Lincoln – Sophomore Jake Meyers hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning and earned the win on the mound in Nebraska’s (25-15, 7-5 Big Ten) series clinching 4-2 victory over Nicholls State (17-24, 7-11 Southland) on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field. The last time a Husker homered and earn a pitching win was on Feb. 21, 2009, when Adam Bailey did it against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Meyers retired the final 11 batters he faced and went a career-high 7.0 shutout innings in his fourth start of the year, allowing just four hits. The sophomore lefty from Omaha was efficient all day, as his 14-pitch third inning was a high for the afternoon. Meyers needed 11 pitches or less six times to retire the Colonels, including a pair of five-pitch frames. Meyers had yet to go more than 3.2 innings in an outing this year and his previous career high for an outing was 4.1 innings of relief against Omaha last season.
Sunday is usually a day for offense, but the two teams each recorded just six hits on the afternoon. The Colonels record four of their hits in the first four innings, while the Huskers five of their hits after fourth.
The Colonels recorded a hit in each of the first four innings, but Meyers was able to keep it from scoring each time, including a pair of inning-ending double plays in the first and second. NU’s offense was unable to take advantage and get a lead, as the Nicholls State starter Alex Ernestine allowed just one hit through the first four innings, a one-out single by Steven Reveles in the third.
Meyers needed just five pitches to put the Colonels down in order in the fifth.. Ernestine sat down the first two Huskers he faced in the bottom of the frame before Luis Alvarado broke the scoreless tie with a solo shot to left field, giving NU a 1-0 lead on his second home run of the season.
Working with a lead for the first time on the day, Meyers came out and put up a second straight 1-2-3 inning in the sixth on 11 pitches. He then helped himself in the bottom of the frame with a three-run homer.
NU got its leadoff man on for the first time in the game with a single from Reveles in the sixth and Ryan Boldt followed with an infield single. Jake Placzek laid down a sacrifice bunt that put both in scoring position and Meyers cleared the bases with a mammoth shot to left field on first pitch he saw from Ernestine. Scott Schreiber added a single later in the inning before reliever Daniel Goff ended the frame with a groundout off the bat of Alvarado. With just two hits through the first five innings, the Huskers notched four hits in the sixth.
After Meyers tossed a 1-2-3 seventh, fellow sophomore Garett King took over in the eighth. He walked leadoff hitter Kyle Reese and hit Ethan Valdez, prompting the Husker to go Jeff Chesnut for his 85th career appearance. The senior right hander got consecutive fly outs, but then gave up back-to-back two-out RBI singles. Chesnut then walked Kyle Knauth to load the base and the Colonels had the go-ahead run on base. Chesnut barred and got a 4-3 groundout off the bat of Gavin Wehby to end the threat.
Freshman Chad Luensmann took the mound with a 4-2 lead in the ninth and retired the Colonels in order for his eighth save of the season. Already the NU freshman single-season record holder for saves, Luensmann is tied for eighth on NU’s single-season saves list.
The Huskers will now play eight straight road games, starting on Tuesday night against Creighton at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast statewide on NET.