Entering the weekend without a single loss in Big Ten play and a 22-game winning streak, the No. 9 Michigan softball team put itself in a good position to clinch the Big Ten title outright.

But three strikeouts in the top of the seventh inning on Friday against No. 20 Nebraska — one each from freshman shortstop Sierra Romero, junior first baseman Caitlin Blanchard and senior second baseman Ashley Lane — was the anticlimactic, disappointing finish the last five weeks of Michigan softball would have predicted.

Instead of making a statement against a ranked team, the one-two matchup between Big Ten leaders showed the weakness of a seemingly invincible team that prides itself on one-pitch softball, as the Wolverines (17-2 Big Ten, 41-9 overall) dropped their first conference series of the season.

“I gave Nebraska all the credit,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “They were pitching well, and their defense played amazing. Our kids were playing afraid to lose and that is not acceptable.”

The loss came exactly one year after Michigan dropped its last series — a sweep to Illinois at home — and put a top seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in jeopardy. A 5-3 win on Saturday, though, put the Wolverines one win away from clinching a sixth consecutive Big Ten title.

In the top of the second inning of Saturday's win, the Huskers exposed the Wolverines’ weakness on defense en route to a 2-0 lead. Though the final stat line of the game included no errors, several missed opportunities in the field led to an early hole.

A miscommunication in the field that helped the leadoff batter to reach on a bloop single into shallow center field was followed by a bunt that landed over the head of the first baseman Blanchard. The two miscues were followed by a ball into right-center field that landed over the head of senior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield.

“We were tentative,” Hutchins said. “In the outfield we were tentative with balls dropping in. That killed us. You don't win playing tentatively, and we'll shake some things up.”

Michigan was sat down in order twice before Driesenga got the team’s first hit in the top of the third. Sierra Romero, the catalyst of the explosive offense, was retired twice, including a rare strikeout before reaching base in the seventh inning.

The come-from-behind victory began with just three outs left in the game.

Having been held scoreless through the first six frames, Hutchins called on senior co-captain outfielder Jaclyn Crummey to pinch hit for Sappingfield. Seven pitches later, a walk to Crummey proved all the self-described “contagious” Michigan offense needed to string together a comeback win.

“We were just really tentative in our swings,” Hutchins said. “We were just not airing out or swinging with confidence. Once we get somebody to break open, the rest of us come alive.”

An intentional walk to Romero was followed by a pitching change and a walk to junior first baseman Caitlin Blanchard to load the bases with no outs for senior second baseman Ashley Lane. Two straight singles from Lane and freshman left fielder Sierra Lawrence made it a tie game at three.

With the bases still full, sophomore catcher Lauren Sweet knocked in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single.

“We focused in during the seventh inning and watched the bad pitches go by. We went to a one-pitch mentality,” Sweet said. “I was feeling comfortable the whole game, and I wasn't thinking about the runners on base. I was keeping my mental approach and keeping my confidence up.”

Michigan fell 7-4 on Sunday after a nightmarish sixth inning for the pitching staff. Nebraska gave the Wolverines a taste of their own medicine, as the Cornhusker offense strung together five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the victory and the series win.

But Michigan’s offense kept it in the game, wasting little time against Nebraska pitcher Emily Lockman. In the top of the second inning, freshman left-fielder Sierra Lawrence drove a double into left-center field to score second baseman Lane from first base. Sweet — who went 6-for-7 at Bowlin Stadium — followed with a single to right field to plate Lawrence and finish the two-run inning. Sweet came through again in the fourth inning with her seventh home run on the season, giving Michigan a 4-0 lead.