Nebraska bounces back with Game 3 win over Sam Houston

The Nebraska baseball team (1-2) got its first win of the 2022 season with a 12-9 victory over Sam Houston (2-1). The Huskers bounced back from two straight losses to the Bearkats at the beginning of the four-game series.

The Big Red got things going quickly with three straight hits to start the game. A sac fly, a double and a Bearkat error gave NU a 4-0 lead after just one inning.

Dawson McCarville got his first start as a Husker, and in his first inning, he had two outs in four pitches. On his fifth pitch, Nebraska made a fielding error and Sam Houston followed that with two doubles making it 4-2. McCarville got out of the inning with no further damage.

The Husker offense bounced right back and got five of their own in the second inning. The Big Red loaded the bases and Brice Matthews drove in a pair of runs with a double to left center field. A bases-loaded walk and a fielding error from the Bearkats gave NU a 9-2 lead heading into the third inning.

After giving up one more run, McCarville ended his day after four innings. The grad transfer gave up three runs on five hits and struck out three. Texas A&M transfer Mason Ornelas made his Husker debut, taking over for McCarville. The junior pitched three scoreless innings.

Nebraska looked like they were cruising to their first win, leading 11-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, but after Ornelas allowed a run and left the bases loaded, CJ Hood came in to try and clean up the damage. Sam Houston cleared the bases, but Hood managed to keep it at just the four runs allowed.

Now leading 12-7, Jake Bunz came into the game to close things out. The junior threw just six pitches before exiting with an apparent elbow injury. Drew Christo took over and faced two batters. He hit one and gave up a home run to the other, bringing the game within three. Colby Gomes was brought to the mound to finish things, and he did just that.

After a closer finish than the Big Red would have hoped, they escaped with a 12-9 win, and are now in the win column with a chance to split the four-game series.

The Husker bats heated up in this one. From the start the Big Red found a way to put the ball into play. In the first inning Leighton Banjoff led off with a double, and Luke Jessen and Brice Matthews followed up with base hits. A sac fly and a double gave Nebraska a 4-0 lead in the first.

The second inning was even bigger for the Huskers and a bases-loaded walk drove in the first run. Matthews then hit a double to drive in two more, and an error in the field from Sam Houston brought in another two.

A couple more hits were strung together in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings where NU scored one in each.

After two cold games from the offense, this looked like a new team from the batter's box.

Although the game got close near the end, the Big Red pitchers had a solid showing. Dawson McCarville gave up three runs, only one of which was earned. The GCU transfer struck out three and gave up five hits in four full innings.

Mason Ornelas was dealing in his first three innings pitched. The junior allowed just one hit and one walk. However, he was brought back in for a fourth where he couldn't get an out and was charged with two earned runs against.

CJ Hood pitched one clean inning after Ornelas, giving up just one hit and striking out one.

Things went South in the later innings when Jake Bunz left injured and Drew Christo allowed two runs. However, Colby Gomes was able to clean up and looked like the closer the Huskers will likely rely on this season.

NU will close out the four-game series against Sam Houston tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. where they can split with a win.

The game is not available to stream on video, but is available to be heard on Huskers Sports Network.