Rutgers Outlasts Huskers on Saturday

What started as a pitching duel through the first six innings, the Huskers and Rutgers combined for six runs in the final three innings in Nebraska’s 5-4 loss on Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field.

Nebraska (12-17, 4-4 Big Ten) scored four runs on seven hits and had three errors, while the Scarlet Knights (24-6, 7-1 Big Ten) totaled five runs on four hits.

Emmett Olson had a career day on the mound in his second start with the Huskers. Olson pitched a career-long 6.2 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with a career-high five strikeouts. CJ Hood completed the seventh for Nebraska with a strikeout, while Braxton Bragg threw the final two innings. Bragg dropped to 1-3 on the year after surrendering two runs on one hit and two strikeouts.

Cam Chick led the Huskers at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance. Four other Huskers recorded one hit apiece, including a three-run homer by Colby Gomes. Griffin Everitt went 1-for-4 with a double and a team-high two runs.

Rutgers began the second reaching on an NU fielding error and a double down the left field line, before an RBI groundout and RBI singles from Jordan Sweeney and Ryan Lasko had the Scarlet Knights ahead 3-0.

After Lasko’s RBI single in the second, Olson faced the next 17 RU batters without allowing a single hit, surrendering only one walk and a hit by pitch.

Everitt opened the seventh with a four-pitch walk and Nick Wimmers ripped a single through the right side to put runners on first and second with one out. Gomes belted a 1-2 pitch to left for what was assumed to be a two-RBI double, before the third base umpire had ruled the ball cleared the wall in left for a game-tying home run.

Following a short conference in the infield between the four umpires, the ruling of Gomes’ three-run homer was upheld, which resulted in the ejection of Rutgers head coach Steve Owens.

Nick Cimillo started the eighth being hit by the pitch, followed by Tony Santa Maria lifting an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left for a two-run shot to give the Scarlet Knights a 5-3 lead.

The Huskers responded with one run on two hits in the bottom of the eighth to cut the deficit in half. Chick led off with a single and was thrown out at the plate after Everitt’s double to center. Garrett Anglim, Josh Caron and Leighton Banjoff drew three consecutive walks to plate Everitt and score Nebraska’s fourth run of the game.

Chick reached on a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, followed by a four-pitch walk to Max Anderson to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base for the Huskers. Everitt followed by ripping the first pitch to the Rutgers shortstop, who made the play at second for the final out to end the game with a 5-4 win for the Scarlet Knights.

Nebraska and Rutgers wrap up the series tomorrow, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m. at Hawks Field.