Huskers Overpower Cougars, 10-1

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team (7-8, 0-0 Big Ten) put on an impressive offensive performance on Friday with a 10-1 series-opening victory over the College of Charleston Cougars (8-10, 0-0 CAA).

The Husker offense totaled 13 hits on the day, including five doubles and a home run. Scott Schreiber led the way by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one home run and four RBIs. Schreiber was joined in the double category by Angelo Altavilla, Luis Alvarado and Jesse Wilkening.

Alvarado notched his team-high seventh double of the season to set a career high after he hit six as a freshman and five last season as a sophomore.

The offensive showing backed up a strong outing on the mound from junior Jake Hohensee, who picked up his first win of the season. After going a then-career high 6.0 innings last week against Western Carolina, Hohensee topped the mark on Friday with 6.2 innings in his fourth start of the season. Hohensee allowed one run on four hits and matched a season high with four strikeouts.

Hohensee allowed the first two Cougars of the game to reach base, but then didn’t allow two runners on again until there were two outs in the fifth. The Lincoln native sat the Cougars down in order three times on the day.

After going down in order in the first, the Huskers put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second on three doubles. Schreiber led off with his fourth double of the season and following a fly out the Huskers took 1-0 lead on a RBI double by Alvarado. Two pitches later Wilkening doubled to center field, give the Huskers a 2-0 lead.

Hohensee put the Cougars down in order for the second straight inning in the third and NU’s offense went back to work. With two down Meyers beat out an infield single and then Schreiber put two more runs on the board with one swing of the bat, as he blasted a 1-1 offering from Charleston starter Jakob Frishmuth over the center field wall for his second home run of the season. Frishmuth last 3.2 innings in the start and allowed eight runs on eight hits.

Hohensee retired his eighth straight Cougar to start the fourth before Logan McRae broke up the shutout with a solo home run to right field. Hohensee went right back to work and retired consecutive Cougars to keep the Huskers on top 4-1.

NU’s offense got the run back in the bottom of the fourth and added four more to blow the game open, building a 9-1 lead. Nebraska plated four of its five runs with two outs in the frame, with two runs scoring on a single by Meyers and two more on Schreiber’s second double of the game.

After Hohensee hung a zero in the top of the fifth, the Huskers scored plated a one run for the fourth straight inning. Alvarado led off with his third hit of the game and two batters later he was at third on a single by Jake Schleppenbach. Alex Raburn followed with a RBI groundout, increasing NU’s lead to 10-1.

The Huskers went down in order in the seventh and eighth, but no more offense was needed as Matt Waldron and Connor Curry combined to throw 2.1 scoreless frames behind Hohensee to finish off the victory.

The Huskers and Cougars continue their three-game series tomorrow at 2:05 p.m.