This post was updated May 9 at 6:22 p.m.

Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl was named the Big Ten’s first ever Pitcher and Player of the Year on Friday. 

But the Bruins made the Cornhuskers’ two-way ace look mortal in Bittinger Stadium later that very same day. 

Despite Bahl’s 1.46 ERA entering the affair, No. 2 seed UCLA softball (49-9, 17-5 Big Ten) scored four off No. 3 seed Nebraska’s (39-13, 17-5) right-hander to secure a 4-2 Big Ten tournament semifinals victory and a spot in Saturday’s title game. Bahl had allowed just one run in her previous four starts. 

“This offense and the coaching staff has been preparing since fall for a moment like this,” said coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. “I’m just proud. The preparation is there, the hard work is there, the lessons have been learned. It’s postseason time. … We’re just playing to win, and we’ll take it however we can get.”

And while the Huskers’ hurler would’ve been the one expected to dominate the contest, it was instead sophomore southpaw Kaitlyn Terry who took over the contest. 

Terry struck out 13 in her complete game Friday, her most ever in a conference affair and most in a single contest since she tallied 14 against Missouri on Feb. 20. Three of those punchouts came with Bahl, Nebraska’s leadoff hitter, at the plate – who had only struck out twice once this season, coincidentally against UCLA. 

“I was doing it for the team,” Terry said. “They got me runs in early in the game. So just to be – my composure and staying locked in is probably the biggest thing.”

Junior third baseman Jordan Woolery got the Bruins on the board with her 75th RBI of the year – the second most in program history – in the bottom of the first, grounding a double to the wall to score senior second baseman Savannah Pola, who went 3-for-4, from second. 

The Bruins added two more in the fourth when Sofia Mujica launched a two-run shot to left center. The freshman catcher’s sixth homer of the year marked the end of her 0-for-19 slump and a 0-for-31 streak in conference affairs. 

“I had all my coaches by my side, I had all my teammates by my side,” Mujica said. “Just have good energy, have a positive attitude and the game will come back around. And for me, it has been hard, especially just as a freshman, and not getting the result I want, and I put in the work for it but just being able to still go up there with a good mentality and some positive attitude … really just pushes me to be great.”

Terry’s 17th win of the year didn’t come without its hurdles, surrendering five hits and walking two, but she frequently escaped unscathed via the strikeout. 

“Just knowing that my ball is going to move and spin and the speed will be there,” Terry said. “Literally trusting my stuff.”

That was, until the top of the sixth. 

With two on and two out, Nebraska second baseman Lauren Camenzind lifted a two-run double over sophomore right fielder Liesl Osteen’s head, trimming UCLA’s lead to 3-2. 

And in the inning prior, Bahl appeared to display the finesse that earned her the conference’s top honor – striking out three in a row after the Bruins opened the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles. 

But freshman shortstop Kaniya Bragg put the Bruins back in front by two, adding an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot. 

Those two runs of clearance were more than enough for Terry who set the Huskers down in order in the seventh, striking out Camenzind swinging to end it. 

“She did absolutely amazing,” said Mujica, Terry’s battery mate. “I mean, just going into that game, we knew just had to come up with good pitches. … We just kind of just had a plan going in that we’re going to throw with her strengths, and she really showed that today, and I am just so proud.”

UCLA will face either No. 8 seed Michigan (36-19, 11-11) or host No. 12 seed Purdue (30-22, 9-13) in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game. 

The Bruins swept the Boilermakers in their three-game regular-season series at Easton Stadium, outscoring them 15-6 in March, and swept the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan, towards the end of April. 

“It’s playing our game. It doesn’t matter who we play,” Inouye-Perez said. We got to swing at strikes. We got to play defense. We got to pitch. … If we play our game, then we always give ourselves the best chance to win. And that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Both the Wolverines and Boilermakers have proved giant slayers in their tournament runs. After a 3-2 win over No. 9 seed Wisconsin in the first round, Michigan upset No. 1 seed Oregon 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Purdue defeated No. 5 seed Northwestern 4-2 Wednesday and took out No. 4 seed Ohio State 14-6 Thursday. 

First pitch Saturday is at 4:30 p.m.