Statistically, Nebraska baseball dominated Northeastern in the second game of the MLB Desert Invitational Saturday night in Mesa, Ariz. But the final score, 7-4, doesn’t necessarily reflect that.
Plus, there was drama at the end. Mississippi State transfer Kevin Mannell, the Husker closer for this game, struck out the first batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth, but gave up back-to-back walks after that. A ground-ball force out left runners at first and third with Northeastern’s lead-off hitter at bat.
The count was 2-and-2.
Tension mounted.
Swing and a miss, strike three.
Mannell began the celebration.
“Mannell finishing it there was fun to watch,” Coach Will Bolt said on the Huskers Radio Network post-game. It was “just a great performance by our bullpen,” Bolt said.
Mannell, who earned the save, was among three Nebraska relievers, following Grant Clevinger and Ryan Harrahill. They didn’t allow a hit in four innings and struck out five, adding to the performance of starter Carson Jasa, who struck out nine, including seven in a row after giving up three runs on three hits and a walk in the second inning. A fourth run was unearned because of his errant throw to first.
Otherwise, “Jasa was just dominant,” said Bolt. He threw 90 pitches.
Northeastern’s 3-1 lead in the second was short-lived. The Huskers scored three in the top of the third, with Max Buettenback doubling in two and Cole Kitchens singling in the other.
“They kind of threw that first big haymaker. He (Jasa) couldn’t finish the (second) inning,” Bolt said.
Jasa had gotten the first two batters out.
“They threw that first punch, and we came right back and countered, grabbed that lead right back, grabbed the momentum,” Bolt said.
Northeastern scored the tying run in the fifth on the Jasa error. Nebraska responded with two in the sixth and one in the seventh to earn a second victory in the Invitational.
The Huskers punched back Friday night, after Connecticut scored one in the top of the first, by scoring four in the bottom of the inning and one the next inning on the way to a 12-2 mercy-rule victory.
Northeastern lost its first game to Grand Canyon, also by the mercy rule, 10-0.
As indicated at the start, Nebraska overwhelmed Northeastern statistically. The Huskers had 14 hits and left 12 runners on base, while the pitchers struck out the combined 14. The 14 hits included two each by Buettenback, Carey, Kitchens, Joshua Overbeek, Case Sanderson and Jett Buck.
The Huskers now have 30 hits in two games.
Overbeek also had two runs-batted-in, as well as two doubles.
“What a performance by our guys once again,” said Bolt. “We’re battling hard with two strikes.”
And with two outs. Five of the Husker runs scored with two outs.
Also, Nebraska struck out only six times, compared to 10 in 7.2 innings Friday night.
Grand Canyon is next up for the Huskers Sunday, in Mesa, streaming on MLB.com. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. Grand Canyon is 1-1 after falling to Penn State Saturday, 9-3.
Transfer Cooper Katskee, the MAC Pitcher of the Year at Miami (Ohio) last season, was scheduled to start his first game as a Husker. But he’s feeling under the weather, according to Bolt, so Gavin Blachowitz, who was slated to start Monday’s game against Stanford, will move up in the rotation.
