Huskers show out for season-high crowd, clinch series
LINCOLN, Neb. - It could have been the 80 degree temperatures. Perhaps it was a bobblehead giveaway and a chance to see a former Husker legend.
But whatever it was that drew 5,211 fans to Haymarket Park Friday night, it breathed life into the Nebraska baseball team and helped the Huskers clinch their second series victory of the season.
Seven different players scored a run, Matt Waldron threw 68 strikes 89 pitches and Nebraska handled Nevada 9-6 to take the second of three games in the weekend series.
Hundreds of fans converged on Hawks Field before the gates swung open to line up for Shane Komine bobbleheads, a promotion in honor of one of the most decorated pitchers in Husker history. Throwing the first pitch of a Nebraska game for the 61st time, the Hawaii native delivered a strike to the delight of the floral- and red-clad fans.
“It was just really special to have him come back,” head coach Darin Erstad said. “That was a real special moment, with the good crowd, good weather, and he’s a pretty special human being.”
Riding the energy of the season-high numbers in the crowd, the Husker bats drew loud roars as early as the first inning. A leadoff double by Mojo Hagge paved the way for two runs and a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Nevada would tie it with back-to-back solo shots in the top of the second, but Nebraska responded in a big way after the lineup turned over in the bottom frame. A bomb straight into the teeth of the jet stream in left gave Scott Schreiber his 41st career home run, tying his own head coach in the record books.
With a 4-2 lead, Waldron let one through in the top of the fifth to cut the advantage to one, but a three-spot in the bottom frame gave the Huskers significant breathing room. Timely hits from Ben Klenke and Alex Henwood scored two and put Nebraska in position to bring in a third on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 7-3.
“It’s not our first time (winning a series in two games). This year, maybe it’s the first time, but it’s not our first,” Erstad said. “Our guys are programmed to, whether you win or lose, turn it to the next day.”
The Huskers would add one more before Nevada’s rally on reliever Matt Warren in the eighth. The senior allowed two runs in a two-out rally before he was replaced by closer Jake Hohensee. Nebraska’s powerful right-hander let one in on a wild pitch, but struck out the batter on the next offering to keep the margin at two.
Nebraska added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth before Hohensee handled the ninth, giving the closer his eighth save of the year and preserving Waldron’s fifth win.
“Early on today it was fastball location and just making sure not to get too many pitches early,” Waldron said. “Just allow myself to go the distance.”
In the midst of a struggling season, the Huskers played inspired baseball on the warmest day of the year. NU goes into the final day of a series with a weekend win for the first time since April of last year. Thursday and Friday were the Huskers’ first back-to-back wins since a doubleheader against Cal Poly on March 10.
Nebraska will look for its first series sweep of the season Saturday in the finale against Nevada. Komine will be back at the ballpark signing autographs before first pitch at 12:05 p.m.