Terre Haute, Ind. – Powered by 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, the Nebraska baseball team (13-7, 0-0 Big Ten) finished a two-game sweep of the Indiana State Sycamores (13-9, 0-0 MVC) on Wednesday afternoon with a 11-4 win. Nebraska scored seven of its 11 runs with two outs.
The Huskers notched their 22nd and 23rd home runs of the year in their 20th game of the season. NU’s offense already has more home runs than it hit all last year, as the Huskers totaled 22 home runs in 57 games a year ago. Ben Miller recorded his fourth homer of the year in the first and then Jake Placzek homered for the third straight game with a three-run shot in the seventh. Placzek is the first Husker to homer in three straight games since Miller did it last season.
Nebraska outscored the Sycamores 21-8 in the two-game series, and the Huskers totaled 25 hits, including four home runs.
With Indian State freshman Tyler Ward making his second career start, the Husker offense put up three runs on three hits in the top of the first. Ryan Boldt started the game with his second triple of the year and two batters later he was back in the dugout after Miller slugged a two-run opposite-field home run. Luis Alvarado later added a one of his three singles, moved to second on a passed ball and then scored on a two-out Sycamore error.
After pair of no-hit innings from Garett King, NU’s offense added to its lead with a two-out hit in the third. Alvarado picked up his second hit of the game with one out and then got himself in scoring position with a stolen base. Freshman Cole Klemke, who was making his second start of the year, stepped in with two outs and drilled a single through the box that scored Alvarado.
The Huskers stretched their lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Placzek worked a two-out walk and then scored all the way from first on Miller’s fifth double of the season. ISU cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame when Hunter Owen led off with a double and later scored on a single by Andy Young.
NU’s offense got the run back in the fifth and tagged on two more for a 8-1 lead. Alvarado started the frame with his third hit of the game and then Elijah Dilday reached on an error. Following a fly out by Klemke for the first out of the inning, Steven Reveles drove in Alvarado with a single and then Brady Childs walked to load the bases. With the top of the order up, reliever Ethan Larrison struck out Boldt swinging for out No. 2. Larrison wouldn’t leave the base loaded though, as Placzek roped a two-RBI double down the left-field line, pushing NU’s lead to 8-1.
King climbed the mound in the sixth and gave up a solo shot to Owen, cutting NU’s lead to 8-2. King came back and got an out, but then a single by Young signaled a change from the Husker dugout. Reece Eddins took the mound and got a ground ball for the second out of the inning, but then issued a walk to put two runners one. The sophomore right hander dug in and got a 1-3 putout to limit ISU to one run in the inning.
The long ball came into play for the Huskers again in the seventh when Placzek belted a three-run no-doubter over the left field wall. Placzek’s fifth home run of the year extended NU’s lead to 11-2 and gave Placzek a career-high five RBIs on the afternoon.
The Sycamores scored a pair of runs in the eighth, but left the bases loaded, and were unable to get any closer, as freshman Chad Luensmann worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
Nebraska will stay in Terra Haute tonight and then head to West Lafayette, Ind., tomorrow, where they will open Big Ten play on Friday with a three-game series against the Purdue Boilermakers.