Huskers Sweep Doubleheader, Clinch Series with Northwestern

Nebraska swept Saturday’s doubleheader vs. Northwestern with a 5-2 win in the series finale at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (19-21, 7-11 Big Ten) scored five runs on nine hits and an error, while Northwestern (17-20, 8-10 Big Ten) totaled two runs, six hits and two errors.

Max Buettenback, Gabe Swansen and Robby Bolin tallied two-hit performances, while Case Sanderson, Joshua Overbeek and Will Jesske had one hit apiece.

Jackson Brockett moved to 1-3 on the season after dealing five shutout frames. The senior surrendered just two hits and struck out five with one walk. Jalen Worthley gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits across a pair of innings. Pryce Bender and Caleb Clark combined to deal 1.1 scoreless frames, while Luke Broderick picked up the final two outs to collect his ninth save of the season.

Brockett worked around a double in the first and second innings and retired the Wildcats in order in the top of the third to keep Northwestern off the board through three innings.

Nebraska plated the game’s first run with a pair of hits in the bottom of the third. Jesske began the inning with an infield single, before a wild pitch and a groundout moved the sophomore to third with two outs. A second wild pitch in the inning allowed Jesske to score from third and break the scoreless tie.

The Huskers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to grow the lead to 3-0. Bolin reached second on a bunt single and throwing error, while Dylan Carey laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Bolin to third.

Overbeek lined an RBI double down the left-field line to score Bolin, while Sanderson’s first-pitch RBI single through the right side plated Overbeek from second to give Nebraska its three-run lead.

Back-to-back one-out singles from Swansen and Bolin had runners on first and third for the NU offense in the bottom of the fifth. A double steal of second and home stretched the lead to four for the Big Red.

The Wildcats capitalized on an NU error in the top of the seventh to climb back within 4-1. A leadoff error, followed by an RBI double down the left-field line later in the inning with two outs allowed Northwestern to score its first run of the series finale.

The Huskers answered immediately with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead back to four at 5-1. Silva entered the game as a pinch-runner after Buettenback’s leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. The senior took third on Tyler Stone’s flyout to center, before jogging home on Swansen’s sacrifice fly to right field.

Northwestern made it a three-run game again in the top of the eighth with a solo homer to right field.

The Wildcats brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth inning after a pair of one-out singles had runners on first and second. Broderick entered the game and struck out the next to Northwestern hitters to clinch the series win for the Huskers on Saturday.

Nebraska welcomes Kansas to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch between the Huskers and Jayhawks is set for 6:02 p.m. on B1G+.