Nebraska held an 8-5 lead in the eighth inning but couldn’t hold on late, as the Huskers suffered a 9-8 setback in 12 innings on Saturday night at Siebert Field in Minneapolis.
Nebraska (19-26, 7-10 Big Ten) scored eight runs on 11 hits and three errors, while the Golden Gophers (13-31, 3-14 Big Ten) totaled nine runs, 14 hits and four errors.
Emmett Olson threw five innings in the start, allowing four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks in the no-decision. Mason Ornelas surrendered one run on two hits after pitching 0.2 innings while replacing Olson on the mound. Tyler Martin gave up two unearned runs and struck out three Golden Gophers in 1.2 hitless innings of relief. Braxton Bragg fell to 1-6 on the season after allowing two runs on five hits in the final four innings.
Max Anderson led Nebraska at the plate, going 3-for-7 with a double, two RBI and a run. Cam Chick was 2-for-7 with a pair of RBI, while Leighton Banjoff was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three walks and Colby Gomes was 2-for-5 with a solo home run.
The Husker offense jumped ahead early with a pair of runs on two hits and a Golden Gopher error in the top of the first. Garrett Anglim singled to right and stole second before touching home on Anderson’s two-out RBI single up the middle. Nebraska doubled its lead in the opening frame when Gomes reached on a fielding error with the bases loaded that scored Anderson.
Minnesota responded with three runs in the bottom half of the first to hold a 3-2 advantage after one inning. Two consecutive singles and a sacrifice bunt had runners on second and third with one out, while a wild pitch plated the Golden Gophers’ first run of the evening. Minnesota grabbed the one-run lead on what was ruled a two-out two-RBI single to shortstop.
The Big Red plated two more in the second to retake the lead at 4-3 in the second after scoring the two runs on three hits. Efry Cervantes led off the inning with a hit by pitch and later scored on Anderson’s second RBI single in as many innings to tie the game at three. Banjoff followed Anderson’s RBI single by lacing a 1-1 pitch through the left side for an RBI single to score Griffin Everitt and give the Huskers a 4-3 lead.
Gomes blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for his fourth home run of the season to stretch Nebraska’s lead to 5-3 in the third.
The Golden Gophers got the run back in the bottom of the third after a two-out walk and an RBI double down the right field line by Drew Stahl to make it a 5-4 game.
Two consecutive scoreless innings by the two teams, followed by a one-run sixth from the Golden Gophers on a pair of singles and sacrifice fly had the game locked in a tie at five with three innings to go.
Nebraska jumped on the Minnesota bullpen with three runs on a hit and a Golden Gopher error to leap ahead 8-5 in the seventh. Core Jackson reached on a fielding error and Luke Sartori drew a four-pitch walk, before a double steal from the two Huskers had runners on second and third with one out. Cervantes was plunked on a 2-0 pitch to load the bases, while Chick dropped a two-RBI single into left to give the Huskers a 7-5 lead. Anglim tacked on Nebraska’s eighth run of the game with a high-chopping grounder to the pitcher, plating Cervantes to lift the lead to 8-5.
Following a three-run top half of the inning, Martin blanked the Golden Gophers in the bottom of the seventh with three strikeouts.
Walks to Banjoff and Gomes and a hit by pitch to Jackson loaded the bases for the Huskers with one out in the eighth inning, before back-to-back strikeouts held off Nebraska from expanding its three-run lead.
An error and a walk put two runners on for Minnesota with one out in the eighth, while an errant throw on a pickoff attempt at first base sailed down the right field line to plate the two baserunners and make it a one-run game.
Minnesota began the bottom of the ninth with a single and a sacrifice bunt to place the tying run on second with one out. A one-out walk and Chase Stanke’s RBI single to right scored the tying run for the Golden Gophers. Bragg responded with a strikeout and groundout back to the pitcher to send the game to the 10th inning locked in a tie at eight.
Nebraska had the go-ahead run on base in the 10th after Banjoff singled to center and advanced to second on a groundout by Jackson. Gomes drilled an 0-2 pitch for a two-out single to right field, where a sliding Banjoff was thrown out in a play at the plate to end the top of the 10th.
A single and an intentional walk had runners on first and second for Minnesota in the bottom of the 10th, while Bragg’s third strikeout of the night kept the Golden Gophers off the board.
A single, groundout and intentional walk put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the 12th before Boston Merila hit an RBI single through the left side to clinch the 9-8 win in 12 innings for the Golden Gophers.
Nebraska and Minnesota are scheduled to conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Siebert Field.
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