Nebraska baseball lit up Maryland’s pitching staff in a 21-5, seven-inning victory that clinched the series for the Cornhuskers (21-23, 9-12 B1G), two games to one.
Nebraska wasted no time getting on the board. Gabe Swansen’s grand slam to right in the first inning put NU ahead by four. The Huskers pushed across two more runs in the top of the first to lead by six through half an inning. In the second, Case Sanderson drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, then Joshua Overbeek scored two with a single to left. In the third, RBI singles by Max Buettenback and Dylan Carey built the lead to 11-0.
Maryland (20-25, 6-15 B1G) responded in the fourth, when Chris Hacopian hit a grand slam, followed by an RBI single by Aden Hill to cut Nebraska’s lead to 11-5. But the Huskers responded with five in the fifth, four in the sixth and one in the seventh to build a 16-run lead and end the game by the mercy rule.
Swansen paced the Husker offense, hitting 4-for-5 with seven RBI, including the grand slam and two doubles. Overbeek was 3-for-5 with five RBI and a double. Jackson Brockett (2-3) earned the win, allowing two earned runs in five innings. Andrew Johnson (1-3) took the loss. He started and faced four batters, allowing three walks before Swansen’s grand slam.
The win pushes Nebraska into sole possession of 11th place in the Big Ten standing. The top 12 teams are selected for the Big Ten Tournament, which the Huskers won last year.
Nebraska now prepares for a midweek matchup Tuesday against Kansas State at Hawks Field in Lincoln. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m., with pregame coverage at 5:30 p.m. on KLIN.