Nebraska Baseball Gains Ground In Big Ten, Defeats Rutgers 9-3

The Nebraska Baseball team will have a chance to record their first conference sweep of the year, after they defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 9-3. Derek Burkamper pitched 6.1 innings, while Mojo Hagge had four hits to pace the offense.

After setting down the Knights in order in the first, Nebraska wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning. Three consecutive singles from Angelo Altavilla, Scott Schreiber, and Ben Miller plated a run for the Huskers.

The Huskers would double the lead in the third when Jake Meyers singled, stole second, and scored when Miller reached on a dropped pop-up by the shortstop.

Nebraska managed to put up five runs in the fourth inning to give Burkamper breathing room. Luis Alvarado and Hagge both singled, while Jesse Wilkening reached when he was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jake schleppenbach drove in Alvarado with a base hit off of Serafino Brito. A fielders choice and a sacrifice fly drove in two more for the Huskers. After a Schreiber single and Miller walk, Luke Roskam drove a ball into left field which fell in for a two run error.

Burkamper ran into trouble in the sixth when Jawuan Harris homered with a runner on to cut the lead to 7-2. Harris hit a liner to right, which Hagge made an attempt to keep it in the park, but it hit off his glove and went over the fence for the two run shot.

In the bottom of the sixth, Nebraska got the two runs back. Altavilla and Schreiber both walked to start the inning, resulting in another pitching change. Singles from both Miller and Hagge would score both, and pushed the lead back to seven.

Burkamper would be pulled in the seventh after getting the first out of the inning. Jake McSteen would come in and work a clean seventh and eighth for the Huskers.

Rutgers got a single run back in the ninth when a single, double, and a groundout scored one. McSteen would buckle down and get Mike Carter to groundout to Miller to end the game.

The good news for Nebraska is that they keep winning. Nebraska moves to 28-16 (11-5-1 Big Ten) while Rutgers falls to 17-27 (5-9 Big Ten). Combined with a 6-2 Illinois win over Maryland, Nebraska now controls their destiny in the Big Ten and moves to within 1 game behind of Maryland with 3 games in hand. Nebraska and Rutgers finish their series tomorrow, with Jake Meyers and the Huskers going for the sweep at 12:05.