The baseball season is still alive for the Big Red. Nebraska secured a crucial victory Saturday afternoon, eliminating Holy Cross from the Chapel Hill Regional with a 4-1 win. The Huskers improve their record to 33-28, while the Holy Cross Crusaders conclude their season at 31-27.
The game started tensely for Nebraska, as Holy Cross briefly held the lead. The Crusaders went up 1-0 in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Sean Scanlon.
However, that advantage for the Massachusetts team was short-lived. Nebraska immediately responded in the bottom of the fifth when Cayden Brumbaugh hit a two-run homer, flipping the script and putting the Huskers up 2-1.
Nebraska’s offense continued its momentum with Hogan Helligson, who delivered in back-to-back innings. He launched a solo home run in the seventh before knocking a single in the eighth to drive in Rhett Stokes, solidifying the 4-1 victory.
The Big Red bullpen delivered a strong performance, giving the pitching staff a much-needed break after their 7-4 opening game loss Friday to Oklahoma. Ty Horn was instrumental on the mound, allowing just one run over 7.1 innings, giving up five hits while striking out six. Luke Broderick sealed the deal flawlessly, pitching 1.2 hitless innings to earn his 13th save of the year.
With this win, Nebraska advances to another elimination game on Sunday. The Huskers are set to face the loser of the North Carolina vs. Oklahoma matchup at 11 a.m. CDT.