Knutson's career night lifts Huskers to 8-2 win over Omaha
With postseason talk once again starting to swirl around the program, Nebraska put together an all-around dominating performance over in-state foe Omaha on Wednesday night to the tune of an 8-2 victory.
Junior starter Max Knutson posted the best outing as a Husker, going a career-high eight innings and allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits while tying his career best with five strikeouts.
Offensively, back-to-back home runs by Ben Miller and Scott Schneider highlighted an eight-run, 12-hit night at Haymarket Park.
The Huskers also added five stolen bases in front of a crowd of 2,988 to boost their season record to 31-17, avoid a costly blemish on their postseason resume, and take another step closer to qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament.
“We talked about it a ton,” head coach Darrin Erstad said. “I liked where we were at in BP and warmups and all that stuff, and I know we didn’t come out and play super well in the beginning, but I liked where we were at.
"They understand. We’re in postseason play already. It is, and we know that we have to play very well. It’s win and advance, and here we go.”
A lead-off walk on four pitches to Cole Gruber was followed by an error by centerfielder Ryan Boldt on a pop up that he lost in the sun, allowing Omaha’s first two batters to reach. The miscue was just Boldt's sixth career error.
That led to sacrifice bunt by Alex Schultz and an RBI sac fly by Ryan Cate to score Gruber and put the Mavericks up 1-0.
The Huskers loaded the bases on three walks in the bottom of the first but failed to capitalize, and then stranded another runner in scoring position the next time out in the second.
UNO starting pitcher Eric Moreno got the first out on a fly out by Boldt, but he was then pulled after just 2.1 innings for reliever Grant Suponchick. That’s when the Husker bats finally woke up.
A one-out walk by Luis Alvarado in the top of the fourth was followed up by four straight singles by Steven Reveles, Angelo Altavilla, Jake Placzek and Boldt that plated three runs to give NU its first lead of the night at 3-1.
Suponchick was pulled for Cal Hehnke, and a quick double steal moved Placzek and Boldt to third and second. Jake Meyers walked to load the bases once again, but for the second time of the game Nebraska left them loaded after strikeouts by Miller and Schreiber.
That would be all the support Knutson would need, though, as he cruised through the next six innings after his rocky opening frame, allowing just one earned run and four hits the rest of the way.
“He just did a really nice job of filling up the strike zone,” Erstad said. “He’s grown a lot as a young kid.”
The Huskers would add to their lead in a big way later in the sixth, as Miller and Schreiber blasted back-to-back home runs to push NU’s lead to 6-1. The consecutive homers were the Huskers’ first since 2012 (Austin Darby and Kale Kiser).
Omaha would get a run back after Sam Palensky doubled and then scored on an RBI single by Jack Kalina in the top of the seventh, but Nebraska tacked on another run in the bottom half of the inning when Alvarado scored on a wild pitch by reliever David Flattery to make it 7-2.
Placzek followed that with a single and then scored from first on a double down the right field line by Boldt to push the lead to 8-2.
Knutson rolled through the eighth to cap off his night, and closer Reece Eddins came on for the ninth and put the game away.
"I was emptying the tank and trying to go as far as I could," Knutson said. "I was happy to get all eight in. That was fun."
Nebraska will return to action this weekend for a three-game home series with Penn State, with the first contest on Friday night for 6:35 p.m. start.
"It's vital," Erstad said of keeping the momentum going through the final stretch of the season. "We don't have time for slip-ups. We're in a position to keep playing baseball, and it doesn't matter if it's conference or non-conference, we cannot afford to come out and have a clunker.
"It's that time of year, and it's the best time of year. This is what you play for and work for. I wish we didn't have an off day tomorrow. I'm ready to go right now. I'm just excited for our guys that they're going to have an opportunity to experience a stretch run here where it means something."