The Nebraska Baseball team defeated the Creighton Bluejays by a score of 3-0 Wednesday night, clinching the season series between the two teams. Ethan Frazier and the bullpen combined to shutout the Jays, while Luke Roskam had a pair of runs batted in to lead the offense.
Nebraska threatened in both the first and second, but stranded a pair of runners in each inning. Frazier was sharp early, facing the minimum through the first three innings.
In the third, the Huskers broke through. Angelo Altavilla walked to start the inning, and was followed by a Scott Schreiber single to push Altavilla to third. After Ben Miller flied out, Altavila would score on a fielder’s choice from Roskam.
After Frazier stranded runners on the corners in the fourth, the Huskers plated another pair of runs in the fifth.
Creighton starter Austin Stroschein hit Jake Meyers to leadoff the fifth. After a passed ball moved Meyers to second, Altavilla would single to score Meyers. A wild pitch, a towering pop up single from Miller and a sacrifice fly from Roskam plated another run for Nebraska.
After a leadoff double in the eighth, Nebraska would turn the ball over to Robbie Palkert. Palkert would find himself in a jam with runners on the corners and just one out in the fifth. A 4-6-3 double play would get himself out of the jam to maintain the shutout.
Jake McSteen came in and worked the seventh after Palkert posted a scoreless sixth. McSteen was the recipient of the Huskers fourth double play of the night, this time a 6-4-3 twin killing.
Nebraska added some insurance in the eighth when Luis Alvarado tripled and scored on a fielders choice from Jake Schleppenbach.
After another scoreless inning from Chad Luensmann in the eighth, Nebraska looked to possible put a dent in the score when the Huskers loaded the bases via an Altavilla walk, Schreiber single, and a pitch that hit Miller. Brison Cronenbold would lineout to former Husker Bryce Only while Alvarado and Majo Hagge would strikeout to end the threat.
Alvarado would relieve Luensmann on the mound in the ninth. Alvarado got a strikeout, and a pair of groundouts to preserve the victory for Nebraska.
A 4-0 Nebraska victory moves the Huskers to 30-16 (12-5-1 Big Ten) while the Jays fall to 22-19 (10-3 Big East). Nebraska returns home to host the Michigan State Spartans this weekend, with first pitch on Friday scheduled for 6:35.