Chance Hroch leads Nebraska to game three win over Indiana

The Nebraska baseball team (28-11) put their defense on display to beat Indiana (24-15) 3-1 in game three. Chance Hroch allowed just three hits and the only run came off a big swing in the ninth inning.

Chance Hroch was the starter on the mound for the Huskers and he came out fast, hanging up zeros in the first two innings while his offense was helping him on the other side of the ball. The NU bats combined for two hits in the first inning and it was Spencer Schwellenbach’s double that drove in the first run of the game. In the second inning, Brice Matthews hit solo home run to left field that doubled the lead.

The senior starting pitcher kept sharp after striking out four in the first two innings, and even after allowing a hit in the third and fourth innings, Hroch kept the Hoosiers off the scoreboard. In the sixth inning, Mojo Hagge hit a single to the infield and Brice Matthews followed up with a double that scored the Big Red’s third run of the game.

With a three run lead, Hroch stayed on the mound and through eight innings he had allowed just two hits and struck out nine batters. In the ninth inning, with over 100 pitches already being thrown, the senior stepped back up to the mound and struck out his 10th batter, tying a career-high number. IU got one big swing off Hroch for a solo home run, but after that he retired the side.

The starter threw the first complete game for Nebraska since Matt Waldron in 2019 against Michigan State. Through nine innings he struck out a career-high 10 batters and allowed just three hits and one run.

Chance Hroch stole the spotlight in game three of the Indiana pod series with a three-hit complete game. The only big hit off the senior came in the ninth inning, and it was too little, too late for the Hoosiers. After the Huskers used six different relief pitchers over the first two games of the weekend, a starting going deep is what they needed. Hroch did that and then some by going all nine. With one game left in the weekend series, head coach Will Bolt is confident in the pitching staff now that he has guys he didn’t have to use in this game.

NU came into this game knowing that McCade Brown was a dangerous starter for Indiana. The sophomore was 5-2 coming into the game with a 3.23 ERA, but that didn’t faze the Big Red bats. In the first two innings Nebraska had already scored two runs and made the day much more difficult for the IU pitching staff. Not only were they able to score, but the Huskers fought to stay in at-bats and raised Brown’s pitch count. After just five innings the Hoosiers had to pull the starter and NU had won that battle.

The Big red will close out the pod series in Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow at noon against Ohio State. Following that game, Nebraska will head home for one final series against Michigan.

All four games will be on Big Ten Network and can also be heard on Husker Sports Network.