Jake Mort drove in a pair of runs in NU- Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Cody Neer went 2-for-5 with a homer, while Jake Mort and DJ Belfonte drove in two runs apiece, leading Nebraska to a 8-6 victory over Iowa in a fall exhibition game at Duane Banks Field Friday night.
Neer’s solo homer capped a three-run third inning that would give the Huskers all the offense they needed before breaking open the contest with four runs in the 10th. Nebraska withstood a Hawkeye rally, as Iowa scored four times in the bottom of the 10th before Mike Mariot struck out Chett Zeise to preserve the win.
“I was really pleased with how we played all three phases of the game tonight,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “We were strong on the mound and defensively and were able to string together some hits at key times. The experience of being on the road over the last two days and playing tonight was beneficial because it helped our guys understand the process we go through on the road.
While NU rapped out 10 hits, it was the pitching staff that controlled the contest through the first nine frames, when the Huskers held a 4-2 lead. A total of 10 Husker pitchers allowed just five singles on the night, while starter Michael Nesseth tossed two shutout innings, allowing just one ball out of the infield for the win.
“It was good to see Nesseth go out there and throw well,” Anderson said. “We have limited his work this fall, and to see him go out there and pitch effectively was very encouraging. I was very encouraged by the work that our staff has done. We did a good job of throwing strikes most of the evening and pitching to contact to let our defense make plays behind them. Eric has done a great job of working with this staff and we saw the effort on Wednesday and tonight. That was very encouraging.”
Nebraska held the Hawkeyes hitless over the first 4.2 innings and combined for six strikeouts on the night, as the Huskers used the majority of their pitching staff.
The Huskers struck for three runs in the top of the third against Iowa starter Michael Jacobs. A leadoff single by Kale Kiser and a one-out double off the bat of Kyle Bubak put runner on second and third with one out. Nick Sullivan’s grounder went through the legs of first baseman T.J. Cataldo, plating both runners and spotting NU a 2-0 lead. Moments later, Neer made it a 3-0 game, lining a Jacobs’ offering over the fence in left for a solo homer.
The Huskers tacked on another run in the top of the sixth, as Boomer Collins opened the frame with a triple to center before a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ben Kline plated Collins to make it a 4-0 game.
Iowa got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh, as Justin Toole singled to open the inning and eventually came around to score on a safety squeeze by Cataldo.
The Hawkeyes rallied in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases on a one-out single by Justin Toole single and two walks by Yost. The Husker right-hander got out of the inning with minimal damage, as a Cataldo sacrifice fly made it 4-2 before Yost fanned Zeise to end the frame.
Cataldo drove in three of the Hawkeyes’ six runs on the night, going 1-for-3 with a pair of sacrifices.
Nebraska broke the game open in the 10th, getting two-run singles from Jake Mort and DJ Belfonte to push the lead to 8-2. Consecutive singles by Neer and Cade Thompson opened the inning before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Two batters later, Cody Burleson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Mort than slapped a single to left for a pair of runs before Belfonte found a hole through the infield for a two-run single to make it a six-run lead.
Iowa took advantage of some wildness by Matt Freeman in the bottom 10th, as the Hawkeyes took advantage of three walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches to score three runs without the aid of a hit. Iowa eventually got the tying run to the plate before Cataldo’s RBI single off of Michael Mariot pulled Iowa within 8-6. Mariott then fanned Chett Zeise to end the Huskers’ fall campaign.
The Huskers will not be in action until Feb. 1, when they conduct their first workout of the spring.
