Peoria, Ariz. – The Nebraska baseball team (4-3, 0-0 Big Ten) wrapped up a 3-1 series win over the BYU Cougars on Saturday afternoon with a 9-1 victory in the series finale at the Peoria Sports Complex. The Huskers had a home-field advantage on the day as nearly 2,000 Husker fans showed up to support the team even though the Huskers were playing 1,200 miles from Lincoln.

The Husker offense found its rhythm on Saturday, as the nine runs matched the nine combined runs NU scored through the first three games of the series. Nebraska also stole four bases on the afternoon after swiping just two bases through the first six games of the season.

Head Coach Darin Erstad shuffled his lineup in the finale, moving Jake Schleppenbach to the leadoff spot after Austin Darby had been there through the first six games of the season. The move paid off, as the Schleppenbach led off the first, fifth and eighth innings with singles, while scoring in both the first and fifth.

Ben Miller ended the day going 2-for-5, including his second double of the series, and a career-high five RBIs. The sophomore’s biggest hit of the day came with two outs in the sixth when he roped a three-RBI double into the left-center-field gap.

Sophomore Ryan Boldt carried the Huskers over the four game series with a 10-for-15 performance, including a triple on Saturday. The Cougars intentionally walked Boldt twice during the weekend and both times Blake Headley made them pay with a double.

The Huskers got 3.1 innings out of sophomore starter Max Knutson and then a pair of freshman relievers finished the game. Zack Engelken and Jake Meyers combined to throw 5.2 innings of shutout relief, with Engelken earning the win and Meyers picking up the save with 3.0 innings of two-hit relief with three strikeouts.

Nebraska struck early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Schleppenbach scored on a single by Blake Headley and Ben Miller followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Boldt to put the Huskers ahead 2-0.

BYU cut the lead in half in the second when Colton Shaver led off with a solo home run on the first pitch he saw from Knutson. The sophomore lefty bounced back with a pair of strikeouts in the inning and kept the damage to one run.

The Huskers pushed their lead back to two runs in the third when Boldt led off the frame with a stand-up triple and scored on a single by Headley, his sixth RBI of the series.

After Engelken got out of a jam in the fifth when Boldt made a diving catch with two outs that erased an RBI single, the NU offense put another run on the board. Schleppenbach led off with his second hit of the day, stole second base and scored on a two-out single by Miller.

Engelken sat down the Cougars in order in the sixth and then the Husker offense went back to work and blew the game wide open in the bottom of the inning with five runs on four hits, including three doubles. Tanner Lubach got the inning started with a double off the left-field wall for his first hit of the season after starting the year 0-for-18. Austin Darby followed with his first RBI of the season on a single that pushed NU’s lead to 5-1. Steven Reveles got a two out rally started with a RBI double and then back-to-back walks loaded the bases, setting the stage for Miller to drop a three-RBI double.

The Huskers will be back in action next weekend when they travel to Los Angeles, Calif., for a three-game series against Loyola Marymount. The Huskers and Lions are scheduled to play at 8:05 p.m. (CT) on both Friday and Saturday night, while the finale on Sunday is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

Peoria, Ariz. – For the second straight day the BYU Cougars intentionally walked Ryan Boldt to get to Blake Headley and for the second straight day the senior from Omaha made the Cougars pay with a double. After roping a two-out, three-RBI double in the ninth inning yesterday, Headley drove in the eventual game-winning run with a one-out double in the top of the 11^th that powered the Nebraska baseball team (3-2, 0-0 Big Ten) to a 3-1 victory over BYU in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday. The victory in game two split a doubleheader between the two teams and gives Nebraska a 2-1 series lead heading into tomorrow’s finale.

After Austin Darby led off the 11^th inning with a single, Wes Edrington executed a sacrifice bunt that put the go-ahead run at second base. With Boldt coming to the plate and first base empty, the Cougars intentionally walked Boldt, who entered the at-bat 8-for-12 in the series. Headley stepped up to the occasion again and laced a 1-1 offering into right field for an RBI double that gave the Huskers their first lead of the game. BYU then intentionally walked Ben Miller to get to Tanner Lubach, who was 0-for-17 on the season, and the senior catcher delivered with a deep sacrifice fly to right field that easily scored Boldt to put the Huskers ahead, 3-1.

Following 2.2 innings of one-hit relief from Colton Howell, Nebraska turned the ball over to closer Josh Roeder in the bottom of the 11^th and the senior closed the door for his third save of the season and the 21^st of his career.

The game went to extras after neither team could find a run late in the game.

BYU had the go-ahead run in scoring position with one down in the eighth after Hayden Nielsen led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Huskers gambled by intentionally walking Dillon Robinson and then brought in Howell from the bullpen. BYU countered with pinch-hitter Cole Wilstead and Howell won the battle with a 4-6-3 double play that kept the game tied, 1-1, through eight innings.

The Huskers got their leadoff man on in the ninth when Boldt beat out an infield single for his second hit of the day, but he was only able to reach second base after BYU reliever Michael Rucker got three straight outs, including two strikeouts.

BYU also had its leadoff runner on in the ninth with a base hit from Colton Shaver, but were also unable to drive him in. After Parker Starr popped up a bunt attempt for the first out of the inning, Howell got a 4-3 double play off the bat of Jarrett Jarvis that pushed the game into extra innings.

Nebraska went down in order in the top of the 10th and Howell was in position to retire the Cougars in order, but NU’s defense committed consecutive two-out errors that put the winning run on second base. With Robinson up, BYU’s No. 3 hitter, Howell took matters into his own hands and struck out Robinson to push the game to the 11^th.

Starter Kyle Kubat didn’t factor into the decision, but gave the Huskers a strong start, going 7.1 innings in his second outing of the year. The senior lefty retired the Cougars in order three times on the afternoon, while giving up one run on seven hits and one walk, while striking out six.

After Kubat retired nine of the last 10 BYU batters he had faced, Robinson snuck a double down the right-field line with one out in the sixth and then moved to third on a wild pitch. With the Husker infield drawn in, Dallen Reber hit a grounder to Edrington and the Husker shortstop fired home, but it was wide of the plate and Robinson scored to give BYU a 1-0 lead. Kubat was able to keep the damage to one run, responding with a strikeout and a fly out.

The Nebraska offense quickly tied the game, 1-1, with a run in the top of the seventh on a two-out hit from Jake Schleppenbach. With Headley on second with two outs following a strikeout by Scott Schreiber, Schleppenbach came through with a base hit to left field that tied the game, 1-1. With Miller in scoring position at second base, BYU went to Rucker, who retired pinch-hitter Austin Christensen to end the NU seventh.

Neither team scored in the eighth, ninth or 10^th innings, setting the stage for Headley to play hero for the second-straight day.

Nebraska and BYU conclude their four-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CT).

Peoria, Ariz. – After the Nebraska baseball team (2-3, 0-0 Big Ten) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 6-3 in the opening-game a four-game series yesterday, the BYU Cougars (1-5, 0-0 WCC) rallied from 0-3 hole on Friday afternoon for a 8-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Ryan Boldt continued to swing a hot stick for the Huskers with his second straight three-hit performance.

Nebraska starter Chance Sinclair tossed three shutout innings to start the game before giving up five runs in the top of the fourth. Sinclair went on to give up seven runs on 10 hits, both career highs, and fell to 1-1 on the year.

BYU’s Jeff Barker picked up his first win of the year after lasting 6.0 innings. The righty gave up three runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out three.

Following a pair of shutout innings from Sinclair to start the game, the Husker offense got their senior starter some support with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Blake Headley led off the frame with a stand-up triple and quickly scored the game’s first run when Ben Miller followed with a double. Tanner Lubach then moved Miller to third with a sacrifice bunt that immediately paid off with a RBI single from Austin Christensen that gave the Huskers a 2-0 lead.

Nebraska pushed its lead to 3-0 in the third when Reveles roped a two-out double and scored on a RBI single by Ryan Boldt

After hanging zeroes on the board through the first three innings, Sinclair ran into trouble in the fourth when he gave up five runs on five hits and a walk. The five runs tied a then-career high for Sinclair, who gave up five runs in an entire game just three times last season.

Sinclair responded with a shutout fifth, but saw his day come to an end in the sixth when he issued consecutive walks to start the inning. Freshman Garett King took the mound and promptly loaded the bases with a HBP before walking in a run with walk. King got out of the jam with a ground ball, that scored a run, and a double play, but not before BYU added two runs without getting a hit to take a 7-3 lead.

BYU pushed its lead to 8-3 in the seventh on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly.

After notching six hits over the first four innings, the Huskers managed just three hits over the final five innings.

Game two of today’s doubleheader is scheduled to start at 4:25 p.m. (CT). Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start for the Huskers.

Peoria, Ariz. – After getting into a 3-0 deficit in the first inning to the BYU Cougars, the Nebraska baseball team fought back and tied the game 3-3 in the sixth and Blake Headley delivered a three-RBI double in the top of the ninth with two outs that gave the Huskers their first lead of the game. Nebraska’s pitching staff held the Cougars scoreless over the game’s final eight innings, including a shutout bottom of the ninth by Josh Roeder, as the Huskers posted a 6-3 victory in the opening game of a four-game series with the Cougars.

Headley made the most of his lone hit on the afternoon, while Ryan Boldt led the Huskers with a 3-for-4 performance. Jeff Chesnut picked up the win and Roeder earned his second save of the season, as four Husker relievers combined to throw 4.0 innings of shutout relief.

BYU’s Mason Marshall retired the first two Huskers he faced in the ninth before Austin Darby started a two-out rally with a single that was followed by a single from Steven Reveles. BYU turned the ball over to Michael Rucker to face Boldt, and the sophomore never got a chance to pick up his fourth hit of the day as BYU intentionally walked him after a wild pitch by Rucker put two Huskers in scoring position. With the bases loaded and two outs, Headley lined the first pitch he saw from Rucker into the left-center field gap to clear the bases and put the Huskers in front 6-3.

Roeder took the mound in the ninth and retired the first two batters he faced before BYU got back-to-back singles that brought the tying run to the plate in clean-up hitter Dillon Robinson. Roeder dug in and retired Robinson 6-3 for his 20^th career save.

Neither starter factored into the decision, as both left with the game tied 3-3. Sophomore Derek Burkamper struggled early for the Huskers, but rallied and got stronger as the game went on. The right-hander gave the Huskers 5.0 inning in his second career start and sat down the final seven Cougars he faced. Kolton Mahoney tossed 6.0 innings for BYU, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six.

The Cougars got after Burkamper, who was making his first start since February 16 of last year, with three runs on five hits in the first inning. Burkamper retired the first batter he faced, but then gave up four straight hits, including a two-RBI triple to Robinson that was followed by a RBI single by Dallen Reber.

The Huskers were in position to produce a big inning in the third when three straight singles from Austin Christensen, Jake Schleppenbach and Christian Cox loaded the bases with no out for the top of the lineup. Darby stepped to the plate for his second at bat of the game and hit into a 4-6-3 double play that did score a run, but it also put an end to NU’s momentum. Mahoney then retired Reveles, limiting the damage to just one run.

BYU then loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with one out and looked to break the game wide open, but Burkamper got a 5-3 double play off the bat Jarrett Jarvis that ended the inning and kept BYU’s lead at 3-1.

Burkamper retired the Cougars in order in both the fourth and fifth to keep Nebraska in range, and NU’s offense came through with a pair of runs in the sixth to even the game at 3-3. After a wild pitch put Boldt and Headley in scoring position with one down, Tanner Lubach hit a slow roller to second base where Tanner Chauncey tried to cut Boldt down at home, but the NU centerfielder easily scored to cut BYU’s lead to one run. Christensen then nearly gave NU a 5-3 lead with a deep blast to right field, but the Eric Urry made the catch at the warning track and Headley scored on the sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Huskers later had Lubach at third base with two outs, but Mahoney struck out Cox to end the inning.

Nebraska’s bullpen kept doing its job and Nebraska’s offense finally broke through in the ninth to complete the comeback.

The Huskers and Cougars continue their series tomorrow with a doubleheader that is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (CT). Chance Sinclair is set to start game one and Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start game two for the Huskers.