Nebraska Baseball Bludgeons Cal Poly, Sweeps Doubleheader 22-3, 13-2

A day after shutting out Cal Poly 4-0, Nebraska finally caught fire offensively. The Huskers mashed in a scheduled doubleheader, scoring 32 runs on 26 hits and 18 walks. Nebraska won the series against Cal Poly after dropping Friday’s contest in disappointing fashion.

Nebraska jumped out to a lead early in the first of the two scheduled games. The Huskers knocked out Darren Nelson in the second inning. Nelson, who came into the game with a 0.55 ERA surrendered six runs in just one plus innings of work.

Zac Repinski, Angelo Altavilla, and Luke Roskam all had doubles in the first inning, to put pressure on Nelson. In the second, Nelson was knocked out when he allowed the first two batters of the inning to reach. Altavilla and Ben Klenke had the big hits in the second inning which put the Huskers up 9-1.

The Huskers had an inning for the record books in the sixth when they scored 13 runs in the inning. Seven walks, a hit batter, and five hits propelled the Huskers to a 22-2 lead. Klenke had a bases clearing double, and Brison Cronenbold hit a home run to pace the Husker hitters in the inning.

Nate Fisher, Andrew Abrahamowicz, and Mitch Steinhoff combined to allow 15 hits but they were all singles. The Huskers were able to save their bullpen arms while comfortably winning game one.

In game two, it was more of the same for the Huskers. Two sacrifice flies sandwiched around a Roskam double put the Huskers in the lead 4-0 at the end of the first. After Matt Warren set down the Mustangs in the second, Scott Schreiber got on the board with a three run home run in the second to stretch the lead to 7-0.

The Huskers and Mustangs traded runs in the middle innings, with Nebraska getting two via small ball and the Mustangs getting a pair from a two run home run by Alex McKenna.

After Zack Engelken stranded the bases load, the Huskers tacked on four more runs in the eighth. Repinski, Schreiber, and Jesse Wilkening reached to load the bases. Altavilla, Roskam, and Jaxon Hallmark singled to score four more runs for the Huskers.

Nebraska wins the weekend series, and now moves to 9-6 overall. After dropping their first home opener in almost 40 years, this was a great bounce back. Cal Poly does not have the deepest pitching staff, but to see the Huskers put bat on ball and bludgeon the Mustangs is a good sign.

Nebraska gets back out on the diamond when they open midweek action against Northern Colorado on Tuesday. The Huskers continue their nine game home stand with a visit from Northern Colorado and then a three game series against Northwestern State next weekend.