Nebraska Baseball Swept by Iowa

You could almost copy and paste the recap from any game this weekend. Iowa came up with timely hits to make multiple crooked innings, and their pitching never let Nebraska get comfortable in the box.

While some teams give in and throw an eventual fastball to the Huskers top of the lineup, it seemed like the Hawkeyes were willing to throw slider after slider after slider to the top hitters on the team. That showed the weakness of the Cornhuskers’ right handed batters in particular in their inability to lay off the low slider that would end up in the left handed batters box after looking like it was coming right down the middle.

Therefore, the top hitting team in the conference could only muster 7 runs total on the weekend. And only 1 extra base hit for the final 2 games combined, the leadoff home run by Brice Matthews, his 14th of the year (or 15th, since he has one banked in the Creighton game that haas yet to be finished). Add to that the starting pitching for Nebraska going a combined 6.2 innings, while giving up 12 earned runs, and you get… a sweep.

It looked like a promising start to the day with the leadoff home run by Matthews, until Will Walsh took the mound and was clearly off from the beginning. Walsh had given up a total of 4 walks all year, but walked 2 Hawkeye batters in the first inning. He was able to get out of a bases loaded jam, but picked right up where he left off, walking the leadoff batter in the 2nd inning. Iowa would pounce this time, hitting a 2 RBI triple, and a sac fly to take the only lead the Huskers had all weekend away from them, 3-1.

Walsh was pulled for Kyle Perry, who seemed to have things under control until a disastrous 5th inning in which Iowa added 3 runs, sparked by a leadoff home run. Shay Schanaman entered for Perry, and was shaky with his inherited runners, walking 2 batters and allowing a runner to score on a wild pitch. He then settled down and ended up throwing 3.2 scoreless innings, but the offense was unable to capitalize.

Nebraska will look to turn things around as they head to Omaha to try and salvage a game against the Mavericks as their 3 game season series concludes on Tuesday, April 25th at 7pm.