Max Anderson and Brice Matthews pieced together three-hit games, and Emmett Olson dealt seven strong innings in Nebraska’s 19-5 win vs. Penn State in the series opener on Friday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska (27-20-1, 11-8 Big Ten) racked up 19 runs on 16 hits, while the Nittany Lions (24-20, 6-12 Big Ten) tallied five runs on five hits and four errors.
Olson moved to 6-3 on the season after surrendering four runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Jackson Brockett pitched the final two innings for the Big Red, allowing one run on one hit with one strikeout.
Matthews went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and three runs. Matthews moved into a tie for eighth in program history with his 20th home run of the season, tying Steve Stanicek in 1982. With 20 home runs and 19 stolen bases, Matthews is one stolen base away from becoming the first Husker in program history to join the 20-20 club with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single-season.
Anderson was 3-for-6 with a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Dylan Carey fell a home run shy of the cycle after going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two RBI and three runs. Gabe Swansen had a 2-for-3 night with a home run, three BRI, three runs and two walks. Efry Cervantes went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and three runs, while Casey Burnham, Josh Caron and Cole Evans tallied one hit apiece.
The NU offense threatened in the opening frame with Burnham’s triple down the right-field line, but the Big Red couldn’t plate the game’s first run of the night.
Olson struck out the side in the second and garnered a double play and strikeout in the third to keep the Nittany Lions scoreless through the first three innings.
The Huskers began the scoring with a pair of runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. Cervantes reached on an infield single to set up Matthews’ 413-foot two-run blast into the berm in left field.
Penn State tied the game in the top of the fifth with a pair of solo home runs by Bobby Marsh and Grant Norris.
Nebraska responded immediately with seven runs on five hits and a PSU error to blow the game open at 9-2 with four innings to play. Small ball plated NU’s first run of the inning after Burnham dropped down a sacrifice bunt to plate Cervantes. Anderson ripped a 1-2 pitch up the middle for an RBI single up the middle to score Matthews and double the lead to 4-2.
Caron was plunked with the bases loaded, and Evans lifted a sacrifice fly to left, while Carey unloaded a two-RBI triple to right field to grow the lead to 8-2 for the Huskers. Cervantes followed with an RBI double to left to bring home Carey and make it a 9-2 game.
The Nittany Lions tacked on two more runs in the seventh after a four-pitch walk to Marsh and a two-run homer by Tayven Kelley.
The Big Red built its lead to 11 in the seventh inning with six runs on four hits and two PSU errors. A PSU error and a sacrifice fly by Burnham plated the first two runs, while Anderson unloaded a two-RBI double down the left-field line to make it 13-4. An errant throw on a fielder’s choice at second plated Nebraska’s 14th run before Caron’s RBI single up the middle capped the seventh-inning scoring for the Big Red.
Momentum carried into the eighth for the Husker offense, as Nebraska added four runs on three hits. Anderson’s RBI single through the right side made it a 12-run game, followed by Swansen drilling a 439-foot three-run blast into the left-center berm.
An RBI fielder’s choice plated a run for the Nittany Lions, as the Huskers posted a 19-5 win in the series opener on Friday night.
Nebraska and Penn State continue the series tomorrow evening at 6:02 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
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