CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (February 23, 2025) – Howard University softball fell to No. 16 Nebraska in five, 11-1, at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
 
HU (4-6) produced eight hits against the nationally ranked Cornhuskers, but only able to manufacture one run. Newcomer Lauryn Jones (Denton, Texas) led the Bison attack, going 2-of-3 with a run scored.
 
MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Preseason Pitcher of the Year Julia Holt (Tucson, Ariz.) earned the starting nod for HU where she held Nebraska off the board for the first two innings.
 
Bottom three, the Cornhuskers scored twice to take a 2-0 advantage.
 
Nebraska erupted for nine runs in the fourth, highlighted by a pair of three-run homers, 11-0.
 
Top five, second-year Bison Merci Hart (Los Angeles) delivered an RBI-double to right center to get HU on the board, 11-1.
 
Holt tossed three innings while registering two strikeouts.
 
For Nebraska (11-4), they notched 11 runs on 12 hits, led by Kacie Hoffman and Ava Kuszak each recording three-run homers in the win.
 
Saturday's matchup also saw Bison head coach Tori Tyson faces her alum mater for the first time as a head coach.
 
Howard wraps up the tournament Sunday (Feb. 23) against Long Beach State (2:30 p.m. ET) and Loyola-Marymount (4:30 p.m. ET).
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.