Sunday Funday! Nebraska Baseball Wins 9-6 in 12 Innings

What a game. The Nebraska baseball team gave up a 6-0 lead, but still managed to find a way to win their seventh consecutive series 9-6 in 12 innings. Max Anderson had four runs batted in and the bullpen pitched seven scoreless innings for the Huskers.

The Huskers had a good go against Spartan started Wyatt Rush in the first inning. Joe Acker started the game off with a walk. Spencer Schwellenbach was hit by a pitch, and then a walk to Cam Chick loaded the bases. Anderson scored Acker on a fielder’s choice before Luke Roskam recorded the first hit for the Huskers to score Schwellenbach. Griffin Everitt walked to end the day for Rush.

The Spartans brought in Jesse Heikkinen and he walked Bryce Matthews to force in another run. Efry Cervantes would strike out but the Huskers had a 3-0 lead at the end of the first after Shay Schanaman put up a zero on the scoreboard.

Jaxon Hallmark started a rally in the second inning for Nebraska with a base hit. After Schwellenbach walked, Chick launced a double off the short porch in right field to score Hallmark. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Anderson delivered with a single to right center field. Back to back strikeouts ended the Husker threat.

The Spartans found the scoreboard in their half of the second. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Michigan State with one out. A texas leaguer popup down the left field line scored one. A solid single off the glove of Cervantes made it a 6-3 game. A double play ended the threat for the Spartans.

Michigan State went to the bullpen and brought in Sam Benschoter. Benschoter struck out the side, a sign of things to come for the Husker hitters.

The game would be tied in the third inning. A walk and an error put a pair of runners on. A double scored a pair of runs, and then a sacrfice fly made it a new game at 6-6.

Benschoter would settle in for the Spartans out of the bullpen. He recorded a pair of strikeouts in the fourth, struckout the side in the fifth, and added two more in the sixth.

Schanaman would settle in and was able to work around a single in the fourth and a double in the fifth to post a pair of scoreless innings.

Koty Frank got the call for the Huskers out of the bullpen and pitched a scoreless three innings of relief. He allowed hits in each of his three innings, but Michigan State was unable to break the tie. ****** CAM CHICK SAVED THE GAME HERE TOO******

The Huskers were able to get a couple of better swings against Benschoter late in the game. A one out double by Griffin Everitt was stranded in the eighth inning. Acker led off the ninth with a single, but Hallmark struck out bunting and then Schwellenbach and Chick struck out to end the ninth.

Schwellenbach moved to the mound in the bottom of the ninth, with only the ability to lose the game. He gave up a 3-2 single to start the inning. This time Michigan State was unable to get the bunt down, as Bryce Kelley struck out bunting through a ball for the first out. Schwellenbach then induced an inning ending 4-6-3 twin killing to put the game into extra innings.

The tenth inning started with a bang as Anderson made loud contact and hit a ball off the wall in right field for a leadoff triple. Roskam struck out swinging for the first out. After Everitt reached on an infield single, Matthews grounded into a double play.

After Schwellenbach stranded a runner at third in the Spartan 10th, Nebraska started the 11th off with a walk from Cervantes. Acker was unable to get the bunt down, Cervantes was thrown out on a failed hit and run and a groundout from Hallmark left the game tied.

Michigan State got their leadoff runner on via the walk to start the 11th. This time, someone finally executed a sacrifice bunt to move the pinch runner to secod. After Kelley flied out for the second out, Zaid Walker singled to center field. Hallmark came up firing and threw a strike to Everitt to gun down Gabe Sotres at the plate.

Approaching 120 pitches, Nebraska finally found success against Benschoter. He walked Schwellenbach to put the leadoff runner on for the third straight inning. Chick would be Benschoter’s 17th strikeout victim (yes you read that right) but Schwellenbach set sail for second and was able to advance to third on a throwing error for Sotres.

With a runner on third and less than two outs, Anderson came to the dish and delivered a single past the drawn in infield for the Huskers first run since the second inning. After Roskam walked, Benschoter was done after a wonderful relief appearance.

Everitt struck out swinging, but Matthews reached on a walk to load the bases for the Huskers. Cervantes came up huge, delivering a two RBI single through the left side to make it a 9-6 game. Acker grounded out, but the Huskers were just three outs away from a huge win.

Schwellenbach came back out for his fourth inning of work looking to secure the Husker victory. He threw a nasty slider for strike three to Jack Frank for the first out. A one out double gave the Spartans a bit of hope. Trent Farquhar lined out right back to Schwellenbach for the second out. A diving catch by defensive replacement Mojo Hagge secured the Husker win.

Nebraska fought through some offensive struggles in this series, and now gets to return to Haymarket Park next week. The Huskers head home with a game and a half lead in the Big Ten standings after Rutgers went into Michigan and took a series from the Wolverines.

Nebraska and Rutgers first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 next Friday night.