There was Big Ten baseball on Monday. And it resulted in Northwestern’s head coach being ejected and Nebraska walking away with a 6-4 victory.
The Wildcats made things interesting, scoring three runs in the final two innings but the Huskers were able to salvage one win out of the series. And as bad as the series had been for Nebraska, it was important to get one win. The Huskers racked up 12 hits, which is something that hadn't happened since the Iowa series.
Aaron Palensky was the first batter of the game and started things off fast with a solo home run. Palensky had a big day going three-for-four with two RBIs.
Angelo Altavilla has really struggled as of late but broke out for one of his best games of the year on Monday. Altavilla went three-for-four with three RBIs and two doubles. This should be encouraging for the senior going into the final stretch of his career.
Reece Eddins was fantastic again for the Huskers, going 6.0 innings. He gave up five hits, one run and six strikeouts. Robbie Palkert and Colby Gomes closed the game for Nebraska to seal the win.
Now let’s take a look at three takeaways from the series
Third straight conference series loss
This was a road trip where Nebraska needed to get back on track after dropping series to Iowa and Illinois. Northwestern was one of the bottom teams in the Big Ten and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the Huskers to get things going again.
Nebraska now owns third place in the conference but missed an opportunity to make noise at the top of the standings. Things will not get easier for the Huskers with their final series against Michigan who leads the Big Ten.
Offense is necessary to win games
The Huskers have gotten away with poor offense because of how good the pitching has been. Matt Waldron and Nate Fisher did not have their best outings once again over the Northwestern series and the offense struggled to come through when it was needed.
The offense struggled to get things going against a pitching staff that did not have an impressive ERA. The Huskers shuffled the lineup in Games 2 and 3 to try and spark some runs. Nebraska finally came through in Game 3, putting together 12 hits.
Homestretch
Nebraska will head home for the final two series of the regular season. Arizona State and Michigan will be two of the best opponents that have come to Haymarket Park this season.
It will be a big opportunity for the Huskers to boost their chance at a regional appearance. Before the Northwestern series, Nebraska was projected as a three-seed, but things have changed a lot after losing two of three to the Wildcats. It almost seems necessary for Nebraska to win four of the last six to feel good about a regional appearance now.
The Huskers will kick things off with Arizona State on Friday evening with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. CT.
