Nebraska scored six unanswered runs and shut out Iowa over the last five innings to come away with a 7-4 victory over the Hawkeyes on Friday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska (26-13, 9-4 B1G) totaled seven runs on eight hits with an error, while Iowa (23-16, 9-7 B1G) tallied four runs, nine hits and two errors.
Riley Silva reached in four of his five plate appearances, extending his on-base streak to 14 games. Tyler Stone finished 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in the fifth inning, his third straight game with a homer. Joshua Overbeek added a pair of hits for the Huskers, while Cole Evans and Josh Caron each recorded a double.
Brett Sears took the no-decision to remain 7-0 on the season but saw his streak of nine consecutive quality starts come to an end. The Westphalia, Iowa, native allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits across five innings while striking out four Hawkeyes and issuing a lone walk.
Kyle Froehlich improved to 1-1 and tied a season-high with two shutdown innings, retiring all six batters faced. Jalen Worthley tallied his eighth multi-inning relief appearance this season with a scoreless eighth and ninth frame to earn his team-high tying fourth save for the Huskers.
Iowa struck for a trio of runs in the opening frame, leading off the ballgame with a single, before consecutive RBI hits gave them a 2-0 lead. The Hawkeyes capped off a three-run first inning with an RBI double down the left-field line to put the Huskers in a hole early.
Sears responded, however, by retiring six of the next eight Hawkeye batters across the second and third innings to keep the deficit at three runs.
Consecutive singles from Carey and Overbeek to begin the bottom half of the third, followed by Silva’s one-out walk loaded the bases for the Huskers. NU got one back, as Columbus drew a full-count walk to score a run and cut the Iowa lead to 3-1.
The Hawkeyes immediately answered with three straight singles to push the lead to 4-1. Sears then set down five of the next six batters over the next two innings to keep the Huskers within striking distance.
Brumbaugh drew a one-out free pass in the bottom of the fifth inning, and subsequently stole second, his 11th of the season. The next at-bat, Silva slapped a 2-2 pitch into right field, however Brumbaugh was thrown out at the plate trying to score.
With Silva at second after advancing on the throw, Columbus was plunked to put a pair of runners on for the Big Red. Stone then lifted a 342-foot home run into the visitors’ bullpen to tie the game at four and give the lefty a homer in three straight games.
Out of the bullpen, Froehlich tossed a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to keep the game deadlocked at four heading into the Huskers’ half of the seventh frame.
Following a strikeout, Josh Caron reached on a fielding error by the Hawkeyes' outfielder, putting a runner on second base with just one out. The error set the table for Evans’ go-ahead RBI double to put Nebraska in front 5-4 after seven innings.
NU added two more runs in the eighth inning, as Silva plated Brumbaugh, who reached on a fielder’s choice, on an RBI double to the right-field gap. Silva then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a double steal to give the Huskers a 7-4 lead entering the ninth inning.
Worthley slammed the door with a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to give NU its third win in its last five games.
Nebraska and Iowa continue the weekend series tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Saturday’s matchup can be seen on Big Ten Network, while fans can listen to Dave Gustafson and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.