Nebraska’s (12-8, 3-1 Big Ten) six-game winning streak came to an end on the road Friday evening against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-13, 4-0 Big Ten). The Huskers fell on a walk-off home run to the reigning Big Ten champions.
The matchup started off well enough for Nebraska, with Mojo Hagge putting the Huskers on the board with a solo home run. Nebraska took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
💣 LEADOFF SOLO BOMB 💣
MOJO SENDS A SHOT TO RF.
Huskers lead 1-0. ⚾️🌽 pic.twitter.com/fgtc2LYckw
— Nebraska Baseball (@Husker_Baseball) March 29, 2019
Minnesota answered in the third inning, with a single, a sacrifice bunt and another single to knot it up, 1-1. The Gophers took their first lead of the game in the fifth, with a double and a single helping bring a runner home. Matt Waldron prevented further damage by picking off a runner at first.
The Huskers weren’t down for the count though. Joe Acker helped tie it up in the seventh inning.
TIE GAME. ⚾️🌽
Acker with the wheels ties it at 2.#GBR pic.twitter.com/NLKO5XB6HJ
— Nebraska Baseball (@Husker_Baseball) March 29, 2019
Neither Nebraska nor Minnesota were able to score again before extra innings. The Huskers had a chance in the 10th inning, with runners on the corners with only one out. Nebraska wasn’t able to convert.
Instead, Minnesota took advantage in the bottom of the 10th with a three-run bomb to get the win.
"Both teams had chances, they came out with one bigger play in the end,” Coach Darin Erstad on the Husker Sports Network post-game. “It was a good college baseball game. It could have went either way.”
Not to be lost in the loss, Waldron had a solid night pitching for Nebraska. The Omaha, Nebraska, native pitched eight innings before Robbie Palkert came in. Waldron allowed only two runs while striking out seven. He brought his career strikeout total to 199.
Nebraska and Minnesota resume the series on Saturday with Game 2. First pitch is schedule for 1 p.m. CT.
Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.
