Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics. LINCOLN–(NU Athletics Mar. 23)–The No. 21 Nebraska softball took advantage of six errors to defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 8-2, on Sunday afternoon at Bowlin Stadium. Five of the Huskers’ eight runs came in the bottom of the third inning, which also consi sted of five errors by the Gophers. The Big Red improved to 23-8 on the season with a 4-1 mark in conference competition, while Minnesota fell to 13-18 and 2-5 in Big Ten play. Kylee Magee (3-2) claimed the win in the circle for Nebraska after allowing no hits in 3.0 scoreless innings. She also notched three strikeouts. Emmerson Cope started for NU and allowed only one run in 2.0 innings. Caitlin Olensky also threw 2.0 innings and allowed just one run on a wind-aided home run. Ava Bredwell was 3-for-3 on the day at the plate and notched a double and a pair of RBIs. Samantha Bland was 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Ava Kuszak added two hits and two RBIs and Hannah and Lauren Camenzind logged a hit apiece. Minnesota opened up the scoring with an RBI double in the top of the first and a home run in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. NU took advantage of Gopher errors to notch a five-run third inning. Abbie Squier got on base on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on two errors, which also sent Kacie Hoffmann to second. Lauren Camenzind reached on another error, Hoffmann advanced to third and Squier crossed the plate. L. Camenzind stole second and she and Hoffmann scored on a Bredwell double. Bland singled to send Bredwell to the plate. Bella Bacon reached on the final error of the inning and Bland went to third, and a Kuszak single scored the two as the Huskers took a 5-2 lead. The Big Red stretched the lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, kicked off by a L. Camenind single. Bredwell followed her with another single, which advanced L. Camenzind to third. Bland got to first on a fielder’s choice, Bredwell was out at second and L. Camenzind scored. Bacon reached on a fielder’s choice and Bland went to third on a Minnesota error. Kuszak singled to score Bland, and a Bahl ground out sent Bacon home. NU will face off against the Omaha Mavericks in a midweek matchup on Wednesday, March 26 at 5 p.m. (CT). ...read more read less