Dylan Carey had two hits and drove in four runs, while Drew Christo struck out eight Mavericks in a career outing to lead the Huskers to a 6-3 win at Omaha on Tuesday night.
Nebraska (22-14-1) scored six runs on 12 hits and an error, while the Mavericks (15-18) tallied three runs on 11 hits and one error.
Christo moved to 1-0 on the season after throwing a career-high four innings in relief. The sophomore allowed one run on four hits and walked none to go with the career-high eight punchouts. Corbin Hawkins had the start on the mound, giving up one run on three hits and striking out two in 2.2 innings. Jalen Worthley and Jake Bunz combined for one out, while Michael Garza pitched 1.2 strong innings. Shay Schanaman recorded the final out of the night to collect his fifth save of the season.
Gabe Swansen had a team-high three hits on the night, going 3-for-5 with two runs. Carey was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Max Anderson and Casey Burnham pieced together two-hit games, while Brice Matthews went 1-for-5 with a solo home run.
Nebraska opened the scoring in the second with three runs on three hits to jump ahead 3-0. Swansen and Garrett Anglim reached on singles, setting up Carey’s 376-foot three-run homer to left.
Mike Boeve’s RBI single to right highlighted three consecutive two-out singles to plate Omaha’s first run of the night in the third inning.
Omaha threatened in the fourth after a leadoff double and a sacrifice bunt, but Christo recorded back-to-back punchouts to keep the two-run lead through four innings.
Burnham began the fifth with a leadoff single and advanced to second on a stolen base attempt that was ruled an error by the Maverick second baseman. The Kansas transfer scored on Charlie Fischer’s RBI groundout to shortstop after reaching third on Anderson’s flyout to right.
The Mavericks climbed back within two runs after a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-2 game after seven innings.
The Big Red tacked on an insurance run in the eighth and ninth innings to stretch the lead to 6-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Swansen reached on a leadoff single in the eighth, before scoring on Carey’s RBI single to left. Matthews led off the ninth by blasting a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for his 15th home run of the season.
A two-out homer down the left-field line by Matt Geoetzmann trimmed the Husker lead to three in the bottom of the ninth. The Mavericks brought the tying run to the plate after a single and walk, but Noah Greise struck out for the fifth time in the game to clinch Nebraska’s 6-3 win.
Nebraska continues midweek play tonight, as the Huskers welcome South Dakota State to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.