The Nebraska Cornhuskers battled through the elements Saturday afternoon and extended their winning streak to seven as they defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 2-1. NU now moves to 17-5 on the season and has won 16 of its last 19 games.
The weather was a thorn in the sides of both teams Saturday, as temperatures moved down to the lower thirties and winds swirled the baseball field, thwarting any home run threats. Despite the low score, this was not a game with a lack of action. The sides had a combined 26 base runners and were set down in order three times. Once again, the key to this one was the Husker bullpen.
Drew Christo started the game for NU. Despite pitching 4.1 scoreless innings, the junior right-hander had problems with control and surrendered three walks and hit two batters. Christo was pulled in the fifth, and then the cavalry came. The Huskers used six pitchers for the remaining 4.2 innings, surrendering no earned runs, four hits, and six strikeouts. NMSU’s one run came in the top of the ninth, off Rans Sanders, after a throwing error put the runner in scoring position. Kyle Perry went into the game with a runner on third to close out the game for the Big Red to pick up a birthday save.
The Husker pitchers could not keep the Aggies off the bases, but New Mexico had difficulty advancing them. With runners on base, NMSU went 1-for-20, with its only hit coming in the game’s final inning.
The offense was in a rut all afternoon except for the bat of Case Sanderson. Sanderson went 3-for-4 for half of the Big Red’s hit. His solo RBI, the game-winner, scored Riley Silva in the bottom of the seventh.
The other RBI came in the sixth off the bat of Tyler Stone, whose right-field single scored Josh Caron.
The Big Red close out the series Sunday against New Mexico State, where Mason McConaughey will make his first weekend of the season.