On a Saturday afternoon that began with a line of fans stretched into the parking lot, patiently waiting to enter the gates of Haymarket Park, Nebraska (36-14) completed an emphatic comeback to take down Iowa (29-20) 15-11 and secure the series victory.
The Huskers had no issues against Hawkeyes starter Maddux Frese, using a third-inning grand slam from Will Jeske to knock the right-hander out of the game after three innings. Dylan Carey put his stamp on senior weekend, hitting his second home run of the series to tie the game at 11-11, before junior outfielder Max Buettenback hit a go-ahead single to push NU ahead 12-11.
It wasn’t close to the end of the inning, as Nebraska would rally to score seven runs in the bottom of the eighth against three different Iowa pitchers, highlighted by RBIs from junior center fielder Mac Moyer and junior catcher Larry Fikes.
On the mound, Ty Horn helped shore up some of the Huskers’ rotation concerns in his return as a starter, throwing six strong innings and holding a talented Iowa lineup to two runs. But the bullpen concerns continued as the Hawkeyes scored nine runs over the seventh and eighth innings, leaving Nebraska with even more questions down the stretch.
Instant reactions from an NU win that can only be described as insanity:
Carey goes deep late to spark Huskers’ comeback
There is never a dull moment when Nebraska has the bat in its hands down late at Haymarket Park.
That was once again the case on Saturday when Carey came to the plate. After the bullpen surrendered nine runs over the seventh and eighth innings, the outlook for an afternoon win seemed dull. But the senior shortstop, like he has so many times this season, came through.
Moyer and Fikes started the rally in the bottom of the eighth with leadoff singles. With two on and nobody out, Carey sat back on a middle-middle slider, hitting it into the trees in center field. And in the quickest of moments, the game had turned on its head.
Buettenback then stole the show with a pinch-hit RBI single to center, before Moyer batted around and legged out an infield single to push Nebraska ahead 13-11. Fikes then hit a two RBI single to center to score two more in an inning that saw the Huskers bring 14 batters to the plate. In a roundabout way, it brought things back to the way the game started: a Jeske grand slam.
In a moment that was nearly forgotten by the end of the afternoon, Jeske found himself up in the bottom of the third inning after NU’s first three hitters reached base on a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases.
The junior didn’t miss his pitch, unloading on a hanging breaking ball from Frese and hitting it 397-feet onto the berm in left to give the Huskers a 5-0 lead at the time.
Jeske continued to impact the lineup throughout the rest of the afternoon. He reached base two more times, going 2-for-3 in a four-RBI day.
Nebraska’s bullpen implodes late
The initial hope in moving Cooper Katskee to the bullpen was that it would solve some of the issues that led to his 5.40 ERA as a starter this season. However, that did not seem to be the case on Saturday.
The junior right-hander followed Horn and came on for a clean inning to start the seventh. Frankly, it did not go well. Katskee fell behind to Matthew Delgado to start the inning, before the catcher lined a single into right. He then hit and walked a batter to load the bases, setting the stage for a two-RBI single from pinch-hitter Mitch Wood.
It was not the same version of Katskee that the Huskers saw come out of the bullpen earlier this season. Entering the day, he had a 1.86 bullpen ERA in five relief appearances, with 12 strikeouts over 9.2 innings of work.
Nebraska would escape the inning with a 7-6 lead after J’Shawn Unger induced a flyout to right field, but the eighth would bring more trouble.
Unger was not his best against the Buckeyes last weekend, giving up three runs in two-thirds of an inning in Sunday’s series finale. The sophomore continued to give up big innings against the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s bats stayed hot in the eighth, bringing across five earned runs before the inning ended for an 11-8 lead.
After sophomore left-hander Colin Nowaczyk finished the inning without allowing any further damage, junior Tucker Timmerman came on for a rare save opportunity. The right-hander shut down the Hawkeyes, completing an emotional Nebraska comeback.
Horn shines in first start since April 10
Besides a consistent presence in sophomore Carson Jasa, it’s been a rocky road for Nebraska starters in recent weeks, something that’s left head coach Will Bolt searching for answers. After Saturday, he may have found that answer in Horn.
Horn struggled in his first stint as the Huskers’ Friday starter this season, where he posted a 4.68 ERA in nine starts before he was ultimately moved to the bullpen.
The bullpen move proved to be beneficial for the junior, who flashed in high-leverage and bulk relief roles over eight appearances. Over 17 innings out of the bullpen, Horn struck out 17 with a 3.18 ERA. Paired with Cooper Katskee’s rotation struggles, it opened the door for another chance on the weekend.
The right-hander’s success started with the fastball. Horn entered the day without having surrendered a walk since his last start against Oregon on April 10. He commanded the zone once again on Saturday, using a fastball that sat at 95 mph to induce weak contact and swing-and-miss against Iowa.
Horn showed his best stuff out of the gate, working around an error in the second inning before he allowed his first hit to designated hitter Ben Swails to start the third. After another single from the Hawkeyes put runners on the corners with one out, Horn stepped up to the moment, picking off a baserunner at first base before he generated a flyout against talented second baseman Gable Mitchell to end the inning.
Adversity struck in the top of the fifth when Horn hung a 3-2 changeup to third baseman Jaixen Frost, who deposited the pitch into the crowd in left center. He would retire the next three hitters to end the frame, but again surrendered the long ball to center fielder Miles Risley in the top of the sixth.
Horn earned the final out of the sixth inning on a sharp groundout by first baseman Caleb Wulf to end his day at 93 pitches. His final line: six innings, two earned runs, four hits and six strikeouts.
Nebraska goes for the series sweep on Sunday behind sophomore right-hander Gavin Blachowicz. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.