Nebraska Evens Series With 8-2 Victory Against Golden Gophers

A day after the Nebraska Baseball team (13-10, 1-1 Big Ten) could not get anything going against Minnesota pitching, the Huskers scored early and often in an 8-2 victory. Nebraska chased Minnesota starter Nick Lackney in the fourth inning and got their best starting pitching performance of the year from Matt Waldron.

Waldron kept the Gophers off the scoreboard in the first, giving the Huskers a chance to score first. Nebraska got a single from Zac Repinski to start the game. After Zac Luckey was a strikeout victim of Lackney, Scott Schreiber connected on a pitch past the play center in right field.

Nebraska tacked on single tallies in the next three innings. In the third, Nebraska got the first two runners on and used small ball to plate Luke Roskam who had walked. Schreiber connected for his second home run of the day in the third to move the lead to 4-0. In the fifth, Roskam came around on a sacrifice fly after reaching on an error.

Minnesota got their pair of runs in the fourth inning. Toby Hanson singled to start the frame. Cole McDevitt tried to bunt Hanson over, and reached on a base hit. Micah Coffey then bunted and Roskam threw wide of second to allow Hanson to score. Another sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly allowed McDevitt to score.

The Huskers batted around in a long fifth inning. Going up against Brett Schulze who had given up just one run coming into the contest Nebraska had a big inning. Schreiber walked to start before Jesse Wilkening got a base hit. A bunt single from Angelo Altavilla who was trying to give himself up loaded the bases. Roskam hit a sacrifice fly and Jaxon Hallmark singled to clear the bases. Nebraska would strand the bases loaded after Mojo Hagge and Joe Acker singled.

With the offense putting up a solid effort, they would give Husker starter Matt Waldron plenty of room for comfort. Waldron who came into the game allowing 27 hits in just 15 innings pitched twirled a gem. He gave up the two unearned runs in the fourth, but scattered just eight hits while striking out five and allowing no walks.

Waldron would be replaced by Paul Tillotson in the eighth. Tillotson allowed a two out double, but he retired the other six batters he faced in his two innings of relief.

Nebraska earns a hard fought victory, and with the way they had been pitching it is hard not to feel good about this win. Nebraska pitched well and hit well in a rare show of a complete effort. With the current Sunday win streak, if Nebraska can win this series it would be a great start to Big Ten play.

Minnesota falls to 15-9 (1-1 Big Ten). Nebraska and Minnesota finish their three game series with a Sunday afternoon mantanee currently scheduled for 2:05. Matt Warren will get the ball for the Huskers while Patrick Fredrickson gets the ball for Minnesota.