Nebraska baseball takes series opener against Ohio State | Sports

Nebraska baseball successfully started its first road conference series against Ohio State, outlasting the Buckeyes 5-3.

The game featured an excellent pitchers duel between Nebraska senior Shay Schanaman and Ohio State sophomore Isaiah Coupet.

Schanaman completed 6.1 innings on the mound, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run in his second win of the year. Although he ended up with the loss, Coupet outdueled Schanaman, tossing a whopping 14 strikeouts and allowing one earned run off four hits.

Coupet’s lone earned run came in the top of the first inning, where senior designated hitter Cam Chick slugged a home run to deep right center, giving the Huskers an early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, junior center fielder Luke Sartori kept the early offense thriving, hitting a leadoff single and reaching second on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, sophomore third baseman Max Anderson’s hard ground ball was too much for Buckeye senior third baseman Marcus Ernst to handle, plating Sartori.

There were little scoring chances for either team in the following innings, but Nebraska was threatening in the top of the fifth. Anderson led off the inning hitting a routine grounder to freshman second baseman Tyler Pettorini, whose throw to senior first baseman Zach Dezenzo took him off the bag, allowing Anderson to reach safely. Anderson then stole second, giving Nebraska a runner in scoring position.

Yet another Ohio State error kept the inning alive, as Buckeye freshman shortstop Josh McAlister misplayed the hop on a grounder, allowing freshman right fielder Garrett Anglim to reach first. However, Anglim was caught stealing and Coupet fanned his 10th batter of the evening, getting freshman second baseman Core Jackson to swing and miss to end the inning.

Sophomore third baseman Blayne Robinson inched the Buckeyes closer in the bottom of the seventh. On a perfectly timed swing, the home run was never in doubt as soon as it left the bat, cutting the Nebraska lead to 2-1. Junior right fielder Mitchell Okuley followed the solo shot up with a single, and soon took third thanks to some nifty baserunning.

Okuley began to advance to second following a low pitch from Schanaman before Everitt stopped the pitch. Everitt, thinking Okuley would retreat to first, threw the ball back to first base, but overshot the first baseman allowing Okuley to grab second. The outfield was then slow to set up the relay, letting Okuley move to third.

Nebraska avoided further damage when sophomore relief pitcher Emmett Olson stepped in the game and delivered the final two outs of the inning.

Nebraska extended its lead in the eighth, breaking the drought of missed opportunities. Anglim and senior second baseman Efry Cervantes reached base thanks to a fielder’s choice and a hit-by-pitch. With one out in the top of the eighth, junior left fielder Leighton Banjoff ripped a grounder through the second base gap, scoring Anglim. Banjoff’s single gave the Huskers their first hit with runners in scoring position after 11 tries, and extended the lead to 3-1.

The Huskers added more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, quickly loading the bases with two singles and a walk. Anglim hit a ground ball to Pettorini, who was in prime position to complete a double play. The out at second was successful, but the throw to first sailed wide, allowing two more runners to score on Ohio State’s sixth error of the game, stretching the lead to 5-1.

Ohio State attempted to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back doubles gave the Buckeyes their first run of the inning, and a single by Ernst cut the lead to 5-3, and put the tying run at the plate. Nebraska changed pitchers, and junior Braxton Bragg retired the final Ohio State batter to secure the win.

Nebraska improved to 10-14 on the season, capturing its second conference win. The Huskers face Ohio State again at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday.

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