Huskers Grind Out 4-2 Win Over Creighton

Omaha, Neb. – A late-inning rally for the fourth straight game propelled the Nebraska baseball team (20-13, 4-2 Big Ten) to a 4-2 victory over the Creighton Bluejays on Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park.

Nebraska scored three runs in the top of the eighth to take a 4-2 lead, while Austin Christensen and Zach Hirsch combined to throw 5.0 innings of scoreless relief down the stretch, allowing just two hits while striking out four Jays.

With just two hits through the first 7.0 innings, Nebraska’s bats came alive in the eighth and scored three runs on three singles. Following a walk to Pat Kelly and a single by Ryan Boldt that put runners on first and second, Associate Head Coach Will Bolt dialed up a hit-and-run with Taylor Fish at the plate. The sophomore catcher did his job with a single into left field that scored Kelly to tie the game, 2-2. Freshman Ben Miller then softly grounded out to first, but both runners moved into scoring position on the play, setting the table for Jake Placzek to deliver a two-RBI single into center field that put NU up 4-2.

Placzek also delivered the game winner against Creighton in Lincoln earlier in the season, coming through with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th.

Nebraska started the year by going 0-11 when it trailed after 7.0 innings, but over NU’s last four games the Huskers are 3-0 when they trail after the seventh.

Creighton took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out solo shot by Jake Peter into the right-field seats. It was the juniors second homer of the year and the fourth of the season by any player at TD Ameritrade Park. The Jays pushed their lead to 2-0 in the second, Reagan Fowler led off with a triple and scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly.

NU starter Jake Hohensee worked his way out of a pair of jams in both the third and fourth innings. Creighton got a pair of leadoff singles in the third, but was unable to score, and was then shutout in the fourth after putting runners on first and second with one out.

Creighton starter Jeff Albrecht stumped the Huskers for the first five innings of the game. The freshman didn’t allow a hit until there was one-out in the third and didn’t let any of his three walks score.

Albrecht got the first out of the sixth and then his night came to a close when Michael Pritchard lined Albrecht’s 94th pitch of the game back up the middle for the Huskers second hit of the game. Will Bamesberger took the mound and got the second out of the inning before issuing three straight free passes that forced in Pritchard, cutting Creighton’s lead to 2-1. Max Ising came in with the bases loaded and two outs, with Placzek at the plate. The Husker sophomore nearly knocked a base hit into left field, but Creighton shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald made a nice backhand play and fired across the diamond to get Placzek, likely saving two runs.

Nebraska will be back at Hawks Field tomorrow night when it hosts Kansas State at 5 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for March 4, but was postponed due to weather. The game will be video streamed live on HuskersNside (subscription required), while Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle will have the call on the Husker Sports Network.