Huskers Win 7-3, Take Series From Wichita State

Lincoln – After dropping the series opener on Friday, the Nebraska baseball team (11-7, 0-0 Big Ten) responded with a pair of wins over the Wichita State Shockers (6-13, 0-0 MVC) to take the series. Following a 4-0 shutout on Saturday the Huskers took the rubber match on Sunday, 7-3.

Freshman Matt Waldron improved to 3-1 on the year and went a season-high 6.2 innings for the second straight weekend. Waldron gave up three hits over the first two innings, but then didn’t allow another hit until the seventh. He left the game with a 7-0 lead and two outs in the seventh. Chesnut came in with two runners on the got the final out of the frame.

A product of Omaha Westside High School, Waldron hasn’t given up a run in his last two starts, while also striking out five and walking one in each of his three starts this season.

After Waldron stranded a pair of runners in the first, the NU offense got him some run support. Two batters into the bottom of the first NU had a 1-0 lead after Jake Placzek notched his third home run of the season with a solo shot to left field. Later in the inning WSU starter Clayton McGinness hit Scott Schreiber with two outs and the Huskers took advantage of the free pass when Jake Meyers blasted his fourth triple of the season off the wall in left-center field to put NU up 2-0.

The Shockers had their first two batters on in the top of the second, but Waldron quickly ended the threat with a double play ball and a line out. Following the leadoff hit by Greyson Jenista in the second, Waldron didn’t allow another hit until the seventh when Alec Bohm started the inning with a single.

NU’s offense went back to work in the third and gave Waldron a 6-0 cushion with four runs on four hits. Placzek opened the frame with his second hit of the game, a double, Ben Miller followed with a single and then a walk to Schreiber loaded the bases with no out. Following the walk, WSU went to reliever Cody Tyler and Meyers welcomed the left hander with a sacrifice fly that scored Placzek. Following a fly out by Taylor Fish, Luis Alvarado and Jake Schleppenbach came through with back-to-back two-out singles that plated a total of three runs.

Working with a 6-0 lead, Waldron struck out the first two WSU batters in the fourth and then got a 6-3 groundout for a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the sixth from Waldron that included two strikeouts, Ryan Boldt started the bottom of the frame with a moon shot to right field. Boldt’s second homer of the year cleared both fences and left Hawks Field.

Coasting with a 7-0 lead, the Huskers pitching staff struggled in the eighth. Max Knutson took the mound and walked the bases loaded before getting a fly out, but it was deep enough to score WSU’s first run of the game. Knutson then loaded the bases again with his fourth walk of the inning and NU went to sophomore Garrett King. The right hander struck out Bohm, but then gave up a two-RBI single to Jenista. King came back and struck out Bret Fehr looking to keep NU on top by four runs, 7-3.

King finished the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, including two more strikeouts.

Nebraska now hits the road for a weeklong trip to the state of Indiana. The Huskers will first visit Terre Haute for a pair of games on Tuesday and Wednesday against Indiana State. NU will then head north to West Lafayette, where they will open Big Ten play on Friday, March 25, with a three-game series at Purdue.