Buettenback, Huskers Take Series Finale at Iowa

Max Buettenback delivered the game-tying hit, scored the go-ahead run in the eighth and added an RBI single in the ninth, as the Huskers recorded a 6-4 win at Iowa in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Duane Banks Field.

Nebraska (16-20, 5-10 Big Ten) scored six runs on seven hits and four errors, while Iowa (23-11, 14-4 Big Ten) totaled four runs, eight hits and two errors.

Buettenback led NU at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Joshua Overbeek was 2-for-4 with a homer, RBI and two runs, while Tyler Stone and Dylan Carey each had a solo home run.

Jackson Brockett pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks. Tucker Timmerman tossed 2.2 shutout frames in his return from injury.

Casey Daiss improved to 1-0 on the season after allowing an unearned run on two hits across 1.1 innings. Grant Cleavinger recorded one out, before Luke Broderick pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to pick up his seventh save of the season.

Iowa took advantage of a pair of hits in the bottom of the second inning to grab a 1-0 lead. A one-out single through the left side, followed by a groundout back to Brockett on the mound, had a runner on second with two outs. An RBI double down the left-field line broke the scoreless deadlock and gave the Hawkeyes a 1-0 lead through two innings.

The Huskers evened the game at one when Overbeek lifted a 378-foot solo homer over the right-field wall.

Brockett worked a scoreless third frame, while the Huskers added two more runs behind a pair of homers in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 3-1. Stone began the fourth inning with a 448-foot solo blast over the right-center field wall, while a two-out solo homer to left field off the bat of Carey had the Big Red out front by two.

The Hawkeyes answered with a pair of runs on one hit and two Nebraska errors in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at three. A single and one-out fielding error had runners on first and second, while a second fielding error in the inning allowed a run to come home.

Iowa evened the score with a sacrifice fly that was lifted to deep right field to send a 3-3 game into the fifth inning.

The Hawkeyes took advantage of Nebraska’s fourth error of the afternoon to plate the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. A plunked batter and a throwing error on a fielder’s choice had runners on first and second with one out. Iowa took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning after a one-out RBI double down the left-field line gave the Hawkeyes a one-run lead.

Nebraska responded immediately with two runs on one hit and two Hawekeye errors to take the lead back at 5-4. Rhett Stokes opened the inning with a walk to put the tying run at first with no outs. Buettenback roped a double down the right-field line, where Stokes scored on an errant relay throw to tie the game at four.

Buettenback scored from second on a play where Stone reached on a throwing error from the Iowa second baseman to give the Big Red a 5-4 lead. 

Broderick replaced Cleavinger on the mound in the bottom of the eighth with runners on second and third and two outs. The right-hander induced a lineout to right field to preserve Nebraska’s lead through eight innings.

The Big Red added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to double the lead to 6-4. Overbeek began the inning with a single through the left side and moved to second on Riley Silva’s sacrifice bunt. Stokes advanced Overbeek to third with a groundout to shortstop for the second out of the inning, before Buettenback lined an RBI single to left field to plate Overbeek and make it a 6-4 game.

Iowa brought the tying run to the plate after a four-pitch walk with one out. Broderick induced a popup for third base for the second out, while Silva made a leaping catch at the wall in center field to preserve Nebraska’s 6-4 win on Sunday.

Nebraska travels to Omaha on Tuesday, April 15 for a midweek matchup at Creighton. First pitch between the Huskers and Bluejays is set for 6 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field on FS1.