Huskers Sweep Northwestern in Dramatic Fashion

Nebraska scored a run in the top of the ninth and added another in the 10th to sweep Northwestern with an 8-7 win in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.

With the win, the Huskers picked up their first road conference series sweep since 2022 and swept their first opening conference series since 2019.

Nebraska (20-5, 3-0 Big Ten) scored eight runs on eight hits, while Northwestern (10-15, 0-3) tallied seven runs, eight hits and two errors.

Tyler Stone led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Cole Evans had a 2-for-4 afternoon with a double and two RBI. Garrett Anglim had a double and two RBI, while Case Sanderson and Josh Caron recorded one hit each.

Mason McConnaughey pitched 5.2 innings in his first weekend start on the year, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Jalen Worthley tallied three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief, while Kyle Froehlich surrendered two runs on two hits and recorded an out. Kyle Perry improved to 1-0 on the season after dealing 2.1 shutout innings with three punchouts.

Nebraska plated the game’s first run in the opening frame to grab a 1-0 lead behind a pair of hits in the first. Sanderson led off with a single, and Evans drew a full-count walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Stone came through with an RBI double to the wall down the right-field line to score Sanderson and make it a 1-0 game.

Caron was plunked on the first pitch to load the bases with one out, but consecutive lineouts to second prevented the Huskers from tacking on any more runs.

A pair of extra-base hits in the bottom of the first had the Wildcats out front 2-1 after the first. A one-out double to the wall in center set up Jackson Freeman’s two-run homer over the wall in right field.

The Husker offense manufactured five runs with just one hit to snag a 6-2 advantage in the fourth. Nebraska had the bases loaded with one out after walks to Joshua Overbeek, Rhett Stokes and Sanderson. An RBI fielder’s choice from Riley Silva coupled with a pair of Northwestern errors on the play allowed Overbeek and Stokes to score and give the Big Red a 3-2 lead.

Evans picked up his sixth RBI of the weekend with a groundout to the shortstop, scoring Sanderson and doubling the lead to 4-2. The Huskers kept the pressure on the Wildcats with consecutive walks to Stone and Caron to place runners on first and second with two outs.

Nebraska doubled its lead for the second time in the inning after Anglim laced a two-RBI double into the left-center alley to give the Big Red a 6-2 lead through four innings.

A one-out single in the bottom of the sixth ended McConnaughey’s streak of 15 consecutive Wildcat hitters he retired, which began in the first inning. Northwestern cut the deficit in half in the next at-bat after Owen McElfatrick’s two-run homer to left made it a 6-4 game with three innings to go.

Back-to-back one-out singles, followed by Freeman’s three-run homer to right gave Northwestern a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth.

The Husker offense responded with a run on three hits to send the game into the bottom of the ninth locked at seven. Evans began with a double to right-center, followed by Stone’s single to center put runners on first and third with no outs.

Caron came through with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Evans to tie the game at seven. The Wildcats got the lead runner out at third on Anglim’s sacrifice bunt attempt, while the next two Huskers were retired to keep the game locked at seven heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Perry sat down the Wildcats in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Clay Bradford led off the inning with a swinging strikeout on a play where he advanced to second on a passed ball. Sanderson was plunked in the next at-bat, while Silva’s sacrifice bunt advanced the pair to second and third with one out.

Bradford scored the go-ahead run for the Big Red with Evans’ sacrifice fly to center field. Leading 8-7, Perry retired the Wildcats in order for the second straight inning to give the Huskers an extra-inning victory on Sunday afternoon to clinch the series sweep.

Nebraska continues play with a midweek matchup at Creighton on Tuesday, April 2. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field.