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Nebraska Softball Rolls Past Purdue with Kacie Hoffmann’s Multi-Home Run Performance

Kacie Hoffmann powered Nebraska past Purdue with a multi-home run game as the Huskers cruised to a dominant victory.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Nebraska outfielder Kacie Hoffmann fist bumps head coach Rhonda Revelle after hitting a home run in a 13-1 win over Purdue on March 28, 2025.
Nebraska outfielder Kacie Hoffmann fist bumps head coach Rhonda Revelle after hitting a home run in a 13-1 win over Purdue on March 28, 2025. | Nebraska Athletics

There was a steady drizzle falling at Bowlin Stadium Saturday afternoon but it didn't stop the No. 20 Nebraska Cornhuskers from pouring it on the Purdue Boilermakers in a 13-1 route.

Eight Huskers recorded at least one of the team's 13 hits in the five-inning affair.

Junior outfielder Kacie Hoffmann led the offense with a 3-for-3 outing, including two home runs, three runs scored and four runs batted in. Classmate Ava Kuszak added one home run and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs.

Olivia DiNardo also had a three-hit game and drove in two runs.

Jordy Bahl pitched a complete game giving up only two hits and allowing one unearned run to cross home plate. She struck out eight Boilermakers.

Nebraska opened the scoring with seven runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Huskers added two more in the third and four in the fourth.

DiNardo got the Huskers offense opening the second with a single. Abbie Squier pinch ran for her and moved to second on a passed ball before Hoffmann single pushed her to third. Bella Bacon loaded the bases a batter later with an infield single.

Samantha Bland drove in Squier with a single and Kuszak followed with a two-run double. Bahl single to right and scored both Bland and Kuszak. Hannah Camenzind singled and then Ava Bredwell scored Bahl on a sacrifice fly before DiNardo capped off the home half with a run-scoring single.

Hoffmann and Kuszak hit solo homers in the third extending the lead to 9-0.

DiNardo continued the onslaught in the fourth driving in Bredwell. A few batters later Hoffmann put the exclamation point on the day with a three run shot to right field scoring pinch runner Kennadi Williams and Lauren Camenzind.

The two teams meet again Sunday with a 5 p.m. first pitch. Fans can watch the contest on the Big Ten Network.

Postgame Notes | Box Score

  • NU has posted 11 innings this year with six or more runs after a seven-run second inning against Purdue.
  • Ava Kuszak’s home run in the bottom of the second was her first since she hit two against Wichita State on March 1.
  • Kacie Hoffmann had her second career multi-homer game. Her first came in 2024 against Mississippi State while she was an Arkansas Razorback.
  • Nebraska is now up to 16 run-rule victories this season. The most run-rule wins by a Husker team is 17 in 2015. 
  • NU has scored 10+ runs in 15 games this season.
  • Kacie Hoffmann tied her career highs in RBIs (4) and home runs (2) and earned a new career high in runs scored (3).

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 and spent the 2023 season covering Husker Softball for Hail Varsity. In addition to All Huskers, she is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Sports Report.

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