Opportunistic Black Squad Posts 4-2 Win

Lincoln — Freshman Max Anderson drove in a pair of runs and scored another, as the Black team took advantage of early opportunities in a 4-2 victory Thursday afternoon.

The Black team, which has won both scrimmages this week, had just three hits, but pushed across a pair of runs in the second and third innings and received a solid performance from Cade Povich and a pair of relievers in the six-inning game.

Anderson led off the second with a walk, moved to second on a two-out bunt single by Luke Sartori and came across on an RBI single from Garrett Anglim.  Sartori made it 2-0, scoring on a wild pitch.

“The Black team was opportunistic, especially early on,” Nebraska Coach Will Bolt said. “The Red team had a couple of leadoff walks which came back to hurt them. In the second, the bunt single kept the inning going and the had some competitive at-bats to get one the board.”

The Red team pushed across a run in the bottom of the second, as Efrain Cervantes singled, moved to third after pair of wild pitches and scored on Gunner Hellstrom’s ground out.

Anderson helped the Black team stretch the lead back to three runs in the top of the third, as a pair of walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out before the freshman cleared the bases with a two-run double to left center.

The three-run lead was more than enough for sophomore Cade Povich, who pitched three innings of two-hit ball and fanned three en route to the win.

“I though the Red team had some pretty good at bats against Povich, probably as good as anyone had against him all fall,” Bolt said.

“They had a lot of hard-hit balls at people, but Povich competed and filled up the strike zone. On days like today, that is what you have to do. They played good defense behind him and that was the difference.”

Griffin Everitt’s fourth-inning homer to right cut the lead to 4-2, but could not get any closer, as Trey Kissack and Max Schreiber allowed just one baserunner after Everitt’s solo shot.

The Black team had a chance to extend the lead in the fifth, loading the bases before Jaxon Hallmark came in and fanned Anglim to end the threat. Hallmark, who has started 100 games as a position player for the Huskers, struck out three in 1.1 innings of no-hit relief, putting himself in position to potentially contribute on the mound in the spring.

“We’ve had him throw once a week this fall,” Bolt said of Hallmark, who made one appearance last spring. “He is dabbling with some different arm angles and is a utility-knife player for us who can play infield, outfield or even pitch. He throws strikes and is competitive. We put him in a tough spot today, but he got out of the bases-loaded jam with a punch out. He’s not scared, and I think he will factor in for us on the mound.”

Fall practice concludes Friday afternoon with a final scrimmage.