Huskers Hit Three Home Runs in 13-2 Win Over Omaha

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team (24-15-1, 7-4-1 Big Ten) hit a season-high three home runs in a 13-2 victory on Tuesday night at Hawks Field, including a grand slam from senior Jake Schleppenbach. Luke Roskam and Scott Schreiber also homered in the Huskers’ win over the Omaha Mavericks (10-29, 7-11 Summit). The win was also the 200th victory at Nebraska for Head Coach Darin Erstad, who became the fifth coach in program history to reach the milestone.

The Huskers took both games from the Mavericks this season and have now won 10 straight in the series.

Roskam hit the Huskers’ first home run of the night when he blasted a three-run shot in the fourth inning. The Chaska, Minn., native later added a RBI single in the sixth, giving him a career-high four RBIs on the night. Schreiber went opposite field for a two-run homer in the fifth and later in the frame Schleppenbach blew the game wide open with a no-doubt grand slam down the right-field line. The four RBIs were a career-high for Schleppenbach, his previous career high was two in 12 different games. It was the first grand slam by a Husker since last season when Steven Reveles hit one at Indiana State on March 22.

16 different Huskers recorded an at-bat on the night, including Ben Klenke and Alex Henwood, who each picked up their first Husker hits. Klenke singled in the sixth and Henwood notched a RBI double in the seventh.

On the mound, Ethan Frazier went 4.0-shutout innings in his second career start and picked up his first win as a Husker. It was a career-long outing for the sophomore, topping his 2.1 innings at Omaha earlier this month. The Lee’s Summit, Mo., native gave up four hits and one walk, while striking out two.

Omaha starter Corey Binger only pitched the first, giving up one run on one hit and one walk. Four relievers worked behind Binger, and three of the four allowed three runs or more.

The Huskers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Jake Meyers led off with a single, stole his 16th base of the season, took third on a wild pitch and then scored on a RBI groundout off the bat of Angelo Altavilla.

Both teams were scoreless in the second and third innings, then after Frazier put up another shutout frame in the fourth the Huskers extended their lead to 4-0. Reliever Shane Meltz walked Ben Miller to start the bottom of the fourth and then hit Schreiber. Roskam stepped in and blasted a 1-1 offering to right-center field for his third home run of the season, and his second home run in the last three games.

Jake McSteen took over on the mound in the top of the fifth and the sophomore made quick work of the Mavs with a 1-2-3 inning. The Husker offense then posted a seven-run bottom of the fifth. Meyers worked a leadoff walk and then stole his second bag of the game. After reliever Grand Suponchick got a fly out, Miller picked up his 20th RBI of the season with a single to right field. Schreiber then hit two-run home run, his fourth of the season, and Suponchick followed with consecutive walks to Roskam and Luis Alvarado. James Smith took the mound and gave up a single to Klenke, loading the bases with one down. Smith struck out Wilkening but then left a 1-2 over the plate and Schleppenbach hammered it over the visitor’s bullpen in right field for a grand slam, his third home run of the season.

The Mavs came back and cracked the scoreboard in the sixth, cashing in a leadoff double. Ryan Cate led off with his team-high 12th double of the year and then scored on a RBI single from Suponchick. McSteen retired the next two Mavs before Robbie Palkert took over and got the third out of the inning.

Nebraska got the run back in the bottom half of the sixth, as it plated a leadoff double. Altavilla started the frame with his 10th double of the season and later scored on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Roskam, his fourth RBI of the game. Henwood then plated a run in the seventh with a RBI double, making it 13-1 Huskers.

Omaha was able to scratch across one more run in the ninth and on a pair of hits. The Mavs matched the Huskers in the hit column on the night, 10-10, but were unable to put hits together as they never had more than two hits in an inning.

The Huskers start the second half of their Big Ten schedule this weekend with a three-game series at Ohio State. The series opens on Friday night in Columbus at 5:35 p.m. (CT).