Creighton uses six-run first inning to complete season sweep of Nebraska

For the just the third time in program history, Creighton has swept Nebraska in the season series.

The Bluejays pounced on the Huskers to the tune of six runs (five unearned) in the first inning and launched three home runs en route to a 9-5 win over NU on Tuesday. Will Bolt’s squad has lost five consecutive midweek games, all in the month of April.

Tyler Stone and Josh Caron each posted two-hit nights accompanied by an RBI but the Huskers reached double-digit strikeouts (12) for a second straight game. Creighton pitching issued six free passes, none came around to score. Nebraska’s arms allowed four earned runs and posted 12 strikeouts to two walks.

“That was the game,” Bolt said of the first inning postgame on the Huskers Radio Network. “I feel like when we play Creighton in this ballpark, that’s been the story. They jump out early, we have a hard time stopping the crooked number from happening.”

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After Nebraska took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a pair of doubles, disaster struck in the home half of the frame. Nolan Sailors tied the game with a leadoff bomb to right. Then the Huskers followed with two extremely costly defensive miscues. First, Clay Bradford dropped a fly ball in right and then a routine pop fly on the infield fell harmlessly to the ground. That put two on with no outs.

Ty Horn battled back to record a pair of outs without surrendering a run. Then Creighton broke through with four consecutive hits that plated five more runs to make it a 6-1 Bluejay lead.

“Obviously we didn’t play defense in the first inning, but we also weren’t hitting any spots in the first inning either,” Bolt said.

Caleb Clark came on and stopped the bleeding. He recorded the final out of the first en route to a three-inning outing of scoreless relief with three strikeouts. That gave Nebraska time to rally and after leaving two runners on in the second and third. The Huskers cut the deficit to 6-3 on Clay Bradford and Rhett Stokes solo homers in the fourth.

More two out magic helped Creighton regain its five-run lead on a Teddy Deters two-run blast. Singles from Tyler Stone and Cole Evans helped the Huskers get two runs back. Then Matt Scherrman made it 9-5 Bluejays on a leadoff homer to begin the seventh.

Nebraska stranded two more base runners of their 10 in the ninth. That certainly wasn’t enough to complete a five-run comeback. In the loss, the Huskers used eight different pitchers. Only Clark (26) expended more than 20 pitches. Another midweek meeting with a quality opponent is on deck for Wednesday against Kansas State.

The pitching plan remains a relative unknown.

“That remains to be seen,” Bolt said. “We’ll talk about who we’ll start tomorrow and we’ll piece it together.”

Two-out hitting was the clear difference

Creighton was excellent with two outs.

The Bluejays tallied seven two-out RBIs and finished the night 8-for-16 (.500) in such situations. Creighton was also 8-for-20 and 4-for-10 (.400) with runners on base and runners in scoring position. Five of those seven RBI came on a four-hit stretch in the first.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays held Nebraska to a 2-for-11 (.182) mark with two away and 3-for-11 (.273) with runners in scoring position. Just two Husker leadoff hitters reached base.

It’s a night that Bolt described as simply average.

“We didn’t do enough well,” Bolt said. “We had some runners that we left on base early in the game. A couple good swings on the home runs, but not enough hard line drives.”

Stokes sends one deep for his first HR as a Husker. pic.twitter.com/ecWqQXEy2r

— Nebraska Baseball (@HuskerBaseball) May 1, 2024

What’s next for Nebraska baseball?

The Huskers return to action Wednesday at Haymarket Park against Kansas State. The Wildcats are 26-17 and are fresh off a series loss to TCU. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. and the game can be streamed on Big Ten Plus and heard on the Huskers Radio Network.

Nebraska closes the week on the road at Minnesota with three series remaining in the conference slate. Friday’s game is slated for a 5:00 p.m. CT first pitch. All three games will be on Big Ten Plus.