Like they often do, this midweek game turned into a high-scoring game that went on and on and on and . . . In most instances, the batters definitely have the advantage in these Tuesday games, particularly when you have the offensive potential these two teams have. But if you like runs, then tonight’s 14 to 9 Nebraska win was for you!
Five of those runs were the responsibility of Cornhusker freshman outfielder Drew Grego. The rookie from Bellevue West had an incredible night at the plate, going three
for four with two home runs. He also scored three times.
With a packed house at Tointon Family Stadium, there was more than the usual excitement for a midweek game as both of these teams are playing very well at this point of the season and are getting some national attention.
As he continues to do, Mac Moyer led off the game with a single and scored the first Cornhusker run when Jeter Worthley followed him with a double. Two batters later, Miken Miller drove Worthley in with a single of his own. Nebraska was off to a good start up 2-0 after on at-bat.
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Nebraska’s starter Pryce Bender started the second with a strikeout before Ty Smolinski and Grant Gallagher had back-to-back doubles, scoring one run. They scored their second when Gallagher moved to third base on a Bender balk and scored on an A.J. Evasco ground out to second base. After two innings, the game was tied 2-2.
When Mac Moyer leads off with a hit to set the table, good things tend to happen. That was the case in the top of third when his single launched a four-run inning and the Cornhuskers sending nine batters to the plate. They did it compliments of three hits, two walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches. Freshman Drew Grego got the big one, a two RBI single that put Nebraska up 6-2.
After getting an out, Bender gave up a single and a walk in the bottom of the third and was pulled by Coach Childress. In came Braxton Stewart who struck out the two batters he faced to shut down any possible Wildcat threat.
Nebraska didn’t do any damage in the top of the fourth, but that was not the case with Kansas State as they exploded for six runs in the bottom half, beating up Nebraska relievers Colin Nowaczyk and Kevin Mannell, before Jalen Worthley got them out of the mess. They did their damage with four hits, including two doubles, two walks, and one hit batter. Fortunately, the 10th batter of the inning flew out for the final out, but Kansas State was now on top 8-6.
The runs kept coming in the top of the fifth when Nebraska got their next chance and again sent nine batters to the plate. With an out, Max Buettenback ripped a double into the rightfield corner. Max is finding his swing, which bodes well going into the second half of the season.
Drew Grego was hit by a pitch and Rhett Stokes was walked to load the bases. Moyer then drove Buettenback in and Jeter Worthley drove in another run with a single. That brought up Case Sanderson who laced a triple that plated two more. Up came Dylan Carey, who finally got that double he has been chasing for a few weeks and drove in Sanderson for the fifth run of the inning.
Carey’s double tied him with Will Bolt for the team record for career doubles at 56. More important, it put Nebraska up 11-8 going to the bottom of the fifth inning.
Ryan Harrahill came in and pitched an effective inning to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard in the fifth, and then lefty Chase Olson blanked them for an inning and a third, with Tucker Timmerman coming in to get the final out of the seventh.
Nebraska added another run in the top of the sixth with Drew Grego’s second homerun of the season, making it 12-8 Cornhuskers. He then hit a two-run blast in the top of the eighth. Big Red up 14-2. What a night for the freshman!
K-State was not finished as Kyan Lodice led off the bottom of the eighth with his third hit of the ninth. They ended up with two runners on with one out when a sharp hit ball to third led Stokes starting a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Caleb Clark has pitched very well this year and was the last pitcher standing in game two at Michigan this weekend, so it was no surprise that Coach Childress called his number to close out tonight’s game. He struggled a little bit, giving up a run, but ended the game with a strikeout to preserve Nebraska’s win. Ballgame! Nebraska 14, Kansas State 9.
This win ties the season series with the Wildcats, a very good team, that comes to Lincoln in a few weeks. It also sets the team up for the weekend series at Haymarket Park with Indiana.
Coach Bolt has given a number of players opportunities to take one of the corner outfield positions. Right now, it looks like Drew Grego and Max Buettenback are going to fill those spots, though Devin Nunez continues to hit the ball hard and Nico Newhan is looking for another shot. Keep in mind that Will Jesske should be returning from his injuries soon and will certainly be given a chance to get his spot back.
The first game against the Hoosiers this weekend is Friday at 6:00. Keep your eyes open for Aaron’s preview of that series later this week.
Notes:
- Coming into this game, Nebraska had a 33 RPI and Kansas State was at 34. By that metric, they are two evenly matched teams and are certainly in the regional picture.
- Nebraska was 7 for 15 with two outs. The offset the two runs they gave up on balks.
- How about those true freshmen! Drew Grego had three hits, two of them homeruns and Jeter Worthley had three of his own with a double.
- In addition to the two freshman, Mac Moyer had four hits and scored three runs. Case Sanderson was one for three (a triple), but walked three times, scored three runs, and had two RBI.
- With the season at the half-way point, the coaching staff is getting a good idea of which pitchers they have confidence in, and which ones will start to see fewer opportunities. One has to wonder why they didn’t stick with Braxton Stewart and Ryan Harrahill a little longer as both of them pitched well tonight, as did Chase Olson, who pitched a great 1.2 innings with four strikeouts. Tucker Timmerman and Caleb Clark were also very effective.
- It’s hard for me to believe, but there was another “I haven’t seen that before” in this game. I’ve watched a lot of baseball in my 64 years on this beautiful planet, but it is clear that I can’t say I’ve seen it all. In the top of the fifth inning, there was a triple review on the same play. I’ve seen two, but not three. And, after the review, nothing changed.
