Nebraska completes sweep of Ohio State with Sunday rout
The Nebraska baseball team (12-14, 4-2 Big Ten) completed the sweep of Ohio State (8-16, 0-4 Big Ten) with a 17-5 rout on Sunday. Scoring in five of the nine innings led the Huskers to their biggest win thus far in 2022.
For the third time this weekend, the Big Red offense started quickly and in the top of the first inning, Nick Wimmers drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single. Dawson McCarville then got the go ahead on the mound for NU in his seventh start of the season. The grad-transfer struggled from the jump and walked the first batter. Three singles later in the inning put the Buckeyes up 3-2.
That OSU lead lasted until the top of the fourth inning when Nebraska's offense found another spark. The Huskers manufactured a run to get Brice Matthews around the base paths, and then with two outs a couple of hits scored two more.
Now leading 5-3, the offense didn't stop. In the next inning, a pair of singles with runner on base scored two more and gave NU their biggest lead of the day.
Jaxon Jelkin took over on the mound in the fifth and worked two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. The Big Red padded the lead once again in the top seventh inning with 3 combined RBI's from Max Anderson and Garrett Anglim.
Mason Ornelas took to the mound in the bottom of the seventh and allowed two runs on three hits, making the score 10-5 with one to play.
Nebraska left no doubt in this game however, blowing it open in the ninth inning with three runs on four hits that loaded the bases. Luke Sartori was the man to the plate with the bases full and he hit the second grand slam this weekend for the Huskers, finishing this game off 17-5.
Working with two outs
NU did impressive work in this game with two outs. To start the game, with the bases loaded and two outs, Nick Wimmers drove in a pair of runs. Once again in the fourth, with two outs, a pair of hits scored another run. Both of NU's runs in the fifth came with two outs, as well as two of the three in the seventh. In the ninth, five of the seven runs came with two outs.
The Big Red found themselves in some less than ideal situations, but the clutch hitting with two outs guided them to victory. 13 of Nebraska's runs came with two outs, a feat that will win any team a ballgame.
Strong on the mound
The Huskers saw some solid pitching in this one. Dawson McCarville worked four full innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
Following him, the freshman Jaxon Jelkin dealt two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. One of the best showings from a reliever this season.
Ornelas hit a bump in the seventh, allowing two runs, but Benson cleaned up in the ninth and NU walked away allowing five runs on 11 hits.
What's next?
The Big Red will take on Omaha on the road on Wednesday, followed by a three-game weekend series at home against Rutgers.
The Rutgers series can be streamed on B1G+, and all four games can be heard on the Husker Sports Radio Network.