In the first nonconference baseball game for Nebraska in 450 days, the Huskers needed a comeback to advance in the Fayetteville Regional.
Northeastern, champion from the Colonial Athletic Association, got on the scoreboard first with a homerun in the second inning before adding three more runs in the third. Cade Povich (3.1 innings, 8 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 strikeouts) was pulled from the game for Koty Frank in the top of the fourth inning. Frank promptly disposed of the next two batters.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and Max Anderson on first base, Brice Matthews drew a walk. That brought up Cam Chick, who was hitless in his last 12 at bats.
Chick took a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall to make the score 4-3 Huskies.
After tying the game in the next inning, Nebraska put together another three-spot in the sixth. One more run in the eighth was enough to hold onto an 8-6 win.
Frank went 3.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts, giving up two earned runs. Jake Bunz pitched just 0.1 innings, giving up one hit and adding a strikeout. Spencer Schwellenbach came in for the final 1.2 innings, giving up a hit and striking out one to earn the save.
Mojo Haage (2-for-3), Griffin Everitt (2-for-4), and Joe Acker (2-for-5) all added multi-hit games as part of Nebraska’s 12 hits.
Earlier in the day, national top seed Arkansas came back from down 3-0 early to beat NJIT 13-8. Northeastern and NJIT will play in the loser’s bracket at 2 pm Saturday, while Huskers and Razorbacks will play at 8 pm.
“We need to make sure tomorrow night, no matter what happens, that we’re the aggressor,” coach Will Bolt told the Husker Sports Network on his message to the team about facing Arkansas tomorrow. “That’s the only shot you have on the road in a hostile environment is to come out swinging and to be aggressive.
“It was good for us to be able learn that lesson with a W tonight.”
Nebraska was the only Big Ten team to notch a win on day one of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Maryland lost to Charlotte 13-10 while Michigan fell to UConn 6-1.