STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Survive and advance. Nebraska baseball’s 2024 season will last at least one more day after the Huskers bested Niagara 7-5 in an elimination game Saturday afternoon.
Nebraska shrugged off an early 4-0 deficit and outscored the Purple Eagles 7-1 the rest of the way thanks to two solo shots from Gabe Swansen and Case Sanderson’s four RBIs. Will Bolt’s Huskers have a 40-win season for the first time since 2014 and the 18th in program history.
For the third time in his last four starts, Mason McConnaughey recorded double-digit strikeouts.
Here’s a quick rundown on how the Huskers got past Niagara at the Stillwater Regional.
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McConnaughey did not get off to a good start.
The opening five pitches of the bottom of the first resulted in a hit batter, a single to left and a three-run homer for Eric Rataczak, his 17th of the season. Niagara kept the pressure on in the second with a leadoff bloop double and a sacrifice fly that made it a 4-0 Purple Eagle advantage.
Dylan Carey became the first Husker leadoff batter to reach all weekend when he delivered a single to start the third. A Joshua Overbeek walk set things up for Sanderson who gave Nebraska a much-needed shot of energy with a three-run bomb into the Niagara bullpen in left.
Nebraska took the lead in the fifth, an inning that was jumpstarted by Overbeek’s first triple of the year. Sanderson brought him in on a sacrifice fly and Swansen homered for the fifth time this postseason to put the Huskers in front 5-4.
That lead didn’t last long.
Brady Desjardins went yard on the first pitch of the fifth to tie the game and break a streak of six consecutive retired by McConnaughey. Nebraska quickly countered in the form of a leadoff double from Tyler Stone in the sixth. Rhett Stokes put a bunt down the first-base side and Niagara right-hander Ryan Minckler airmailed the throw to first allowing Stone to score and moving Stokes to second.
The Huskers failed to do further damage against MAAC Reliver of the Year Zach Cameron, despite loading the bases.
Swansen lead off the seventh inning with another deep shot. He sent a 0-1 pitch 414 feet to the deepest part of the park and gave Nebraska a 7-5 cushion with his second bomb of the day.
Jalen Worthley did the rest. He relieved McConnaughey for the start of the seventh and gave the Huskers a 1-2-3 frame. The southpaw cut through the Niagara order and only allowed two hits en route to his fifth save.
What’s next for Nebraska?
Nebraska has extended its season one more day and must win two games on Sunday in order to push the Stillwater Regional to a seventh game on Monday. ESPN+ will carry both contests. The Huskers will face the loser of Saturday night’s Oklahoma State-Florida game at 1:00 p.m. and would meet the winner of the same matchup at 6:00 p.m. should NU advance.
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