Husker Baseball Keeps Rolling With Win Over New Mexico State
2-1 victory on a cold day in Lincoln was Nebraska's 16th in its last 19 games
The Nebraska baseball team battled through the elements Saturday afternoon and extended its winning streak to seven as the Huskers defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 2-1. NU now moves to 17-5 on the season and has won 16 of its last 19 games.
The weather at Haymarket Park in Lincoln was a thorn in the sides of both teams as temperatures moved down to the lower 30s and winds swirled around the baseball field, thwarting any home run threats. Despite the low score, there was no lack of action. The sides had a combined 26 base runners and were set down in order three times.
Once again, the key to this one was the Husker bullpen.
Drew Christo started the game for Nebraska. Despite pitching 4.1 scoreless innings, the junior right-hander had problems with control and surrendered three walks and hit two batters. Christo was pulled in the fifth, and then the cavalry came. The Huskers used six pitchers for the remaining 4.2 innings, surrendering no earned runs and four hits while striking out six.
NMSU’s one run came in the top of the ninth, off Rans Sanders, after a throwing error put the runner in scoring position. Kyle Perry entered the game with a runner on third and closed out the game for the Big Red to pick up a birthday save.
The Husker pitchers could not keep the Aggies off the bases, but New Mexico State had difficulty advancing runners. With runners on base, NMSU went 1-for-20, with that one hit coming in the game’s final inning.
The Nebraska offense was in a rut all afternoon except for the bat of Case Sanderson. Sanderson went 3-for-4 for half of the Big Red’s hits. His RBI single, which turned out to be the game-winner, scored Riley Silva in the bottom of the seventh.
The Huskers' other RBI came in the sixth off the bat of Tyler Stone, whose right-field single scored Josh Caron.
Nebraska will close out the series at 1:05 p.m. CDT Sunday, when Mason McConaughey will make his first weekend of the season.
