The Nebraska baseball team has bolted out to a 3-0 start after the Cornhuskers defeated Grand Canyon, 9-1, Sunday in the MLB Desert Invitational in Mesa, Ariz. Nebraska started a season with three straight wins for the first time since the 2005 team which won a game at the Men’s College World Series started the season 8-0.
The Huskers got on the board Sunday in the top of the third, when Will Jesske homered to left field. Then in the fourth, Nebraska took control. After Max Buettenback scored on a wild pitch, Jesske hit an RBI single up the middle, scoring Nunez. Jesske later scored on a Jett Buck sacrifice fly, pushing the NU lead to 4-0. The Lopes (1-2) answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth. But in the eighth, the Huskers broke the game open. Jett Buck’s two-run single grew the lead to 6-1. Joshua Overbeek followed with a two-run single, then Dylan Carey drove in Overbeek with a double to left.
Nebraska pitching made sure those runs would hold up. Gavin Blachowicz threw 4.2 innings of one-run, two-hit ball. Then Chase Olson (1-0), J’Shawn Unger and Jace Ziola combined to threw 4.1 innings of two-hit, shutout ball from the bullpen.
The Huskers complete their stay in the desert with a matchup against perennial power Stanford. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. from Scottsdale, Ariz., with pregame beginning at 1:30 p.m. on KLIN.