Huskers Drop Series Opener at Iowa, 3-0

Iowa City – A three-run bottom of the sixth was all the Iowa Hawkeyes needed on Friday afternoon at Duane Banks Field, as Iowa took the first game of three-game series over the Nebraska baseball team by the score of 3-0.

Iowa starter Trenton Wallace improved to 2-0 on the year after delivering 7.0 shutout inning, as he allowed just two hits and three walks, while striking out three. Other than a rocky bottom of the sixth, Nebraska starter Cade Povich was solid for the Huskers. Povich struck out six over 6.0 innings and allowed just two hits through the first five innings before giving up three straight hits to start the sixth that resulted in three runs.

 Trace Hoffman gave up one hit over 2.0 shutout innings of relief to secure his first save of the season.

Povich retired six straight to start the game before Zeb Adreon led off the bottom of the third with a single and then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Povich responded with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning. Povich retired the Hawkeyes in order in the fourth, including his fifth strikeout of the game end the inning.

Nebraska’s offense stranded five runners in the first four innings, but had another chance in the fifth when Joe Acker worked a one-out walk. Wallace got a fly out for the second out and the got help from his defense as Spencer Schwellenbach blasted an 0-2 offering to deep center field, but Ben Norman made a running catch into the wall to preserve the shutout.

Wallace put the Husker down in order in the top of the six then the Iowa offense broke through in the bottom of the inning. Brendan Sher took the first pitch from Povich over the center field wall to break the scoreless tie and Brayden Frazier followed with a pinch-hit double. Norman, who flashed the leather in the fifth, lifted a 0-1 pitch over right field wall for a two-run home run that put the Hawkeyes in front 3-0. 

Working with a 3-0 lead, Wallace retired the Huskers in order in the top of the seventh, including a pair of strikeouts. Nebraska got a two-out single from Schwellenbach in the eighth and then went down in order in the ninth.

The Huskers and Hawkeyes continue their series tomorrow, with first pitch set for 2 PM.