No. 23 Nebraska plated two runs in the first inning and never looked back, as the Huskers opened this weekend’s series at Louisiana with a 6-1 win at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park on Friday night in Lafayette, La.
The Huskers (3-2) scored six runs on nine hits, while the Ragin Cajuns (2-3) totaled one run, five hits and four errors.
Cayden Brumbaugh reached base safely four times after going 3-for-4 at the plate with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Will Jesske was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs, while Rhett Stokes, Dylan Carey, Case Sanderson, Riley Silva and Max Buettenback recorded a hit. Hogan Helligso drove in a team-high two runs in the win.
Mason McConnaughey improved to 1-1 on the season after dealing six one-run innings. The junior allowed the one run on four hits and struck out six, moving the season total to 15 punchouts on the season. The Topeka, Kan., native is the ninth NU pitcher since 2000 with 15-plus strikeouts through the second weekend of the season.
Jalen Worthley tossed a pair of scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and a walk with one strikeout. Pryce Bender took the mound in the ninth, retiring the Cajuns in order with two punchouts.
Nebraska had runners on first and third with one out in the opening frame after singles from Brumbaugh and Carey. Sanderson broke the scoreless tie with an RBI single to left that brought home Brumbaugh, while an errant relay throw from the Cajuns also allowed Carey to score and give the Big Red a 2-0 lead.
A two-out solo homer over the wall in right field off the bat of Lee Amedee plated Louisiana’s only run of the night and cut Nebraska’s lead in half in the bottom of the second.
The Huskers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth after a fielding error, walk and bunt single by Silva. A sacrifice fly from Helligso scored Buettenback, while Brumbaugh’s RBI single to the shortstop brought home Jesske and gave the Big Red a 4-1 lead.
McConnaughey worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, striking out the next three Cajun batters to maintain the three-run advantage with five innings to play.
Jesske opened the eighth inning with a double to left, while a Louisiana fielding error on a grounder from Helligso allowed Jesske to cross the plate and add to NU’s lead. Back-to-back singles from Brumbaugh and Stokes loaded the bases with one out, setting up Carey’s sacrifice fly to right field that plated Helligso and made it a 6-1 game.
Worthley surrendered a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, but the southpaw sat down the next three batters he faced to keep the lead at five headed into the ninth inning.
A four-pitch walk began the bottom of the ninth, before Bender took the mound and retired the next three Cajun hitters to preserve No. 23 Nebraska’s 6-1 win on Friday night.
No. 23 Nebraska and Louisiana wrap up the weekend series tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. Saturday’s doubleheader will not be televised or streamed, but fans can listen to Nick Handley and David Gustafson call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.