Huskers offense decimates Cal Poly pitching in 22-3 win
The Huskers (8-6) made quick work of Cal Poly (6-9) in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in a 22-3 win.
Nebraska came out with their foot on the gas pedal and never let up. Sophomore left-fielder Mojo Hagge led off the game by reaching first and sophomore Zac Repinski and junior third baseman Angelo Altavilla followed that up with back-to-back RBI doubles. Junior designated hitter Jesse Wilkening was able to reach on a fielder’s choice and Altavilla was able to plate another one. Sophomore utility Luke Roskam followed that up with a RBI double to right-center field.
NU didn’t let up in the second inning as junior second baseman Alex Henwood reached base on a fielding error. After a single and a walk, Altavilla singled to right field and drove in another two runs. Husker center-fielder Ben Klenke got in on the action as he cracked a two-RBI double down the left field line. Nebraska totaled another five runs in the second inning.
Cal Poly didn’t have a problem hitting the ball today as they still tallied 15 hits, but NU junior pitcher Nate Fisher kept calm under pressure and got the Huskers out of a couple early jams.
“It was definitely something to build off of,” Fisher said. “I didn’t like being in the holes I was, but being able to pitch was something to build off of.”
He finished his day with 5 IP, three walks, four strikeouts and allowed eight hits in 94 pitches. It’s his first win of the season and the second win of his career. His other win was against Cal Poly on March 25, 2017.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today,” Fisher said. “I tried to trust the defense and find a way to get outs and compete.”
Things went quiet for a couple innings and then the sixth inning came. NU turned it up to a completely new level. The Huskers only recorded five hits during the inning, but they had a total of 13 runs scored. The Cal Poly pitching stuff tried, but couldn’t come up with a way to end the inning. They used four different pitchers throughout the inning and walked seven NU batters.
This was one of the best things that could have happened for Nebraska because the offense has been inconsistent. Guys like Altavilla (.208), Schreiber (.260), and Roskam(.204) have been off to a slow start this season, but they all got a hit in today’s game. There were 11 different Huskers that recorded hits and the team had a season-high 17 hits in the contest.
Nebraska had only tallied double-digit runs in one game this year and that was in its 10-inning game with Wichita State. It’s the largest win margin for the Huskers in six years. We’ll see if the offensive explosion can carry over into game two of the doubleheader.
The Huskers will be back in action at 4:35 p.m. and graduate transfer pitcher Matt Warren will get the start.
“That was great for us. The bats came out hot and set the tone for the day. It was a good win for the team,” Fisher said.