Iowa Tops Huskers with Three-Run Seventh

Iowa City, Iowa – Mike McQuillan’s two-run seventh-inning single broke a two-all tie, as Iowa scored three times to top Nebraska, 5-2, Tuesday evening.

McQuillan, who went 2-for-4 on the night, came up with the game’s big hit, a two-run bases-loaded single off of reliever Jordan Roualdes, as Iowa (17-22) took the lead for good. Ryan Durant, who also had two hits, extended the Hawkeye lead with an RBI single, as Iowa had three of its nine hits in the inning.

The Huskers (19-22) threatened in the ninth against Iowa closer Kevin Lee and got the tying run to the plate with one out. Bryan Peters started the rally as he was hit by a pitch before Cade Thompson’s single put runners on first and second. Lee got pinch hitter Boomer Collins to foul out for the second out before DJ Belfonte nearly provided a dramatic moment of his own. The senior just missed a game-tying homer, as his liner just hooked foul before Lee got him to pop out to second on a 3-2 pitch to finish off his eighth save.

Adam Bailey and DJ Belfonte had two hits apiece for Nebraska, which managed just seven hits on the night. Bailey and Peters combined for the two RBIs, as Nebraska lost to Iowa for the first time since 2007.  Nebraska wasted a solid pitching performance by committing a season-high four errors, including a pair of third-inning miscues that led directly to Iowa’s first two runs.

“It was disappointing,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “They outplayed us, and I thought we were really, really sluggish. We had some errors and some mental breakdowns that can’t happen. We were not mentally strong tonight. Some of the sluggishness was because of the travel and everything else, but we didn’t come out very fresh tonight.”

Iowa took advantage of a pair of Husker defensive lapses to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. After a leadoff double by Trevor Willis, Kurt Lee’s sacrifice was bunted back to NU starter Khris Tate, whose throw was misplayed by Cody Asche. The miscue scored Willis and allowed Lee to reach second. Kurt Muller than laid down a bunt which Tate threw wide of first, allowing Lee to score with the second run of the inning.

The Huskers chipped away at the Iowa lead, pushing across single runs in both the fourth and fifth against left-hander Matt Dermody, who allowed two runs while pitching into the sixth. Bailey opened the fourth with a single before Chad Christensen’s one-out single put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Peters plated NU’s first run with a double down the third base line to score Bailey. 

Nebraska got the equalizer one inning later on Bailey’s two-out RBI double. Belfonte started the rally with a double to left center and the made a heads-up play after Kyle Bubak grounded out, as he moved to third while the Iowa infield huddled up without calling time. Bailey then lined a 2-1 pitch into the gap in left center for his 52nd RBI of the season.

Iowa finally broke through in the seventh, taking advantage of three walks after three Husker pitchers had combined to issue one free pass - an intentional walk in the sixth that led to a double play - through the first six frames. 

Lee started the rally with a one-out walk off of reliever Luke Bublitz before Muller’s double to right put runners on second and third. NU intentionally walked Zach McCool to load the bases and brought in Roualdes to face the left-handed hitting McQuillan. The Husker reliever fell behind before McQuillan lined a 3-1 pitch into right for the go-ahead hit. Sean Yost came in try and get NU out of trouble, but Durant made it a three-run game with a RBI single to right.

Zach Robertson pitched 1.2 scoreless innings for the win, as three Iowa relievers tossed 3.2 innings of one-hit relief. Bublitz, the fourth of six pitchers used by the Huskers, allowed three runs on one hit, as he walked three en route to his first loss of the season.

“In the fourth and fifth, we were in the game and felt like we had a chance, but we didn’t swing it well,” Anderson said. “You have to give Iowa credit tonight.”

The Huskers will begin a three-game series with Texas A&M Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for all three games are available on Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.