The Nebraska offense recorded six hits and drove in four runs with two outs, as the Huskers clinched the weekend series at Minnesota with a 7-3 win over the Gophers on Saturday afternoon at Siebert Field in Minneapolis. Nebraska (30-15, 12-5 Big Ten) scored seven runs on 12 hits, while Minnesota (20-21, 6-11 Big Ten) totaled three runs on nine hits.
Joshua Overbeek had a 3-for-5 day with a homer, three RBI and two runs. Josh Caron had three hits and an RBI, while Dylan Carey was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Riley Silva, Ben Columbus, Cole Evans and Case Sanderson recorded one hit apiece.
Mason McConnaughey improved to 6-3 on the season after allowing one run on seven hits across 5.2 innings. The sophomore struck out five Gophers and issued a trio of walks. Caleb Clark allowed two runs on a pair of hits in 2.2 strong innings of relief. Rans Sanders got the final two outs in the ninth for the NU pitching staff.
The Husker offense threatened in the opening frame with consecutive one-out singles from Silva and Caron. Silva swiped third for his 29th stolen base of the season to put runners on first and third with one out, but the Big Red couldn’t scratch across the game’s first run.
McConnaughey faced traffic on the bases early but was able to strand a pair of runners in each of the first two innings to keep the Gophers off the board.
Overbeek began the third with a single to left and moved to second on a passed ball. Silva moved the junior to third with a sacrifice bunt, while an RBI groundout to second by Caron plated Overbeek to give the Big Red a 1-0 lead.
The Huskers pieced together two straight two-out singles from Sanderson and Carey in the fourth but couldn’t add to the one-run lead.
A four-pitch walk with one out, followed by Jake Perry’s RBI double to the left-center fence locked the game at one in the fifth inning. The Huskers’ relay throw nearly had the Gophers’ baserunner out at the plate, but Brady Counsell slid around the tag at the plate.
Columbus lifted a 2-2 pitch into the right-center alley for a double to open the sixth inning. Cole Evans dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Columbus to third, while Sanderson’s sacrifice fly to left brought home Columbus to make it a 2-1 game through six innings.
The Husker offense erupted for four runs on two hits to blow the game open in the eighth. Evans was plunked and moved to second on a groundout by Sanderson, before coming around to score on Carey’s RBI double to left. Clay Bradford drew a four-pitch walk in a pinch-hitting appearance to put Huskers on first and second with two outs.
After fouling off back-to-back pitches, Overbeek unleashed a 460-foot three-run homer over the batter’s eye in center to grow the lead to 6-1.
Clark induced a pair of groundouts after giving up a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth to keep it a 6-1 Husker lead heading into the ninth inning.
Columbus drew a full-count walk and advanced to second on Evans’ single up the middle. A fielder’s choice moved Columbus to third, before a wild pitch brought him home to make it a six-run lead for the Huskers.
The Gophers tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth off a two-run homer by Counsell, but a double play put a halt to any more damage from the Minnesota offense and clinched the 7-3 win for the Huskers.
Nebraska and Minnesota conclude the weekend series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Siebert Field in Minneapolis.
