No. 4 seeded Indiana softball fell 5-0 to No. 1 seeded Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals on Friday in College Park, Maryland. The loss moved the Hoosiers to 42-14 overall and 17-8 in conference play ahead of Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show.
Nebraska got out to a hot start both on the mound and in the batter's box.
Left-handed freshman pitcher Alexis Jensen set the tone early as she struck out the first six Indiana batters and held the Hoosiers hitless through the first two innings.
The Cornhuskers got on the board first after senior pitcher/utility Hannah Camenzind hit a deep fly ball to left field, bringing home senior outfielder Hannah Coor to go up 1-0 in the first inning.
Indiana was unable to find its rhythm offensively early but kept the game in reach through its defense. Nebraska threatened to score in the bottom of the third inning with multiple batters reaching base. However, the Hoosiers defense escaped the inning, leaving two runners on base to keep the game at 1-0.
But in the fourth inning, Nebraska opened the game up.
The Cornhuskers continued to apply pressure from the mound as Jensen struck out three straight Indiana batters in the top of the inning.
Nebraska continued to add to its lead during the bottom of the inning. Two scored runs forced the Hoosiers to make a pitching change from redshirt junior Taylor Hess to freshman Aubree Hooks midway through the inning. But it didn’t stop the Cornhuskers. Nebraska added another run to close out the inning with a 4-0 advantage.
Through the fifth inning, more of the same continued.
Indiana’s offense came up short, and Nebraska added to its lead. Junior infielder Samantha Bland tallied an RBI single to bring home senior infielder Ava Kuszak and take a 5-0 lead.
Indiana put up a fight in the top of the seventh inning, getting runners in scoring position for the first time in the game. But Nebraska ultimately held on to the five-run advantage to secure a 5-0 victory.
Jensen, the 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, proved to be too much for the Hoosiers to overcome. She ultimately struck out 12 Indiana batters and held the Hoosiers to just two hits.
The loss ended the Hoosiers’ Big Ten Tournament run. Indiana will now wait to see if its name is called for the NCAA Tournament during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday. The selection show will be streamed at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
