The Sunday Streak Continues: Nebraska Baseball Downs Wichita State 10-9 In Extra Innings Thriller

It looked to be a different day but same story for the Nebraska Baseball team. Nebraska gave up a grand slam and Wichita State looked to be on their way to a series sweep. The Huskers fought back and with the help of some added power downed the Shockers 10-9 in extra innings.

For the first time all series, Nebraska scored first in their first turn at bat. A leadoff single from Mojo Hagge put a runner on base. After advancing on a flyball, Hagge scored when Scott Schreiber reached on an error.

Wichita State got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when an error cost the Huskers. Luke Ritter and Greyson Jenista both singled. Luke Roskam botched a throw to second to load the bases and Mason O’Brien proceeded to get Ritter in with a RBI groundout. Husker starter Matt Warren got Noah Croft swinging to end the inning.

The Shockers would take the lead in the second when Jacob Katzfey walked and scored on a Ritter double. Warren got Jenista to end the inning and keep it a one run game.

Nebraska answered in the third when Zac Repinski reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second on a stolen base and scored when Angelo Altavilla singled.

Three straight Shockers reached to help Wichita State retake the lead in the bottom half. Alec Bohm walked, Dayton Dugas singled and O’Brein singled to score Bohm. Warren got a pickoff of Dugas to help stop any more action in the third.

Warren’s day would come to a close in the fourth. Jordan Boyer, Ritter, and Jenista reached to load the bases with just one out. Bohm then hit his second grand salami of the weekend to put the Shockers up 7-2 and in what looked to be an insurmountable lead. Paul Tillotson would come in and clean up the fourth, keeping it at a five run lead.

Down by five, Nebraska found life in the fifth. The Huskers rallied for five runs, matching their season’s best for a single inning. Jeff Athey, Hagge, and Repinski all reached on singles to load the bases for Altavilla. Angelo got a sac fly to make it a four run game. Connor Lungwitz was done, and in came Clayton McGinness. McGinness would walk Schreiber, and score a run on a wild pitch. Wilkening and Roskam would then welcome McGinness with back to back doubles to tie the game. Back to back strikeouts of Luis Alvarado and Jaxon Hallmark would keep the game tied.

Travis Young would come around to score to give the Shockers the lead back in their half of the fifth. Young walked, moved to second when Katzfey singled, moved to third on a sac bunt and scored when Ritter grounded out. Tillotson looked to be in trouble when Jenista drove a ball into deep left center, but Hallmark ran it down in the gap to end the inning.

The Shockers added another one when Bohm scored in the sixth. He walked, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a base hit from O’Brien. Dugas who had walked after Bohm was thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice for the second out, and O’Brein was picked off for the third out of the inning.

Mike Waldron came in, and pitched two perfect innings for the Huskers. He got the Shockers in order in both the seventh and eighth.

Nebraska came into their final at bat in the ninth needed two runs, trailing 9-7. Hagge got on when he beat out an infield single. Repinski then destroyed a baseball.

The Huskers got nothing more in the inning, but the game was tied. Jake Hohensee came in to work the bottom of the ninth. He gave up a double to Young with just one out. Katzfey flew out and got Young to third. Boyer would send a ball to Altavilla who threw him out to end the threat.

Nebraska went to the tenth with all the momentum. Wilkening got a 2-0 count, and then blasted off for Nebraska. There was no wind needed to help this ball get out.

Hohensee would set down the first two batters in the tenth. Bohm reached second after Altavilla threw wildly trying to seal the game. Dugas then sent a 2-1 pitch to Roskam who threw across to Alvarado sealing the comeback win for the Huskers.

Nebraska salvaged the Sunday contest, and improves their Sunday win streak to 14-0-1 over their last 15 contests. The Shockers are a tough team, and while Nebraska has some issues, this win will pay dividends down the road. In the early season RPI, Nebraska jumped forty spots with a road win over a previous undefeated team.

Nerbaska (6-5, 0-0 Big Ten) now opens the home portion of their schedule with a visit from Cal Poly. The Huskers and Cal Poly get their series underway Thursday with first pitch set for 2:30