Nebraska Wins Series Opener 6-2 Over Maryland

The Nebraska baseball team remained undefeated at Hawks Field, picking up a series opening 6-2 win over the visiting Maryland Terrapins on Friday afternoon. Spencer Schwellenbach drove in three runs, while Cade Povich pitched 6.1 innings of solid baseball for the Huskers.

Povich managed to work around a leadoff hit batter for a non tradition 1-2-3 first inning. He picked off the hit batter and recorded a strikeout.

Joe Acker led the game off with a leadoff double going to opposite way down the right field line to start the first for the Huskers. Jaxon Hallmark fought off eight foul balls and managed to flyout to right field to move Acker to third for Schwellenbach. Spencer grounded out to first but Acker raced home to score the first run of the game and give Nebraska a 1-0 lead.

Povich and Maryland start Sean Burke then traded zeros for the both the second and third innings. Nebraska got two runners on in the second and Bryce Matthews crushed a ball that was caught in the gap in left center for the best scoring chance.

Maryland tied the game in the fourth inning. The Terrapins got a single to start the inning from Randy Bednar. A pair of fielder’s choices got Povich within a single pitch of getting out of the inning but a bloop double that fell in front of Hallmark extended the inning. Nebraska intentially walked Benjamin Cowles to load the bases for Tucker Flint. Flint drew a walk to force home a run before Povich struck out Justin Vought.

Just like the second inning, Nebraska again got two runners on and had Bryce Matthews up to bat. Matthews hit a ball even harder but the wind blowing in from left field knocked it down and the ball was caught three feet in front of the wall for the third out of the Husker fourth.

After Povich set down the Terrapins in the fifth, the Nebraska offense woke up. Griffin Everitt battled against Burke and drew a walk to start the inning. Acker followed up with his second double of the game to put a pair of runners in scoring position. After Hallmark was unable to drive in the runs, Schwellenbach delivered with a two RBI single to put the Huskers up 3-1.

Schwellenbach then created another run when he took off on a passed ball and scored when the catcher Vought threw the ball down the right field line.

Povich had a 1-2-3 sixth inning in just 12 pitches to bring the Huskers back up the bat.

After a quick two outs, Matthews finally hit one to center field that would not be caught. The solo home run was well deserved after he had stung both his balls into the wind in the previous at bats.

Burke would be done for the day after the Matthews home run. Nebraska would threaten after Everitt singled and Acker doubled but no more runs would score in the inning after a great sliding catch by Bednar to take a hit away from Hallmark.

Vought connected on a one out home run in the seventh off of Povich. The ball bounced off the top of the pitch clock for one of the longest home runs at Haymarket park this year.

Cam Wynne came into the game for the Huskers and picked up a flyball out before allowing a double and then walking the next batter. Matthew Shaw came up as the potential tying run and hit a sharp groundball that Luke Roskam dove for at first and threw to Wynne covering for the third out for a fantastic defensive play.

After Wynne got the first out of the eighth, Jake Bunz was called in to face the lefty Luke Shliger. Bunz walked Shliger but got Cowles and Flint to both strikeout to end the inning.

Roskam drew his third walk of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mojo Hagge sacrifice Roskam into scoring position. Roskam would take third and then score on a single from Matthews to make it a 6-2 ballgame. Matthews stole second and third but a pair of strikeouts kept it a 6-2 game.

Nebraska had a plan and stuck to it as the eighth inning run no longer made it a save situation, Schwellenbach still came into the game to pitch. He quickly retired the first two batters before a two out double. He got Bednar to strikeout on a high fastball to put another W in the books for the Huskers.

Nebraska and Maryland continue their three game series with game two set for tomorrow at 2:05. Chance Hrooch looks to bounce back after a rought outing, while the Huskers look to remain undefeated at home.