Huskers Win Back and Forth Battle Over Wildcats

Manhattan, Kan. – Nebraska (15-16) smashed three home runs in a wild 11-9 win over Kansas State at Tointon Family Stadium on Tuesday night.

Junior lefty Nate Fisher, who made his sixth start of the season, went 3.2 innings and allowed five runs. Andrew Abrahamowicz (1.0 inning), Mike Waldron (1.1), Byron Hood (0.2), Ethan Frazier (0.1), Mitch Steinhoff (0.0) and Jake Hohensee (2.0) each made relief appearances.

In the top of the first, Jesse Wilkening was hit-by-pitch as NU’s lone baserunner in a scoreless opening frame for the Big Red. Kansas State scored two runs in the bottom of the first when each of the first three batters reached base on singles.

Nebraska tied the game with two runs in the top of the second. The first two Huskers reached base, as Zac Repinski made it on a Wildcat error before Jaxon Hallmark walked. They each advanced on a wild pitch and both scored later in the inning. K-State retook the lead with one run in the bottom of the second.

Mojo Hagge hit a leadoff home run in the top of the third to tie the game. It was his first homer of the season and second of his career. Scott Schreiber singled in the following at-bat and stole second before Wilkening’s RBI double brought him in to give NU a 4-3 lead. Luke Roskam singled to drive in Wilkening and extend the lead to 5-3. KSU cut the lead to 5-4 with one run in the bottom of the third on one hit after a leadoff walk.

The Huskers went down in order in the top of the fourth. The Wildcats tied the game with one run in the bottom of the fourth on two hits, but left two runners stranded.

After Wilkening was hit-by-pitch in the leadoff spot in the top of the fifth, Roskam smashed his third home run of the season to give NU a 7-5 advantage. Hallmark drew a one-out walk, but got out on a fielder’s choice as Nebraska left one runner stranded. Kansas State loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but a groundout kept the Wildcats from scoring.

Schreiber singled in the top of the sixth, but remained stranded in NU’s scoreless inning. K-State scored one run on two hits in the bottom of the seventh to cut the Husker lead to 7-6.

The Huskers went down in order in the top of the seventh. KSU took the lead, 9-7, with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Wildcats had two hits and left three on base while NU committed two errors during the inning.

Gunner Hellstrom walked in the leadoff spot in the eighth before Carter Cross was hit-by-pitch. Zac Luckey hit a bunt single to load the bases. Hagge grounded into a double play, but it scored one run. Schreiber was hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wilkening annihilated a three-run home run to left field to give NU an 11-9 lead. KSU’s leadoff hitter was hit-by-pitch before three consecutive outs ended the inning.

Hallmark walked in the leadoff spot in the ninth, which marked the first time since Alex Gordon in 2005 that a Husker walked four times in a game. He stole second and third, but remained stranded. The Wildcats went down in order in the bottom of the ninth as Hohensee earned his seventh save.

The Huskers host Iowa for a three-game series this weekend at Hawks Field.