Nebraska starts weekend off right with 9-2 victory

Darin Erstad was likely pulling hair out with the amount of runners Nebraska left on base in Friday's series opener against No. 20 Long Beach State. But the Huskers were able to it out in the fifth inning to build an early lead before slamming the door shut in the ninth.

Despite stranding 13 runners, Nebraska prevailed 9-2 thanks to a five-run fifth inning that saw 10 batters come to the plate. That effort, along with yet another strong relief appearance by Jake McSteen, helped NU improve to 3-4 on the season.

"We're getting our swings off on counts where we need to and we're doing a good job of using the whole field when we have to," Erstad said during his postgame appearance on the Husker Sports Network. "You just see it in their eyes. They've put the work in and they're ready to go."

Nebraska had all kinds of base runners in the opening frames, but Ryan Boldt was thrown out stealing in the first and the Huskers left the bases loaded in the second.

NU finally broke through when Scott Schreiber blasted a solo home run in the third, then really got things cooking in the fifth. The first five batters of that inning reached base, including run-scoring hits by Schreiber and Luis Alvarado. Nebraska added two more on sacrifice flies from Taylor Fish and Jake Schleppenbach and brought home the final score of the frame on a Dirtbag error.

Colton Howell gave two back in the bottom of the inning, concluding his shaky but overall effective day. After getting just one out in his start last weekend, Howell gave up five hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.

"He wasn't super sharp, but sometimes you're not going to be that way and you've got to find a way to get it done," Erstad said. "Colton settled in a little bit, then it looked like the gas tank ran a little empty. But it's better than last time."

But McSteen was there to pick Howell up when the converted reliever faltered in the fifth. The redshirt freshman submitted his third straight effective performance in long relief by silencing Long Beach State over the game's final 4.2 innings, allowing just three base runners in the process.

"He pounded the zone, mixed his changeup in there and threw a couple of real nice breaking balls," Erstad said. "When he's down in the zone, which he did most of the time, he can be very effective. You saw a lot of ground balls and that's what he does."

Then the Huskers added the cherry on top in the ninth- an RBI single by Boldt and a towering two-run homer by Ben Miller provided the final margin.

The offense continued its recent hot streak, collecting 15 hits and walking five times. Five Huskers had at least two hits, and the team had six extra-base hits. NU roughed up LBS starter Chris Mathewson, a member of Baseball America's Freshman All-American team last season, and a bullpen that had allowed just one run coming into the game.

Nebraska and Long Beach State will play a double header Saturday. The first game will begin at 2 p.m. with the second contest beginning 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first.

Right fielder Jake Meyers: The sophomore just keeps hitting. Meyers went 3-for-4 with a double, knocked in a run and scored another. Meyers is hitting .438 with six extra-base hits on the year.

Pitcher Jake McSteen: It's tough to think of where the Huskers would be without McSteen's contributions this year. The lefty was on point again Friday, shutting out Long Beach State in his 4.2 innings, including a stretch when he sent down seven in a row. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out three and saving NU's bullpen for Saturday's twin bill.

***The Huskers have already hit 10 home runs this season after hitting just 22 in all of 2015.

***Meyers now has a seven-game hitting streak. He also stole a base, already his third of the season.

***The game lasted three hours and 37 minutes.