Early Offense Pushes Huskers Past Wildcats

Photo Credit: NU Athletics

Nebraska clinched its sixth weekend series in a row this season with a 9-5 win at Northwestern on Saturday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.

Nebraska (19-5, 2-0 Big Ten) scored nine runs on 11 hits and an error, while Northwestern (10-14, 0-2 Big Ten) totaled five runs, seven hits and an error.

Cole Evans led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI. Dylan Carey was 2-for-4, while Josh Caron drove in four with a grand slam. Case Sanderson, Tyler Stone, Garrett Anglim, Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes recorded one hit apiece.

Drew Christo made his sixth start of the season, allowing two runs on two hits in 4.2 innings. The junior issued three walks and struck out three Wildcats in the no-decision. Will Walsh moved to 3-0 on the year after pitching 3.1 innings in relief. Walsh allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and recorded two punchouts in the relief outing.

Evans opened the scoring on Saturday, drilling a 390-foot solo homer over the wall in the left for his second homer of the season to give the Huskers a lead in the opening frame.

Northwestern responded with a pair of runs off one hit to hold a 2-1 lead through the first inning. A walk and a plunked batter set up a two-RBI double from Jackson Freeman to give the Wildcats a one-run lead.

A seven-run explosion across five hits in the top of the second had the Big Red out front 8-2. The second frame began with four consecutive singles from the NU offense, highlighted by Carey’s RBI single down the left-field line and Rhett Stokes’ bunt single to load the bases with no outs.

Case Sanderson picked up his ninth RBI of the season after scoring Overbeek via an RBI groundout. The Huskers loaded the bases a second time in the inning after Riley Silva was plunked a 14th time on the year. Evans collected his second RBI of the day, lifting a sacrifice fly to center to plate Carey.

The Husker offense loaded the bases for the third time in the second frame with an intentional walk issued to Stone, before Caron blasted a 385-foot grand slam over the wall in left to blow the game open at 8-2.

Silva reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second for his 16th stolen bases of the year, before Evans drove in his third run of the day with a single to right-center to score Silva and grow the lead to 9-2 in the fourth.

Northwestern scored its first runs since the opening frame with two runs behind three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Three consecutive two-out singles plated the Wildcats’ third run, while a passed ball made it a 9-4 game through six innings.

The Wildcats tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh after back-to-back doubles to trim the Husker lead to 9-5 with two innings to play.

Nebraska and Northwestern conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park. Sunday’s matchup can be seen on B1G+, while fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.