Huskers remain undefeated at home
Even without the usual top-of-the-lineup production, Nebraska baseball cruised to an easy win on a chilly, damp day in Lincoln, shutting out Illinois State 12-0 Saturday afternoon.
Each of Nebraska’s ten hits came from batters five through nine, including a 4-for-4 performance from junior right fielder Cole Evans. The Grand Island native smacked two doubles, drove in four runs, scored twice, and stole a base as well.
While Evans led the way offensively, Jace Kaminska was shutting down the Redbirds from the mound. The right-handed Saturday starter tossed seven scoreless frames, scattering three hits and one walk and striking out two. Kaminska has not allowed a run for 13.2 innings, improving to 3-0 after his fourth start.
Nebraska (9-4-1) picked up an early 3-0 advantage in the second inning thanks to Evans’ RBI double and a two-run single from senior center fielder Casey Burnham.
Illinois State (5-8) gave up four more runs in the third on consecutive run scoring singles by senior first baseman Charlie Fischer, sophomore left fielder Gabe Swansen, and Evans. A bases-loaded walk from Burnham made it 7-0 Big Red.
Ben Columbus, the designated hitter, scored fellow junior Brice Matthews on a sixth-inning sac fly. Then Evans struck again in the seventh, smashing a two-run double off the wall to make it 10-0. Senior Griffin Everitt tripled Evans in on a pinch-hit appearance, and then scored the final run of the contest on Matthews’ sac fly.
Freshmen lefties Jalen Worthley and JC Gutierrez each contributed scoreless innings in relief of Kaminska. Worthley, a Lincoln East grad, struck out the side in the eighth, while Gutierrez worked around a pair of walks in the ninth with one strikeout.
Nebraska finishes its weekend series with Illinois State on Sunday starting at 1:05pm at Hawks Field.
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