LINCOLN–(NU Athletics Oct. 11)–The Nebraska baseball team held its opening game of the Red-White Series on Friday night, with the White squad picking up a 9-2 win in seven innings at Hawks Field.

White had nine runs on eight hits, while Red scored two runs on four hits and three errors.

Mason McConnaughey earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on four hits with six punchouts and three walks in four innings of work. Caleb Clark and TJ Coats teamed up to record the next three outs, while Casey Daiss and Grant Cleavinger pitched one scoreless frame apiece.

Red’s Drew Christo took the loss, surrendering five runs, three earned, on five hits with a strikeout and a walk in 2.1 innings. Aiden White tossed the next 1.2 innings, before Blake Encarnacion, Colin Nowaczyk and Trey Frahm made one-inning appearances out of the bullpen.

Jesske had a 3-for-4 night with two doubles, a pair of RBI and a run scored. Rhett Stokes went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Hogan Helligso, Dylan Carey and Coats had one hit each.

Jaron Cotton led the Red offense with a 2-for-3 performance. Cotton and Gabe Swansen scored the two runs, while Cayden Brumbaugh and Cael Frost recorded a hit.

White broke the scoreless tie with a run in the top of the second to grab a 1-0 lead. Jesske ripped a one-out double and stole third, while an RBI groundout to second by Helligso brought home the sophomore to give White the lead.

The lead stretched to four in the third inning behind a pair of hits from the White offense and two errors from the Red team. Rhett Stokes was plunked, while Robby Bolin reached on a fielding error to place runners on first and third with no outs. An RBI single to the right side from Carey doubled the lead for White to 2-0.

Max Buettenback drew a full-count walk, before an RBI fielder’s choice joined with an errant throwing error brought home Bolin and Carey to make it a 4-0 game. Jesske capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI single that plated Case Sanderson.

Red got one of the four runs back in the bottom of the third with a bases-loaded walk. Cotton and Brumbaugh led off the inning with back-to-back singles, while a four-pitch walk to Colin Cymbalista loaded the bases with two outs. Joshua Overbeek followed with full-count walk bring home Cotton and plate Red’s first run of the night.

White immediately answered with a pair of runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-1. With runners on second and third with one out, Carey was intentionally walked to load the bases. A wild pitch advanced all runners ahead a base, before Buettenback lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Stokes.

The two teams exchanged runs in the fifth, scoring one run each to take a six-run game into the final two innings.

Sanderson opened the seventh with a walk, before Jesske roped an RBI double to deep left to give the White team its 9-2 lead.

The Red-White Series continues tomorrow afternoon at 2:05 p.m. at Hawks Field.