Nebraska baseball drops first game of I-80 rivalry series to Creighton
Nebraska baseball (12-16, 2-7) dropped its first of three mid-week matchups with Creighton (17-7, 0-0) on Tuesday, 9-5. The Huskers bounced back from a nightmare start, but the Bluejays had every answer.
TJ Coats (6.00 ERA) started on the mound but lasted less than one inning. The right-hander gave up three runs in the top of the first before being relieved with just one out. Nebraska got multiple strong innings from its veteran relievers but used seven total arms in the loss.
Riley Silva led the way at the plate, with three hits and two RBI, while Gabe Swansen and Cael Frost came up clutch in pinch-hit opportunities. Despite a solid day from the Husker offense, Creighton began and ended the game with 3-run frames which ultimately made the difference.
“I thought we played pretty well,” head coach Will Bolt said postgame. “I mean that’s a really well played baseball game on both sides. Back and forth. They score, we counter punch. They score, we counter punch.”
Here is a recap of the loss:
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Walks gift Bluejays early lead
Coats had a horrendous start to his outing. After giving up a leadoff double, he hit one batter and walked another to load the bases. Two more walks brought two Bluejay runs home. Connor Capece singled to center to score another and end Coats’ day.
“It’s about as bad a start as you can possibly get on the mound,” Bolt said. That was a really bad tone-setter for the team.”
Left-hander Jalen Worthley took over with minimal time to get hot. He retired two straight to escape the inning and keep the deficit to 3-0.
Coats threw 34 pitches before being pulled, 15 of which were strikes. Four Creighton batters reached with two strikes in the count, including on two of his walks and the hit batter.
Veteran relievers Worthley and Drew Christo gave Nebraska 5.2 strong frames. The former gave up his lone run in the bottom of the fourth, when Nolan Sailors made him pay for a full-count walk with an RBI single to center.
Christo had a commendable outing against 11 batters. The right-hander allowed a pair of hits, no runs and escaped two different jams.
“[Christo has been real competitive for us. He’s really leading from the front with the staff. And like I said, I thought [Worthley] came in and gave us a shot obviously got us off the field.”
Huskers bounce back offensively
Nebraska battled back to reset the game in the second inning. Dylan Carey was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame before Max Buettenback singled to right. With two on, Hogan Helligso cashed in against his former team. An RBI single to center put Nebraska on the board and sparked a rally.
After Case Sanderson walked to load the bases with two outs, Silva smacked a 2-RBI single to center to tie the game, 3-3.
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, Silva recorded his third hit of the day with a single through the right side. After two straight outs and an intentional walk, Swansen came to the plate for a pinch-hit opportunity. He cashed in with an RBI double to left to tie the game once again.
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“It wasn’t great early in the year,” Bolt said of Nebraska’s pinch-hitting. “Since we kind of got a little bit rolling offensively, guys have been more ready and [Swanson] got a big swing.”
Silva added to his monster day in the top of the sixth, this time in the field. With two on and runners at the corners, Teddy Deters hit a ball to the right-center gap. Silva robbed him with an incredible diving catch to end the inning. The snag saved at least one, and likely two runs, as the hit and run was on. Silva finished the contest with three hits and two RBI to go along with a highlight-worthy defensive play.
“Tried to give the team a spark right there and unfortunately just didn’t happen,” Silva said postgame.
The game remained tied 4-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Nowaczyk spots Bluejays two runs
In the seventh, Colin Nowaczyk relieved Christo but lasted just three batters. He walked the leadoff man before Connor Capece doubled into the right-field corner. Kyle Hess followed by plating two Bluejay runs with an RBI single to center. That sequence ultimately made the difference.
Nowaczyk’s day came to an end as quickly as it began. Right-hander Ryan Harrahill took the mound with no outs and Hess on first base. Harrahill walked two batters to load the bases, but he escaped the jam with a flyout to center.
Late-game troubles
Nebraska seemingly stole the momentum in the eighth frame. With two runners on base and only one out, Frost smacked a pinch-hit double down the right-field line to put Nebraska within one run, 6-5.
A strikeout and a flyout ended the threat, though, as the Huskers stranded two in scoring position.
“I’ve got no qualms with how we swung the bat until we just didn’t move the ball there at the end,” Bolt said.
The Bluejays left no room for error in the top of the ninth. Right-hander Pryce Bender lasted just one batter after giving up a leadoff double to Kyle Hess. Hess — Creighton’s 8-hole hitter — gave Nebraska’s pitchers troubles all day with three hits and two RBIs.
Luke Broderick struck out the following batter swinging, but he reached on a wild pitch. Dakota Duffalo put the game away with a 2-RBI triple that stayed fair down the right-field line by mere inches. Ben North added another insurance run to give the Bluejays a 9-5 lead and — after Nebraska went away quietly in the bottom of the ninth — a rivalry win.
