Huskers take Game 2 over Grand Canyon, 11-1

The Nebraska baseball team improved to 3-2 on the season Friday night after defeating the Grand Canyon Lopes 11-1 in Game 2 of a four-game series at GCU Ballpark in Phoenix.

The Husker offense had itself a night by collecting 17 hits in the victory. Seven batters had two or more hits, with Cayden Brumbaugh and Riley Silva leading the way with three each.

Josh Caron, the 6-foot, 215-pound catcher, crushed two home runs and drove in five runs. Tyler Stone, who played his high school ball at Chaparral High School, just a 28-minute drive from GCU Ball Park, continued his hot streak at the plate with a two-run double to left-center in the third inning that gave Nebraska a 4-0 lead. In Game 1 Thursday night, Stone had a two-run homer and an RBI triple.

The Huskers got stellar pitching from senior starter Brett Sears and freshman reliever Ty Horn. The two stranded seven base runners and held Grand Canyon’s bats to just four hits and one unearned run in the seventh.

The 6-foot, 205-pound righty Sears threw six scoreless innings, striking out seven with one walk and one hit batter. He allowed just two hits, and coaxed five flyouts and five ground outs. Horn, a 6-2, 195-pound native of Kansas, tossed three innings and struck out two with one walk and an unearned run.

Nebraska led 2-0 after the first inning and 5-0 through six before adding six runs in the final three frames.

Game three of the series is Saturday night at 7 p.m. Nebraska, leading the series 2-0 after Thursday’s 7-2 win, will roll with left-handed pitcher Will Walsh (0-0, 4.76 ERA) while Grand Canyon will send right-hander Connor Mattison (0-0, 3.00 ERA) to the mound.