After one of the worst weekends in the Will Bolt era, the Nebraska Cornhuskers grabbed a much-needed 6-3 win over the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks Tuesday night.
Entering tonight’s contest in Omaha, UNL was coming off a series where they were outscored 25-7 and used nine pitchers. The Huskers needed a big day from the mound against a team they hadn’t beaten this season. Luckily for them, a former highly touted prospect found his confidence tonight.
The Huskers got off to a quick start at Tal Anderson field Tuesday night. After going down in order in the first inning, the Big Red got the bats going in the second. Singles by Garrett Anglim and Gabe Swansen put ducks on the pond for freshman Dylan Carey who delivered with a three-run home run to start off the game scoring. The homer was Carey’s fourth of the year.
Omaha threatened in the third, knocking Corbin out of the game after notching two two-out singles. The Huskers brought in Freshman Jalen Worthley. Hawkins pitched 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and one run.
Worthley was pitted against the big bat of Omaha third baseman Mike Boeve, who entered Tuesday’s contest with a batting average of .430. Boeve won the battle knocking in a run and knocking Worthley out of the game after facing one batter. That RBI was Boeve’s 21st of the season and cut the Husker lead to two.
Drew Christo entered the game for the Big Red and delivered a big strikeout to get out of the third.
Christo found himself in more trouble in the next inning after a ball that seemed to land foul but was called fair and allowed Omaha shortstop Devin Hurdle to reach base for a leadoff double. Working quickly and efficiently, Christo pitched his best inning of the season, retiring three straight batters, two on strikeouts.
NU continued the momentum started by Christo into the 5th. Casey Burnham reached base on a leadoff single. Burnham stole second, reached third on a sac fly, and scored on a groundout RBI from Charlie Fischer. The run returned the Husker lead back to three.
Christo returned to the mound in the bottom of the 5th and worked around a two-on-one out Maverick threat by retiring the heart of their lineup. After the Husker offense was put down in order, Christo went back up to the bump and delivered another clean inning.
Christo’s stellar night came to an end on the 7th. After a leadoff double, Omaha second baseman Zach Lechnir scored on a sacrifice fly. Christo was relieved for Jake Bunz after tossing four innings, recording eight strikeouts, and allowing one run.
Christo put on a masterful performance Tuesday evening. The Sophomore pitched with a pace and confidence we had never seen from him before. The former 2021 Nebraska Gatorade player of the year struggled to find his form early in the season but has now allowed one run in his last 8.1 innings pitched. His emergence in the bullpen is something that will be crucial for a long postseason run.
UNL added another run in the 8th after Dylan Carey’s 2nd hit of the day scored Gabe Swansen. That run was Carey’s fourth RBI of the night and extended UNL’s lead back to 3.
Michael Garza entered in the 8th and pitched a clean inning allowing one hit and punching out two Mavericks.
The Big Red got a much-needed insurance run thanks to another no-doubt Brice Matthews home run that extended the lead to 4. The homer was Matthews’s 15th of the year and his 55th RBI of the season. The shortstop leads the team in both categories.
After allowing a homerun and struggling to close out the game, Shay Schanaman was brought in for Garza to get the final out of the game. Schanaman after throwing 56 pitches on Sunday, was tasked with getting the tying run out and delivered. Shanahan struck out the game’s final batter and earned his fourth save of the year.
The Huskers picked up a much-needed 6-3 win over the Omaha Mavericks, avoiding a season sweep. UNL now moves to 22-14-1 on the year and is back in action Wednesday, April 26, against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.