Looking for a savior in the rubber match of a Big Ten series, the Big Red found salvation in some familiar places in the lineup as they powered their way to an 11-3 win over Michigan on Easter Sunday.
Nebraska (18-10-1 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) won the weekend by hammering the Wolverines with extra base hits, seven of them in total. Junior shortstop Brice Matthews hit a three-run homerun in the second inning. Junior second baseman Max Anderson went 2-for-5 with a double, HR, and three RBIs. Sophomore catcher Josh Caron added another big fly and a pair of doubles. Each of the three scored twice in the decisive third game of the series.
Michigan (17-14, 6-3) struck first, scoring twice off of NU starter Will Walsh in the opening inning. The sophomore left-hander surrendered a two-out, two run single, but then navigated the next two frames without allowing a run.
That’s when the Husker bats took over.
Caron led off the 2nd with a solo bomb to left. Two outs later, freshman third baseman Dylan Carey and senior first baseman Efry Cervantes both singled, setting the stage for Matthews’ game-changing 3-run blast. That gave Nebraska a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.
Another leadoff dinger in the 3rd inning, this time from Anderson, and an RBI-double from sophomore left fielder Gabe Swansen pushed the Husker advantage to 6-2.
The Wolverines knocked Walsh out with a leadoff homerun of their own in the fourth, but a couple senior relievers took care of the final 18 outs. Michael Garza tossed four shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four. Bunz handled two innings and, like Garza, gave up no runs and collected four Ks. Walsh finished his first Sunday start with a no-decision on seven hits, three runs, one walk, and two punch-outs.
Swansen added a sac fly in the 5th, then Anderson doubled in two more and senior DH Charlie Fischer singled in another in the 6th to make it 10-3. Carey then found an RBI-single in the 7th inning to round out the 11-3 win.
Paired with the dramatic 3-1 victory in 10 innings on Friday, Nebraska clinched their second straight conference series Sunday. Michigan won game 2 on Saturday, 8-6.
Next up: a rematch with the Omaha Mavericks on Tuesday in Lincoln.