Bolin's Walk-Off Single Lifts Huskers in Extra-Inning Thriller

Robby Bolin came through in the clutch, hitting a walk-off RBI single to give the Huskers a 5-4 win in 10 innings against Michigan State at the Big Ten Baseball Tournament on Tuesday night in Omaha.

Nebraska (29-27) scored five runs on 12 hits and an error, while Michigan State (28-26) totaled four runs, seven hits and two errors.

Case Sanderson was 3-for-5 with two RBI, and Cayden Brumbaugh went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Bolin drove in one run and scored once on a 2-for-4 night, while Riley Silva, Gabe Swansen and Will Jesske had one hit each.

Ty Horn allowed three runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks in two innings of work. Tucker Timmerman tossed three innings in relief, allowing an unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Drew Christo dealt 1.2 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed.

Luke Broderick improved to 4-2 on the season after pitching 3.1 shutout frames. The junior struck out a pair of Spartans and allowed just two hits.

The Huskers and Spartans exchanged runs in the opening frame to send a 1-1 game into the second inning.  A leadoff single and sacrifice bunt had a runner on second with one out in the top of the first for Michigan State. The Spartan plated the game’s first run of the night with an RBI double that was lined to the wall in right-center field.

Nebraska evened the game at one behind a pair of hits in the bottom of the first. Silva drilled a 1-2 pitch in the alley in left-center field, while Brumbaugh had a single ricochet off the bag at first to put runners on first and third with one out for the Big Red.

Swansen lifted a 1-2 pitch to right field for a sacrifice fly that scored Silva and locked the game at one.

Michigan State scored two runs without a hit or an error in the top of the second to take the lead back at 3-1. Three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases for the Spartans, while a balk gave MSU a one-run lead. An RBI groundout to second after the balk doubled the lead to 3-1 through two innings.

The Spartans added a run in the top of the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-1. A leadoff and a plunked batter with two outs had runners on first and second, before an infield single loaded the bases for MSU. An errant throw on a pickoff attempt at second allowed the runner on third to trot on home to stretch the lead to three.

Nebraska plated two runs with three hits and an error in the bottom of the sixth to climb back within 4-3. Consecutive singles from Brumbaugh and Swansen had runners on first and second with one out, while a wild relay throw advanced the duo to second and third.

Sanderson ripped an 0-1 pitch to center field for a two-RBI single to score Brumbaugh and Swansen and make it a 4-3 game after six innings.

Bolin led off the bottom of the ninth with a bunt single, before a sacrifice bunt laid down by Rhett Stokes moved the junior to second with one out. Joshua Overbeek lifted a two-out flyball to right field for what appeared to be the final out of the game, but a dropped ball allowed Bolin to score from second and tie the game at four.

Broderick retired the Spartans in order in the top of the 10th, setting up NU’s walk-off heroics in the bottom of the inning. Carey began the inning with a single through the left side and stole second base to put the go-ahead run at second with one out.

Consecutive swinging strikeouts had the Big Red down to their final out, before Bolin smacked the first pitch to center field for a walk-off single to give the Huskers a 5-4 win in 10 innings on Tuesday night.

Nebraska continues play in the Big Ten Tournament with a matchup on Friday night against top-seeded Oregon. First pitch between the Huskers and Ducks is set for 6 p.m. on BTN at Charles Schwab Field.