Huskers Win 39th Straight Home Opener, 8-2

Lincoln – For the 39th straight season the Nebraska baseball team (4-6, 0-0 Big Ten) won its home opener, as the Huskers posted a 8-2 victory over the Northern Colorado Bears (6-8, 0-0) on Tuesday afternoon at Hawks Field.

Juniors Scott Schreiber and Jake Meyers paced NU’s offense. Schreiber was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBIs, while Meyers was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Schreiber started the scoring for the Huskers with a three-run homer in the first inning. The Menasha, Wis., native now has four home runs in four career games against Northern Colorado.

Sophomore Matt Waldron notched his first win of the season, as he allowed a pair of runs and struck out four over 5.0 innings. Sophomores Robbie Palkert and Jake McSteen each tossed 2.0 shutout innings behind Waldron.

After being held without a home run through the first nine games of the season the Huskers notched their first long ball of the year in the bottom of the first. With two on and one out Schreiber blasted the first offering he saw from NC starter Justin Mulvaney to deep left-center field for a three-run homer.

Nebraska’s offense went back to work in the third and produced another three-run inning on five hits. Luis Alvarado led off with a double to center field and later scored on a single by Schreiber. Meyers followed with a single that put runners on the corners. After Mulvaney struck out Angelo Altavilla for the second out of the frame NU got consecutive two-out RBI singles from Jesse Wilkening and Alex Raburn, increasing NU’s lead to 6-0.

Waldron limited the Bears to four hits through the first four innings, but then the Bears totaled four hits in the fifth and got on the board with a pair of runs. Following consecutive singles to start the inning Wilkening made a diving catch on a bunt attempt for the first out of the frame. Evan Johnson notched NC’s third single of the inning, loading the bases with one down. Cole Maltese stepped in an worked a full count before delivering two-RBI single that cut NU’s lead to 6-2. Waldron responded with a strikeout and a lineout to strand a pair of Bears.

The Husker offense got the runs back in the bottom of the fifth, with runs scoring on a wild pitch and a failed pickoff. Schreiber led off with a walk, went 1st-to-3rd on a single by Meyers and then scored on a wild pitch. Meyers stole second, moved to third on Northern Colorado’s third error of the game and when Altavilla attempted to steal second Meyers was able to score from third, while Altavilla safely returned to first. NU had the bases loaded later in the inning following a two-out walk to Mojo Hagge, but reliever Jacob Howard left the bases loaded with an inning-ending 6-3 groundout.

The Bears had a threat in the seventh when they had the bases loaded and one out, but Palkert got a fly out and an inning-ending double play to get out of the frame without any damage.

Nebraska continues its two-game series with Northern Colorado tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m.