Nebraska baseball falls to Northwestern in back-and-forth home run fest
Nebraska baseball (17-21, 5-11) fell to Northwestern (17-18, 8-8) in a wild back-and-forth outing on Friday, 9-7.
After tying the game in the eighth, the Huskers gave up the lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Both sides combined for nine home runs on the night, eight of which came in the first four innings.
Will Walsh (3.93 ERA) started for Nebraska but lasted less than five frames for the first time since February. In just three innings of work, the left-hander gave up four home runs and six total hits. The Husker bullpen had a strong night but fell apart in the ninth.
Here is a recap of the loss:
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Home run frenzy
Both teams came out on fire at the plate. Five of the game’s first seven hits were home runs, and eight bombs left the yard through the first four innings.
In the opening frame, the two sides combined for three solo shots. Max Buettenback and Tyler Stone homered on back-to-back pitches, giving the Huskers an early 2-1 advantage. Northwestern responded with two more blasts in the second inning to retake the lead, 4-3.
In the bottom of the second, Robby Bolin hit a leadoff single before Gabe Swansen doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Joshua Overbeek hit an RBI sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit, but three consecutive outs ended the threat.
Northwestern made the Huskers pay for the missed opportunity. Owen Mcelfatrick hit a 2-run bomb in the third to give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead. The Wildcat’s fourth long ball of the game ended Walsh’s day.
Bullpen steps up
Drew Christo took over for Walsh in fourth but didn’t fare any better out of the gate. The right-hander gave up another home run to the first batter he faced.
From there on out, however, Christo was clutch. He stranded runners at the corners twice, both on full-count pitches. Christo posted the first scoreless frame of the night in the fifth and tossed another in the sixth.
Right-hander Casey Daiss needed just five pitches to get out of the seventh frame. In 2.1 innings of work, he sat down six straight Wildcats in 16 pitches. Christo racked up 73 throws in his relief appearance, but their combined efforts allowed Nebraska to climb back into the game.
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Overbeek’s heroics
On a night Dylan Carey and Case Sanderson went a combined 0-for-8 at the plate with six strikeouts, Overbeek carried Nebraska on his shoulders. The senior hit two home runs and racked up four RBIs.
A two-run blast in the fourth inning kept the Huskers alive, narrowing the deficit to 7-6. Three scoreless frames followed, but with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Overbeek delivered once again. His 371-foot solo shot tied the game and seemingly gave Nebraska a chance to steal the series opener.
Ninth inning collapse
The final inning went about as poorly as it could have for Nebraska. Daiss walked one before Luke Broderick relieved him and walked another on a wild pitch, putting runners at the corners.
An intentional walk loaded the bases, and on a 1-2 pitch, Bennett Markinson was the hero. He blooped a 2-RBI single to right, crushing Nebraska’s hopes of a comeback victory and giving the Wildcats a 9-7 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Cayden Brumbaugh doubled down the right field line but slid through second base and was tagged out. Carey struck out to end the game, adding insult to injury.
Despite outhitting Northwestern 12-to-9, the Huskers finished the night 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
