Lincoln - After being held
scoreless on four hits over the first five innings of Saturday's home opener at
Hawks Field, the Nebraska baseball team (1-7, 0-0 Big Ten) exploded for seven
runs on five hits in the sixth inning to win its 35th straight home opener with a
8-5 victory over the New Mexico Lobos (2-5, 0-0 Mountain West). Down 5-0 going
into the bottom of the sixth in front of 1,592 fans on a chilly day at Hawks
Field, Nebraska rallied from a five-run deficit for the first time since Feb.
25, 2011, when NU won 12-8 over Northern Colorado after falling behind 7-2 in
the fourth inning.
Senior
Chad Christensen delivered his third three-hit performance of the season, as he
was 3-for-4 with a double, while Austin Darby and Kash Kalkowski each drove in
a pair of runs on the afternoon. Every hitter in the Husker lineup either
produced a hit or scored a run on the afternoon. Nebraska sent 12 batters to
the plate in the sixth inning, the first time the NU offense has batted around
this season.
With
a 7-5 lead heading into the seventh inning, Josh Roeder and Dylan Vogt combined
to throw three shutout innings down the stretch, with the pair striking out
four Lobos. Vogt pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his first save of the
season.
New
Mexico threw the first punch of the game when preseason All-American DJ
Peterson blasted a three-run homer in the top of the first to give the Lobos a 3-0
lead. The Lobos added a run in both the fifth and sixth inning, chasing NU
starter Brandon Pierce from the game. Pierce pitched 5.2 innings, giving up
five runs, four earned, on seven hits and three walks, but didn't factor into
the decision.
Sophomore
Michael Hoppes entered the game in the top of the sixth with runners on the
corners and two outs. Hoppes threw one pitch and Tanner Lubach threw out Chase
Harris stealing to end the Lobo sixth. The Scottsbluff, Neb., native secured
the win on the day, moving to 1-1 on the season.
With
the top of its order up, Rich Sanguinetti led off with a four-pitch walk and
moved into scoring position at second when a throwing error by second baseman
Sam Haggerty pulled shortstop Alex Allbritton off the bag on a potential
double-play ball off the bat of Darby. Christensen stepped up and dropped down
a perfect bunt single that got Nebraska's rally going. Not only did Christensen
reach, but pitcher Kevin Baumgartner, who was tagged with the loss, threw the
ball into foul territory, allowing two runs to score and Christensen to reach
third. Following a pop out from Scheffert, Pat Kelly drove in Christensen with
a single and then scored on a double by Kash Kalkowski to get Nebraska within
one run, 5-4.
New
Mexico Head Coach Ray Birmingham stuck with his junior lefty to face Nebraska
sophomore lefty Blake Headley. The Millard South product came through with
Nebraska's third straight hit off of Baumgartner to drive in Kalkowski and tie
the game, 5-5. Headley moved into scoring position himself on the play when
Ryan Padilla failed to control the ball in left field, the Lobos' third error
of the inning. Birmingham then went to Anthony Consiglio, who promptly threw a
wild pitch, allowing Headley to move to third, and walked Lubach to give
Nebraska runners at the corners and one out. With Bryan Peters up, Nebraska
went with a safety squeeze and the Lobos came out on top, as Headley was out at
home for the second out of the inning.
With
a shot to get out of the inning tied, 5-5, Consigilio walked Sanguinetti to
load the bases, it was Sanguinetti's second four-pitch walk of the inning. Birmingham
brought in Tyler Spencer to face Darby, who rocketed a 1-1 pitch back through
the box to plate two runs and put Nebraska up 7-5. Heading into the game,
Nebraska had scored five runs in the sixth inning of its first seven games
combined.
The
Huskers added an insurance run in the seventh when Scheffert led off the inning
with a single and after moving to third on a pair of wild pitches, he scored on
a sacrifice fly from Kalkowski to give NU an 8-5 lead.
Nebraska
will look to sweep the two-game series with the Lobos when the two teams meet
at 12:05 p.m. tomorrow at Hawks Field. Junior Christian DeLeon is scheduled to
take the mound for the Huskers against New Mexico righty Sam Wolff.
