Nebraska Takes Down UNO 8 to 5

Courtesy: NU Athletic Communications

(Photo – Kenny Larabee)

Omaha, Neb. – Trailing 3-0 after the first inning, Nebraska (21-11) came from behind to storm past Omaha, 8-5, at Werner Park on Wednesday night.

Luke Roskam led the Husker offense with a 4-for-4 performance, as NU churned out 12 hits as a team. Spencer Schwellenbach, Aaron Palensky and Joe Acker also registered multi-hit nights, as Schwellenbach smacked his first career home run.

In the opening frame, the Huskers were retired 1-2-3 with a strikeout, groundout and flyout. Omaha pounced early with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Starter Kyle Perry allowed four walks and one hit during the frame.

Nebraska plated one run in the top of the second to cut the score to 3-1. Acker laced a leadoff single before Roskam’s ground-rule double put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, Mojo Hagge’s sacrifice fly to center field drove in Acker for NU’s first run of the game. In the bottom of the second, Mike Waldron retired all three Maverick hitters.

NU scored three runs in the top of the third to take its first lead of the game at 4-3. Schwellenbach smashed his first career home run before Palensky singled and Angelo Altavilla walked. After a fielder’s choice, Roskam smoked a two-RBI double to drive in both runners. Omaha tied the game at 4-4 with one run in the bottom of the third. Despite not recording a hit, the Mavericks drew four walks, leaving three runners stranded.

Colby Gomes hit a leadoff single in the top of the fourth, but was left stranded in a scoreless frame for the Big Red. Omaha went down in order in the bottom of the fourth, as reliever Jaxon Hallmark recorded all three outs.

Roskam recorded his third hit of the game in the top of the fifth, but each of the other three Husker hitters failed to get on base. Omaha’s leadoff hitter in the fifth singled, but a lineout double play and foul-out ended a scoreless inning to keep the score tied at 4-4.

NU managed runners at the corners with two outs when Alex Henwood and Schwellenbach each singled in the top of the sixth, but a fielder’s choice kept them from scoring. The Mavericks managed two hits in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn’t take the lead as the score remained 4-4.

In the top of the seventh, NU managed back-to-back two-out walks, but a fielder’s choice ended the frame. Omaha managed one baserunner in a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

NU plated four runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-4 lead. Henwood drew a one-out walk before Schwellenbach was hit-by-pitch. Palensky drove in one run with an RBI single. Acker smashed a two-RBI double and later scored when Roskam picked up his fourth hit of the night. In the bottom of the eighth, Thomas Debonville homered to cut the Husker lead to 8-5 before three consecutive groundouts.

In the top of the ninth, the Huskers went down in order. Gomes struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to earn his team-high seventh save of the season.

Next, Nebraska will square off against Iowa in Iowa City for a three game series this weekend starting on Friday. That game is set to start at 6 p.m. but coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. on KLIN.