Huskers Open Doubleheader with Walk-Off Homer

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team and the Loyola Marymount Lions entered the ninth inning tied 4-4, and after Byron Hood retired his ninth straight batter the Husker offense went to work. Two batters into the bottom of the ninth the Huskers were celebrating at home plate, as Elijah Dilday open the frame with a triple to left-center field and No. 9 hitter Steven Reveles followed with a walk-off home run to left field for a 6-4 series opening win for the Huskers.

Nebraska took a 1-0 lead in the first, but then never led the the rest of the game until Reveles’ game winner.

The walk-off was made possible by a strong relief outing from Hood, a redshirt freshman. In his second career appearance the Roca, Neb., native retired all nine batters he faced and earned his first career win.

Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. In his fourth career start Colton Howell went a career-high 6.0 innings, but gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks.

LMU’s J.D. Busfield entered the game with 20 strikeouts and just one walk, and the right hander lived up to his stat line with seven strikeouts and no walks over 7.0 innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on seven hits and left the game with a 4-3 lead.

Nebraska took the lead in the first when Jake Placzek, who doubled earlier in the inning, scored on a two-out passed ball. NU quickly had another man 90 feet from home when Jake Meyers tripled down the right-field line, but Busfield limited to damage to one run with a fly out off the bat of Taylor Fish.

The lead didn’t last long, as the Lions hung two on the board in the second on two hits and two walks. After retiring the first batter, Howell issued back-to-back walks and No. 9 hitter Niko Decolati made Howell pay with a RBI single. Spencer Erdman later added a two-out RBI single, and he was the last batter of the frame as NU cut Austin Miller down at the plate.

The Lions added to their lead in the fourth and fifth innings with a run in each. LMU started both frames with a hit and were able to convert it into a run.

Nebraska cut into LMU’s lead in the seventh with a pair of runs on a two-out single by Ryan Boldt. Jesse Wilkening started the inning by reaching on an error by Erdman at second base and it proved costly. The inning should have been over after Reveles grounded out, but instead Boldt came up with two runners in scoring position and picked up two RBIs with a single to left field. With the tying run on base, Busfield got Placzek to ground out, keeping LMU in front, 4-3.

The Huskers loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and were only able to convert it into one run, but it was enough to tie the game, 4-4.

Hood continued to dominate on the mound and in the bottom of the ninth Reveles launched his second home run of the season.

Game two of today’s doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5:10 p.m.