Indiana 8, Nebraska 6: Huskers Drop Vital Senior Day Contest

After falling behind 8-0, one swing of the bat decided the game, with Nebraska coming out on the wrong end of a 8-6 Indiana victory. Nebraska (23-26) remains a game and a half out of the Big Ten Tournament, after they had a chance to close the gap.

Indiana jumped on the Huskers and starter Matt Warren. After he got out of the first inning, Warren was chased after he gave up four runs . Andrew Abrahamowicz and Nate Fisher came in on relief of Warren and each gave up another pair of runs to put the Huskers in a 8-0 deficit.

Nebraska started to chip away at the deficit in the fifth inning. Scott Schreiber would score after he walked, Jesse Wilkening doubled, and then a RBI groundout from Zac Luckey.

After Fisher struck out the side in the top half of the sixth, the Huskers got within five. Angelo Altavilla and Carter Cross both knocked one out singles to start the rally. Mojo Hagge singled to score Altavilla before Schreiber scored Cross to pull within 8-3.

Fisher was replaced after he allowed the first two runners to reach in the seventh. Jake Hohensee, pitching on Senior Day would be asked to get the last eight outs. He struck out six and did not allow a run.

Luckey led off the Huskers half of the seventh with a single. Jaxon Hallmark added a one out single, before both him and Luckey moved up on a wild pitch. Altavilla laced a single down the right field line to score a pair. After Cross walked, Joe Acker pinch hit as the tying run but struck out.

Nebraska got the tying run to the plate in the eighth and the ninth. Luke Roskam and Hallmark flied out in the eighth with two on to end the eighth inning.

In the ninth, Zac Repinski walked to start the inning. Alex Henwood followed with a one out pinch hit single. After Brison Cronenbold flew out, Schreiber singled to score Repinski. With Wilkening representing the tying run, he hit a fly ball high into right field, chasing right fielder Logan Sowers back to the wall where he ran into the wall to make the catch.

Nebraska desperately needed to win this game. The Huskers will head into the final weekend of the year, 1.5 games out of the Big Ten Tournament. They could have been just a ¹⁄₂ game out with the Michigan State Spartans losing 2 out of the 3 games this weekend against the Minnesota Golden Gophers

Nebraska concludes the season next weekend, traveling to Champaign to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. First pitch is scheduled for Friday night at 7:00 PM.