Nebraska remains alive in the Big Ten title race, as the Huskers came away with a 4-2 win vs. Indiana on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska (32-18, 14-7 Big Ten) scored four runs on eight hits and committed an error, while Indiana (28-21-1, 13-8 Big Ten) totaled two runs on six hits and three errors.
Jackson Brockett pitched five strong innings in his second start of the week, allowing just two runs across four hits while striking out three Hoosiers. Drew Christo tossed four shutout innings to move to 2-3 on the season. The junior surrendered just two singles and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
Case Sanderson was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Josh Caron picked up two hits and an RBI, while Cole Evans was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Tyler Stone recorded a double, and Rhett Stokes had a hit and team-high two runs on Sunday.
Stone began the bottom of the second drilling a 2-0 pitch off the top of the fence in center for his eighth double of the season. A nifty behind-the-back play from Indiana’s pitcher on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat got Stone out in a rundown between second and third to keep the Huskers off the board in the second.
Brockett worked around a leadoff single in the top of the third, while the Husker offense broke through with two runs on a pair of hits and an error to take a 2-0 lead. Stokes reached on a one-out fielding error and moved to second on a balk for the Big Red.
Sanderson broke the scoreless tie with two outs, lifting a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line for an RBI ground-rule double to bring home Stokes from second. An infield single from Caron placed runners on first and third, before a wild pitch allowed Sanderson to jog down the third-base line for NU’s second run in the inning.
Indiana trimmed the deficit in half in the top of the fifth with Jasen Oliver’s solo homer to left. The Hoosiers locked the game at two in the sixth when Tyler Cerny sent a 1-2 pitch into the berm in left field for visitors’ second solo homer of the afternoon.
Christo replaced Brockett on the mound and retired the next three Hoosiers after giving up a single up the middle to the first batter he faced.
Nebraska capitalized on an error from the Hoosiers in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead back at 3-2. Caron reached on a throwing error from the Indiana pitcher, reaching second base on the play to put a runner on second with one out.
The Hoosiers elected to intentionally walk Stone with two outs to put runners on first and second with Saturday night’s hero in Evans at the plate. Evans made the Hoosiers pay for the second game in a row, lacing a 2-1 pitch into left field for an RBI double, scoring Caron and giving the Huskers a 3-2 advantage through six innings.
Christo stranded a pair of Hoosiers in the seventh after a two-out fielding error and single to center field.
Stokes reached on an infield single and later stole second with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Sanderson was plunked on a 1-2 pitch with two outs to put runners on first and second for the Big Red. Caron brought home Stokes from second after lining the first pitch he saw to left field for an RBI single to double the Husker lead to 4-2.
Christo retired the Hoosiers in order in the eighth and ninth innings to clinch the weekend series for the Huskers on Sunday afternoon.
Nebraska wraps up regular-season play next weekend, as the Huskers venture to East Lansing, Mich., for a three-game set at Michigan State on Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18.
