Cervantes Delivers Walk-Off Single in Ninth

Efry Cervantes lined the first pitch he saw through the right side for a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Huskers a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico State on Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (7-9) won its third consecutive game after totaling six runs on five hits and two errors, while the Aggies (9-6) had five runs on nine hits and two errors.

Drew Christo made his first collegiate start, allowing one hit and walking three batters in 0.2 innings. Jackson Brockett allowed two runs on three hits and posted three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. Braxton Bragg tossed the next 4.1 innings for the Huskers, surrendering three runs, one earned, on four hits and striking out three. Tyler Martin and CJ Hood combined to throw 1.2 shutout innings, while Emmett Olson improved to 1-2 on the year after pitching the final inning.

Cam Chick went 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run homer to lead the Big Red. Gabe Swansen, Max Anderson, Garrett Anglim and Cervantes tallied one hit apiece, while Griffin Everitt drew a team-high two walks.

New Mexico State took a two-run lead in the top of the second with back-to-back RBI singles by Brandon Dieter and Gunner Antillon.

Nebraska cut into the Aggie lead with a pair of runs on one hit and an NMSU error. Core Jackson reached on a fielding error and Anderson singled down the left field line to put two runners on with one out. A wild pitch advanced Jackson and Anderson to second and third before a second wild pitch brought home Jackson. Brice Matthews followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Anderson and bringing the Huskers within one after four.

Back-to-back singles by Logan Gallina and Nolan Funke put runners on first and third with one out in the seventh for the Aggies before scoring on a pair of Huskers errors to stretch the lead to 5-2.

 

Josh Caron reached on throwing error with one out in the bottom of the eighth before Chick smacked a two-run home run to right to bring the Huskers within one.

 

Two straight walks put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the ninth before Anglim’s RBI single through the right side tied the game at five. With runners on second and third, the Aggies chose to intentionally walk Chick to load the bases for Cervantes. Cervantes ripped the first pitch he saw to right field, scoring Matthews and giving the Huskers a 6-5 walk-off victory.

Nebraska continues play at home after the midweek series with the Aggies, welcoming Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park for a three-game series on Friday-Sunday, March 18-20.