With their backs against the wall, the Huskers softball team responded with a pair of victories Sunday in Columbia, Missouri, to advance to a super regional in the NCAA tournament. The 19th ranked Huskers defeated Missouri, 11-4 and 8-1.
After Nebraska’s upset loss Friday afternoon against Kansas, it didn’t sit well with starting center fielder Kiki Stokes, who is from Olathe, Kansas. In the double-elimination regional, she knew it was gut-check time.
“I think honestly that it was something that brought our team a little closer together,” said Stokes.
Stokes homered in the second game yesterday, one of seven homers the Huskers slugged in the afternoon. Haily Decker, a sophomore from Oregon, hit a pair of homers in each game.
“The first game I hit back-to-back home runs and kind of got over-amped and got myself out,” said Decker. “The second I just focused on hitting line drives and they just happened to go out.”
So the Huskers, now 44-16, will travel to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide, the overall number-two seed in the tournament. The first game in the best-of-3 super regional is Thursday night at 8.