Late rally comes up short as Nebraska baseball falls to Minnesota in extra innings

Nebraska baseball (22-24, 9-13) fell to Minnesota (22-22, 8-14) on Friday, 6-4, in an extra-inning thriller. The Huskers clawed back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, but ultimately came up short.

Friday starter Will Walsh (5.27 ERA) lasted just four innings, suffering his second loss in a row. The left-hander gave up seven hits and four runs, including a crooked fourth inning which spoiled his appearance. Nebraska’s bullpen, however, combined for five consecutive scoreless frames to keep the Huskers alive.

Nebraska tallied just three total hits through five innings and started 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Multiple clutch hits from Joshua Overbeek, Gabe Swansen and Tyler Stone made things interesting down the stretch before Minnesota scored the winning runs in the 10th.

Here is a recap of the loss:

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Huskers respond to early bomb

Will Walsh’s early struggles cost him against Washington and Maryland. Friday’s game was no different.

With two outs in the opening frame, Weber Neels hit a solo shot to left. Neel’s 12th blast of the year marked Walsh’s sixth consecutive outing with a home run allowed.

“We need to have a better start,” Will Bolt said postgame. “That sets up the rest of the weekend and you never know what the game’s going to present.”

The Huskers answered in the bottom of the first. With one down, Cayden Brumbaugh doubled to the right-field gap and Max Buettenback walked. After a double steal advanced the runners, Swansen tied the game with an RBI groundout. His 11th RBI in the last six days made it 1-1.

Walsh responded with two strong frames, striking out three and only giving up one hit. The Husker bats couldn’t capitalize, however. They squandered an opportunity with two on and no outs before Gopher right-hander Joe Sperry retired 11 straight hitters.

“I was not happy whatsoever with the offense tonight,” Bolt said.

Gophers plate three in wacky frame

The Gophers finally got after Walsh in the top of the fourth. Neels kept the hot hand, smacking a leadoff double deep into the right-field gap. Back-to-back singles brought him home and put runners at the corners with no outs.

“His stuff was better tonight,” Bolt said of Walsh. “He had the changeup going tonight which he hasn’t had, but it’s the the two extra-base hits to lead off innings.

“They were ready to hit off of him, they did a good job with runners in scoring position.”

Minnesota didn’t record another hit in the inning, but damage was done nonetheless. Jameson Martin laid down a sacrifice bunt, bringing one run home, and reached after Walsh’s backhand throw to first went high.

Another sacrifice bunt advanced both runners before Jake Perry’s groundout to third plated the Gophers’ third run of the frame. Minnesota took a 4-1 lead into the fifth and rattled Walsh, whose day quickly came to an end.

“We’ve got to get better starts on Friday and that’s really what it boils down to,” Bolt said. “You get spoiled. I mean we’ve had nothing but Brett Sears, Big Ten pitcher of the year. You’ve got Cade Povich. We’ve been pretty spoiled. That’s no knock on Will Walsh but we’ve got to be better.”

Huskers rally comes up short

Nebraska’s bullpen gave its offense a chance to climb back into the game. Drew Christo and Caleb Clark both came up clutch, escaping three different jams in the middle innings. The two combined to strand six Gophers on base.

The Huskers finally tallied another run in the bottom of the seventh. Will Jesske made the most of a pinch-hit at-bat, doubling off the third baseman’s glove and down the left-field line. With two outs and Jesske at third, Brumbaugh reached on a throwing error and brought one run home.

“Knowing that we’re never out of the fight makes a ton of difference in our approaches and our mindset when we’re in the box,” Stone said postgame. “Having that confidence can really go a long way.”

Buettenback kept his 11-game hitting streak alive with a single up the middle, putting runners at the corners for Swansen. Tuesday’s hero couldn’t recreate the magic, however, popping out to end the threat.

The Huskers weren’t finished. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Overbeek smacked a solo blast to right center, his fifth of the season.

In the ninth, Swansen came to the plate again, this time with one on and two outs. He singled up the middle on an 0-2 pitch to extend the game for Stone. After starting the night 0-for-4 at the plate, Stone came through with an RBI single to tie the game, 4-4. However, Overbeek flied out with the bases loaded to send the game to extra innings.

The Gophers chipped away at closer Luke Broderick in the 10th, drawing a leadoff walk and two singles to give Minnesota a 6-4 lead. The Huskers’ sluggish start ultimately cost them an opportunity to improve to .500 for the first time since early March.

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