Huskers leave no doubt in nightcap, sweeping doubleheader

Nebraska needed a late punch from Steven Reveles to win game on of Friday's doubleheader with Loyola Marymount, but no such heroics were needed in the nightcap.

After Reveles won the first contest 6-4 with a walk-off homer, the Huskers scored four runs in the first inning of game two and never looked back. With Derek Burkamper dealing, Nebraska cruised to a 7-0 win, its fourth straight victory.

The Huskers are now 7-6 on the season.

"You have the excitement (from game one) and you want to keep pushing the gas pedal," Darin Erstad said. "We did that with the three-run homer, then you could tell the whole game went into cruise control. We needed to do a little more damage, but there was definitely a lull in that game.

"It's hard for both teams. That was a lot of baseball."

Nebraska got off to hot start, plating four in the first inning. Ben Miller brought Ryan Boldt home with an opposite-field single, and two batters later Taylor Fish lifted a three-run home run to left, the first four-bagger of his career.

The offense fell silent until the sixth, when the Huskers essentially put the nail in the coffin by plating three runs. Luis Alvarado and Jesse Wilkening brought in runs with RBI singles and Jake Schleppenbach scored Alvarado with a deep fly out to center.

That offense was more than enough for junior Derek Burkamper, who is showing the promise he's teased since arriving in Lincoln as a top recruit in 2014. The righty, who has yet to give up a run this season, shut out Loyola Marymount for seven frames. Burkamper gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out seven. He sent down the final 12 batters he faced.

"I think it's all just about growing up and gaining confidence," Burkamper said. "That's what I have, and the support that I have from my teammates and the run support they gave me, it just makes it all easy."

Reece Eddins and Zack Engelken weren't quite as efficient, but they kept the Lions off the board for the Huskers' second shutout of the season.

Nebraska had just six hits but they made them count. NU was 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position and put the leadoff man on three times.

The Huskers and Lions meet at 2:05 p.m. Saturday before Sunday's finale at 12:05 p.m.

***Scott Schreiber sat out both games after being hit in the elbow by a pitch Wednesday. Erstad said he's day-to-day moving forward.

***Four Huskers - Schreiber (five), Jake Placzek (two), Reveles (two) and Fish (one) have more home runs this season than they had in their career coming into 2016.

***Reveles committed an error in each game, bringing his season total to a team-leading five.

***Nebraska was hit by two pitches Friday, bringing their season total to 19.