Six-Run Seventh Drops Huskers vs. No. 2 LSU
Nebraska held the lead throughout the first six innings vs. No. 2 LSU, but a six-run rally in the seventh led the second-ranked Tigers to an 11-6 win over the Huskers in front of a record crowd of 11,003 fans at the Frisco College Baseball Classic on Saturday night.
Nebraska (4-5) scored six runs on 11 hits and an error, while LSU (10-1) totaled 11 runs and 17 hits.
Cael Frost led the Big Red at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Devin Nunez had a 3-for-5 night with two runs scored, while Cayden Brumbaugh went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. Joshua Overbeek was 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored. Case Sanderson had an RBI single, while Riley Silva also drove in a run.
Ty Horn allowed four runs on eight hits across 4.2 innings of work. Caleb Clark recorded an out in his third relief appearance of the season, while Carson Jasa dropped to 0-1 on the year after allowing three runs on three hits in one inning. Grant Cleavinger and Pryce Bender teamed up to pitch an inning, while Gavin Blachowicz dealt 1.1 strong innings in relief. Blake Encarnacion made his collegiate debut and recorded the final two outs for the NU pitching staff on Saturday night.
The Husker offense went to work early, plating three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first to jump ahead 3-0. A leadoff double off the bat of Overbeek, followed by consecutive singles from Nunez and Brumbaugh plated the game’s first run. Two more runs were added to the Husker lead when Frost sent an 0-1 pitch back up the middle for a two-RBI single.
Gabe Swansen began the bottom of the second with a full-count walk and took two bases on a wild pitch with no outs. An RBI groundout to second from Silva allowed Swansen to score from third and had Nebraska out front 4-0 through the first two innings.
Nunez’s leadoff single in the bottom of the third, followed by a pair of wild pitches placed a runner on third with one out for the Big Red. Sanderson laced a 3-2 pitch to center for a one-out RBI single that brought home Nunez and made it a four-run game after three frames.
The LSU offense came to life in the top of the fourth, as the Tigers scored three runs on four hits to trim Nebraska’s lead down to 5-3. Back-to-back doubles to open the frame scored the Tigers’ first run of the night, while an RBI groundout and an RBI single brought LSU within 5-3.
The Tigers tacked on one more in the top of the fifth to cut the NU lead in half. Three consecutive two-out singles brought LSU within a run. The Tigers appeared to tie the game, but a perfect relay throw from the NU defense allowed Hogan Helligso to apply the tag on a play at the plate to keep the Big Red ahead 5-4 through five innings.
LSU erupted for six runs on six hits and a Husker error to jump ahead 10-5 heading into the seventh-inning stretch. An RBI single and a sacrifice fly gave the Tigers their first lead of the evening, while three straight two-out RBI knocks grew the lead to five for LSU.
The Huskers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the seventh after three consecutive two-out singles from Overbeek, Nunez and Brumbaugh allowed Overbeek to score from second and make it a 10-6 game through seven innings.
Three walks loaded the bases for the Tigers in the top of the ninth, while a plunked batter plated LSU’s 11th run of the night.
Nebraska wraps up play at the Frisco College Baseball Classic with a matchup against Kansas State tomorrow afternoon. First pitch between the Huskers and Wildcats has been moved up an hour to 11 a.m. CT due to the threat of inclement weather on Sunday.