Bats Come Alive in Series-Clinching 10-5 Win at OSU

Nebraska clinched the weekend series at Ohio State with a 10-5 win on Saturday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

The Huskers (11-14, 3-2 Big Ten) scored 10 runs on 11 hits and had one error, while the Buckeyes (8-15, 0-3 Big Ten) tallied five runs on seven hits.

Koty Frank threw 4.1 innings in the start, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits and striking out one. Tyler Martin improved to 1-0 on the season after pitching 3.2 shutout innings in relief, surrendering only one hit and striking out four. Braxton Bragg tossed the final inning with a pair of strikeouts.

Griffin Everitt went 2-for-5 at the plate with a two-run homer, while Nick Wimmers was 2-for-3 with a double and a run in his first start with the Huskers. Luke Sartori went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Max Anderson had a 1-for-4 performance with a grand slam, while four other Huskers recorded one hit each. Brice Matthews extended his on-base streak to 19 games after going 1-for-4 with a two-RBI doubles.

Garrett Anglim ripped a 1-0 pitch down the right field line for one-out triple in the second, followed by Wimmers reaching first with a hit by pitch. With runners on first and third, Core Jackson’s RBI bunt single down first base line scored Anglim to give Nebraska a 1-0 lead.

Three consecutive singles to open the bottom of the second plated the tying run for the Buckeyes. A play at the plate on a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher allowed Ohio State to take a 2-1 lead.

The Huskers answered with a two-run blast to left center by Everitt to retake the lead at 3-2 in the third.

A hit by pitch and a passed ball placed a runner on second with one out in the third, before Tyler Pettorini’s RBI single through the left side tied the game at three in the bottom of the third.

Nebraska responded with three runs on three hits to jump ahead 6-4 in the fourth. Wimmers led off with a single and Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt, before Sartori drilled a high-chopping RBI single that bounced over the head of the Ohio State third baseman to bring home Wimmers. Matthews followed with a two-RBI double down the left right field line to make it a 6-3 game.

Ohio State scored two on three hits with a pair of RBI doubles to get within 6-5 in the fifth.

Jack Steil and Sartori reached on back-to-back singles and Matthews drew a walk to load the bases before Anderson unleashed an 0-1 pitch over the fence in center for a grand slam to stretch the Husker lead to 10-5 in the sixth.

After allowing a two-out RBI double in the fifth, Martin sat down the next 10 Buckeyes, while Bragg retired the side with a pair of punchouts and a flyout in the bottom of the ninth.

Nebraska goes for the series sweep against the Buckeyes tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. CT at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.