Nebraska baseball scored the first five runs Tuesday afternoon and never looked back as the Huskers defeated Pepperdine, 9-6 in Malibu, Calif. The win snapped Nebraska’s three-game losing streak on the west coast and pushed the Cornhuskers’ record to 8-11.
Nebraska took the lead in the second with an RBI single double by Will Jesske. In the third, a Cayden Brumbaugh sacrifice fly, followed by RBI singles by Cael Frost and Tyler Stone pushed the Huskers’ lead to 4-0. Riley Silva’s RBI single in the fourth pushed the lead to five. After the Waves scored a run in the fourth and another in the fifth, the Huskers broke the game open in the sixth. With one out, Robby Bolin singled in a run. A bases loaded walk to Joshua Overbeek grew the lead 7-2. Devin Nunez’s RBI single made it 8-2, and a Brumbaugh sacrifice fly pushed the Huskers’ lead to seven. Pepperdine scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, but drew no closer.
Carson Jasa (2-1) earned his second straight midweek win, allowing two earned runs in five innings while striking out seven. Luke Broderick grabbed his fourth save of the year, allowing a hit and a walk in a shutout ninth inning. Dylan Stewart (0-2) took the loss for the Waves, surrendering an earned run in two innings pitched.
Four Huskers-Nunez, Jesske, Bolin and Silva-had two hits and an RBI each. Jesske added a double, while Brumbaugh drove in two runs. Max Bernal paced the Pepperdine line, hitting 2-for-5 with three RBI, a double and a home run.
Nebraska continues its west coast roadtrip Wednesday with the second of two games at Pepperdine. First pitch is at 5 p.m., with pregame coverage at 4:30 p.m. on KLIN.