Burkamper and Schreiber Lead Huskers to 4-1 Win

Lincoln – Scott Schreiber continued to swing a hot bat at the plate and Derek Burkamper carved up Indiana’s offense in Nebraska’s (35-18, 14-8 Big Ten) series-opening 4-1 win over the Hoosiers (31-20, 15-7 Big Ten) on Thursday night at Hawks Field.

Schreiber went 2-for-4 with a triple, a three-run home run and three RBIs. Over the past three games the sophomore is hitting .786 (11-for-14) with seven runs scored, one double, one triple, five home runs, 11 RBIs and has a slugging percentage of 2.071. Schreiber homered in his third straight game on Thursday, becoming the second Husker do it this season, as Jake Placzek also produced a three-game homer stretch against Wichita State and back-to-back games against Indiana State.

Burkamper was dominant on the bump, taking a no hitter into the sixth. The junior improved to 6-2 on the year after tossing 7.1 shutout innings and allowing only two hits. Burkamper retired the Hoosiers in order four times on the night and IU put a runner in scoring position just twice against him. In 11 starts this year Burkamper has gone at least 5.0 innings nine times, including four outings of 7.0 innings of more.

Indiana starter Kyle Hart made his 58th career start on Thursday and matched Burkamper on the mound until the Husker offense broke through in the sixth on Schreiber’s three-run homer. Hart entered the game with a 10-2 record this year, tying him for third in the country in wins. The lefty went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs on three hits and no walks, while striking out five.

Nebraska’s first five batters each had a hit on the night, including two each from Schreiber and Jake Meyers. Senior Taylor Fish account for NU’s other RBI on the evening, his 16th of the season

Following a 1-2-3 top of the first from Burkamper, the Huskers had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the frame when Jake Placzek and Meyers notched back-to-back one-out singles. Hart was able to strand both runners though with consecutive groundouts from Ben Miller and Schreiber.

After giving up the back-to-back singles, Hart retied nine straight before he hit Miller with a one-out 3-1 pitch in the fourth. Hart stranded Miller at first with a strikeout and a fly out. Burkamper retired nine straight to start the game and Indiana got its first base runner in the fourth when Alex Krupa started the frame by reaching on an error and then stole second to get in scoring position. Burkamper stranded Krupa at second with a fly out and a consecutive 5-3 ground outs.

The Hoosiers got their leadoff man on for the second straight inning in the fifth when Scotty Bradley worked a leadoff walk. Burkamper came right back with a 5-4-3 double play and a fly out to quickly end the frame. The Huskers had a pair on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth following a two-out single by Boldt, but Placzek didn’t get a chance to drive them in, as Steven Reveles was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning.

Burkamper took a no-hitter into the sixth and got the first two outs of the inning before Krupa lined a 2-2 offering into right field. Burkamper went back to work and got a fly out to keep the game scoreless.

NU’s offense broke though in the bottom of the sixth on Schreiber’s fifth home run in three games. Hart retired Placzek to start the frame, but then Meyers beat out an infield single to give some life to the Husker offense. Miller followed with a single and Meyers went 1st-to-3rd to put runners on the corners. Following a lengthy mound visit from IU Pitching Coach Kyle Bunn, Hart stayed in to face Schreiber. The right-handed hitting sophomore got just enough of a 1-0 offering from Hart and went the opposite way into the wind for his 16th homer of the season, putting Nebraska ahead 3-0. Working with a lead, Burkamper sat the Hoosiers down in order in the seventh.

The Hoosiers worked a leadoff walk in the eighth and Burkamper nearly cleared the bases with a 6-4-3 double play, but Austin Cangelosi beat the ball to first. Brian Wilhite followed with Indiana’s second hit of the night and with a pair of runners on the Huskers went to senior Jeff Chesnut to face No. 9 hitter Colby Stratten. In his 90th career appearance, Chesnut needed just two pitches to get the Huskers out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play.

NU’s offense added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth and again Schreiber was the catalyst. After Miller lined out to start the frame, Schreiber blasted his first triple of the season into the right-center field gap. Fish stepped in and came through with a RBI grounded, extending NU’s lead to 4-0.

Freshman Chad Luensmann took the hill in the ninth, facing the top of NU’s lineup. Krupa nearly started the frame with a double, but Ryan Boldt made a diving catch in the left-center field gap on a ball tailing away from him. Craig Dedelow stepped in and broke up the shutout with a solo home run to left field, his fifth of the season. It was the first homer of the year given up by Luensmann, and just the third extra-base hit he’s allowed. Luensmann retired IU’s No. 3 and 4 hitters in order to seal Nebraska’s series opening win.

The Huskers Hoosiers continue their series tomorrow, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.