The Nebraska baseball team (23-11) secured both games against Rutgers (17-17) after winning game two 7-6 in 13 innings. With a win in this game, the Huskers took three of four in the pod series, their only loss coming on Sunday to Indiana.
NU started this game at the plate, and in the top of the first, Jaxon Hallmark hit a grounder to third but a throwing error had him safe at first. Following that, a pop-up to right field fell for a double after no RU outfielders claimed it. With the offense catching a break, they took advantage and put together seven hits, including a two-run home run from Luke Roskam. After mistakes that could have ended the inning early, the Big Red led 6-0.
Kyle Perry took the mound to start for Nebraska and this was his first start since having Tommy John surgery. The junior gave up two runs on three hits in his one inning pitched and made way in the second inning for Caleb Feekin. With the Husker offense cooling off, Feekin gave up a leadoff home run which made the score 6-3, but following that hit, he retired the side.
For NU, the game was turning into one where they were going to utilize the bullpen, and Emmett Olson took the mound to start the third inning. The true freshman retired six straight batters in the third and fourth innings, then started the fifth. After walking one and giving up a single, Olson finished his day with just one hit allowed in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Cam Wynne was on the mound with one out in the fifth inning, and he forced a double play to get out of the inning.
The seventh inning is when Wynne and the Big Red started to get into trouble. After scoring six in the first inning, the offense had five hits but no runs since then. On the defensive side, Wynne hit a batter and his day was over. Max Schreiber took over and thought he had picked off the baserunner, but it was ruled as obstruction on Roskam who had his foot in front of first. After that moment, Schreiber walked a batter and Jake Bunz took the mound. The junior got the second out and then gave up a three-run home run to tie the game.
In the eighth inning, still tied at six, Spencer Schwellenbach came in to close for Nebraska and he retired the side. The ninth inning saw Rutgers load the bases with one out, and the junior struck one out and got a ground ball to force the game into extra innings.
After a couple of chances to score for both teams, it was the top of the 12th inning when Jaxon Hallmark tried to stretch his luck and make it home from second on a base hit. The throw home was in time, and he was out to end the top half of the inning. In the bottom half of the same inning, the Scarlet Knights tried the same thing, but this time from first base and a relay throw from Spencer Schwellenbach got the Huskers out of the inning.
The 13th inning finally saw a team break the deadlock and NU scored after Brice Matthews singled and stole second, then was driven in on a base hit from Griffin Everitt. Koty Frank was on the mound in the bottom of the 13th and he did his job with a strikeout and two pop flys to give the Big Red their third win of the weekend.
In a game where Nebraska only scored in the first and 13th innings, the defense needed to be strong. Although the 6-0 lead did slip, the Husker defense bent but didn’t break holding the Scarlet Knights to just six.
In the ninth inning, after giving up two base hits and walking a batter, Spencer Schwellenbach got out of a bases-loaded jam with just one out. On top of that, in the 11th inning, the junior gave up a leadoff double and the runner stole third, but he left him stranded as well.
Pitching wasn’t the only strong suit for the defense as they saw a clutch play from Schwellenbach once again, but this time a relay throw home to gun down a RU base runner trying to score.
After all of the big defensive moments, the offense put a run on the board and Koty Frank went three up, three down to put away the Scarlet Knights.
Although there were 11 innings in this game that the NU offense didn’t score, they did come through in the end. A strong start where Roskam, Matthews, Schwellenbach and Foster all got RBIs put Rutgers in a hole early. While the defense took over, the 13th inning is when the bats came through. Brice Matthews hit a single with one out and then stole second. With the freshman in scoring position, Griffin Everitt drove a ball to right field to bring home the long awaited run. After a scoring drought, the Big Red offense still found a way to win this game.
Nebraska will head home this next weekend to face off against Northwestern in a three-game series. The first game is on Friday at 6:30 p.m. followed by a Saturday game at 2:00 p.m. and a Sunday game at noon.
All three games can be streamed on BTN+ and heard on Husker Sports Network. Saturday’s game will also be on NET Nebraska.
