Even with 10 strikeouts from Cheridan Hawkins, Ducks softball couldn’t hold onto its late 5-4 lead over the Cornhuskers on Friday. Oregon tumbled in the bottom of the seventh and fell 6-5 to Nebraska in the first game of the Mary Nutter Classic.
The Ducks are now 8-4 on the season, including losses to Louisiana-Lafayette and Kentucky over the past two weekends.
Oregon began the game on a hopeful note, scoring a home run form Nikki Udria to give Oregon an early lead.  The Huskers tied it up in the bottom of the inning, making it clear that this game would be a fight.
Geri Ann Glasco added another homer for the Ducks in the second, and Hawkins wrapped up the inning with her fourth strikeout of the morning.
Nebraska stuck back in the bottom of the third, scoring three hits on three runs and taking the 4-2 lead.
Hawkins notched her 10th strikeout in the fourth. In the fifth, Alyssa Gillespie put up another homer for Oregon to inch the Ducks closer, 4-3.
With no scoring in the sixth, the game came down to the seventh inning, in which the Huskers came back to win after the Ducks switched out pitchers.
Oregon fell by just one run, 5-6, before moving on to the second game of the day.
The Ducks are currently in play against Cal State Northridge.
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01