Nebraska Baseball Downs Minnesota, 7-4

It started out the same as last night, but the Nebraska bats awoke in the first and broke through with a big two out rally in the seventh to defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers 7-4 Saturday night at Haymarket Park. Nebraska will go for the series win tomorrow afternoon.

Kyle Kubat allowed a leadoff double in the first inning, followed by a pair of fly balls. Kubat had a chance to get out of the inning but a single would allow Minnesota to jump out to an early lead. Kubat then induced a fly ball to Boldt in center who dropped it, allowing the rally to continue. Kubat would pick up a strikeout looking to end the threat.

Nebraska would respond in the first inning by jumping on Toby Anderson. Jake Schleppenbach would line a single past the diving shortstop to bring up Blake Headley. Headley would then clobber a ball to left that would go off the top of the fence for a double. After a Ben Miller RBI groundout, Tanner Lubach would drive in Headley with a high chopping single to the third baseman.

The Huskers and Gophers would trade zeros until the Gophers got a pair of runs in the fourth. After a fielder error by Jake Placzek allowed Micah Coffee to reach first, Toby Hanson would single to move Coffee to second. A third single allowed Coffee to score and Hanson to go to third, where he would score on a sacrifice fly.

After taking a 3-2 lead, Minnesota would go to the pen to get Dalton Sawyer. Sawyer who is a highly thought of prospect would throw a 91 mph fastball to Lubach in the fifth who would jump all over it for a moonshot to the berm in left field to tie the game for the Huskers.

Nebraska would turn the ball over to Jake Meyers who got all 7 batters he faced. While Meyers was dealing, the Husker offense found a two out rally.

After two quick outs in the seventh Austin Darby would get a base hit to put the go ahead run on first. Austin Christensen would then take the first pitch he saw to the right field corner scoring Darby all the way from first. After back to back walks loaded the bases Ryan Boldt would make the Gophers pay. Boldt took an elevated pitch the opposite way to deep left-center for a bases clearing triple to put the Huskers up 7-3.

Colton Howell came on an allowed a walk and a double to score a run for the first time February. Howell would get out with minimizing the damage. Josh Roeder would work a perfect ninth as the Huskers improved to 25-11 (4-4).