19th-ranked Iowa sweeps Huskers
Headley | Boldt |
With nine games left on the Big Ten schedule for the Huskers (30-16, 6-9 Big Ten), they sit in seventh place in the conference after Sunday.
The Hawkeyes(30-11, 13-2 Big Ten) started Tyler Peyton, who was scheduled to start Friday night's series opener before it got postponed, and he went 8.1 innings to improve to 5-3 on the year. The junior right-hander allowed one run on eight hits, while walking none and striking out nine.
Nebraska will be back in action Tuesday night for their final nonconference game of the season when they travel to TD Ameritrade Park for a 6:05 p.m. game against Creighton.
Muscatine, Iowa, native Derek Burkamper started for the Huskers, but didn't make it out of the fifth inning. The sophomore gave up a five runs (four earned) on a career-high 10 hits. The right hander didn't walk a batter and struck out four. Jake Meyers and Colton Howell combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings down the stretch, but NU's offense was unable to crack Peyton.
The Huskers mounted a threat in the top of the ninth, as they had the bases loaded with two outs and Elijah Dilday at the plate as the game-tying run, but Nick Hibbing got a strikeout to finish the win and pick up his fourth save of the season.
The Hawkeyes scored first in the second when they plated a run on three singles. They then pushed their lead to 2-0 in the third with an unearned run. Dan Potempa moved to third base on a passed ball and scored on a RBI groundout by Nick Roscetti.
Iowa picked up at least a run for the third straight inning in the fourth with two runs on one hit. Burkamper hit Eric Schench-Joblinske with one out and Eric Toole made it hurt with a RBI triple. Toole then scored on a RBI ground out from Jake Mangler to push UI's lead to 4-0. Iowa extended its lead to 5-0 in the fourth with a run on three singles.
Nebraska broke into the scoring column in the sixth, starting with a leadoff single from Ryan Boldt. Peyton came back and retired two straight Huskers and was in position to keep his shutout through six, but Blake Headley delivered his 16th double of the season to drive in Boldt and cut UI's lead to 5-1.
The Huskers went down in order in the seventh and eighth before threatening in the ninth.
R H E ------------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 000 001 000 - 1 9 0 Iowa ............... 011 210 00x - 5 13 0 -------------------------------------------
Kubat | Christensen |
The Huskers jumped out a 2-0 lead after the top of the third but then were held scoreless the rest of the game on three hits.
For the sixth straight starter Kyle Kubat was unable to pick up his 20th career win, as he didn't factor into the decision. Kubat went 7.1 innings for the Huskers, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks.
The Huskers took their first lead of the series in the second when Blake Headley led off the inning and cruised into second base on an by John Barrett in left field. Tanner Lubach then moved Headley to third base with a sacrifice bunt and the moved paid off when Austin Darby followed with a deep sacrifice fly to right field that took Joel Booker to the warning track.
Nebraska extended its lead to 2-0 in the second, with the run again scoring on a sacrifice fly. Ben Miller notched his 33rd RBI of the season with a fly ball to left field that easily scored Wes Edrington from third base, who walked to start the inning.
Kubat kept the Hawkeyes scoreless through the first five innings, but couldn't hang a zero in the sixth. Facing the top of UI's lineup, Eric Toole started the frame with a single and then scored on a triple to left center off the bat of Jake Mangler. Following a groundout to Kubat for the first out of the inning that kept Mangler at third, the Hawkeyes had runners on the corners when Kris Goodman walked. Kubat's defense stepped and turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Dan Potempa to keep the Huskers in front, 2-1.
Kubat then sat the Hawkeyes down in order in the seventh, but Kubat was quickly in trouble in the eighth when No. 9 hitter Joel Booker led off the frame with a triple. Four pitches later Eric Toole lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that was deep enough to score the tying run. With one down, the Huskers brought in reliever Jeff Chesnut and Mangler welcomed him with a double. Chesnut got Grant Klenovich to foul out for the second out of the inning, but he then loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Without nowhere to put Nick Roscetti, Chesnut got the UI shortstop to ground out 6-3 to end the inning, but not before Iowa tied the game, 2-2.
After the Huskers stranded a two-out single in the ninth, the Hawkeyes had a chance to win the game. Chesnut retired the first two batters he faced, but then Booker and Toole delivered singles that put Booker in scoring position at second base. Mangler came through with UI's third straight single, but on the play Darby threw out Booker at the plate to send the game to extra innings.
Reliever Nick Hibbing sat down the Huskers down in order in the top of the 10th, setting the stage for the Hawkeyes to win the game in the bottom of the inning.
R H E ------------------------------------------- Nebraska.......... 011 000 000 0 - 2 5 0 Iowa ............. 000 001 010 1 - 3 13 1 -------------------------------------------