HUSKER BASEBALL: Career Day For Evans Helps Nebraska Run-Rule Northern Colorado

LINCOLN–(NU Athletics Mar. 8)–Cole Evans belted two of Nebraska’s five home runs in a 14-3 run-rule win in seven innings vs. Northern Colorado on Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field.

The five NU homers are the most for the Big Red in a game since hitting five in an 18-10 win at No. 12 Arizona State on March 1, 2020. Nebraska has now homered in 11 consecutive games, tying the 2004 team for the longest streak in program history since at least 1992.

Drew Christo made his first start of the season, allowing two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. Caleb Clark recorded his first win as a Husker after pitching 2.1 one-hit innings and striking out four. Mason Ornelas threw two hitless innings with two strikeouts, while Will Walsh tossed the final inning.

Evans led the Huskers at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, three RBI and two runs. Charlie Fischer was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs. Gabe Swansen had a 2-for-4 day with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs. Brice Matthews went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, while Griffin Everitt added a three-run homer.

Northern Colorado scored the game’s first two runs on a pair of hits in the top of the second. Back-to-back singles put runners on first and third with one out, while a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly had the Bears out front heading to the bottom of the second.

The Huskers answered immediately with a pair of two-run homers in the second to grab a 4-2 advantage over the Bears. Fischer reached on a leadoff single, before Swansen blasted a two-run shot into the batter’s eye in center. Ben Columbus drew a four-pitch walk to set up Evans’ two-run homer over the fence in left-center for his first long ball of the afternoon.

Clark shut down the Bears in the third and fourth innings, while Evans smacked a solo homer into the UNC bullpen to stretch the lead to three after four innings.

Back-to-back doubles from Max Anderson and Fischer had the Big Red out front 7-2 with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Swansen followed with a single to left-center, while Fischer was able to score on an fielding error by the Bears’ outfielder. An RBI from Everitt on a fielder’s choice allowed Swansen to touch home and make it an 8-2 game after five innings.

The bats stayed hot for the NU offense in the sixth, as the Huskers plated six runs on six hits to extend the lead to 14-2. Matthews blasted a no-out two-run homer to left, while an RBI single to right by Fischer jumped the Nebraska lead to nine.

Everitt provided the final damage by launching a three-run homer down the right-field line to make it a 12-run game going into the seventh.

Northern Colorado tacked on its final run of the day with a solo home run to right field by Jacob Banister. The play was originally ruled a double, but the play was reversed to a home run after a review by the umpires.

Nebraska welcomes Illinois State to Hawks Field this weekend for a three-game series. First pitch in the series opener between the Huskers and Redbirds is set for 4:05 p.m. on Friday.