Ava Kuszak's 10th-inning HR carries Nebraska past Arkansas at WCWS

Ava Kuszak belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday, lifting Nebraska to a 5-3 win over Arkansas in opening-day action at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

The Cornhuskers (52-6) advance to face Alabama in a winners-bracket contest in Bracket 2 on Saturday. The Razorbacks (47-12) will oppose UCLA in an elimination game on Friday.

With one out in the 10th, Nebraska’s Hannah Coor was hit by a pitch, and she moved to second base on a wild pitch. After a lineout, Kuszak connected on a 1-0 pitch from Robyn Herron and sent it over the fence in straightaway center field.

Samantha Bland had two hits and an RBI for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska pitcher Jordy Frahm handled all 10 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. She struck out nine and walked one.

Reagan Johnson had two hits and a run for the Razorbacks, and Kailey Wyckoff hit a two-run homer. Herron yielded four runs on five hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, striking out one. Payton Burnham tossed four innings of one-run ball.

Each team scored a run in the eighth inning.

Arkansas’ Kennedy Miller hit a leadoff single in the top of the frame, and the Razorbacks grabbed the lead on Ella McDowell’s two-out RBI single.

Coor tied the game for Nebraska with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning. The Cornhuskers subsequently had runners at the corners with two outs in the inning before Kacie Hoffmann grounded out.

–Field Level Media