1st inning with Bahl continuing a scorching hot NCAA Tournament with a clean single through the left side. A steal for Bahl and a 2-out single by Olivia DiNardo drove in Bahl as the game’s first run, and that was just the start.
Bahl would walk in the top of the 3rd inning and come home immediately on an RBI double by Samantha Bland to give the Huskers a 2-1 lead. The 2-way star also proved pivotal in the top of the 4th, though the ball off her bat would ultimately be credited as an error on Tennessee.
With 2 outs and 2 runners on, Bahl was forced into a soft pop-up to shortstop that should have been a safe 3rd out for the Vols. However, a miscommunication between left fielder Saviya Morgan and shortstop Laura Mealer allowed the ball to fall harmlessly to the ground, allowing 2 Huskers to score in the aftermath.
Those runs made it 5-1, in favor of Nebraska, and it was too much for Tennessee to recover from. The Vols would score a lone run in the 5th inning and got another runner on base in the bottom of the 7th, but Bahl slammed the door shut with a game-ending strikeout.
The miscues for Tennessee loomed large in the opening game, with 2 unearned runs allowed in the 3-run defeat. The Vols also never found the big hit they were looking for against the Huskers with Bahl working 7 efficient innings.
While Bahl did allow 2 earned runs, she went the distance by scattering 7 hits and registering 6 strikeouts in the win. She also did not issue a walk with 72 strikes thrown in 96 total pitches.
The win puts Nebraska on the doorstep of its first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2013, while Tennessee enters a do-or-die situation on Saturday. Game 2 from Knoxville is set for 5 pm ET.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
