Bolt-Ball: Sweeping Down South

Big Red bats alive and well as 29 total runs lead Nebraska to a 3 game sweep of South Alabama.

Picture Via Nebraska Athletics

Game 1

In what can be best described as one of those sloppy baseball games, Nebraska took game 1 of the series on Friday night taking down the Jags 5-4. In the game, Nebraska hit 6 batters while South Alabama hit 5. Free bases galore as Husker fans got to rewind the clock to Football season with that "here we go again" feeling. Emmett Olson got the W on the bump for the Huskers as he went 5 1/3 striking out 5 and giving away 4 bases. However, Olson only gave up 2 hits and 2 earned runs. He was relieved by Schanaman, Worthley, and Perry to close out the Friday night game as this would the closest game the Skers played all weekend. The bright spot of this group on the mound was Freshman pitcher Jalen Worthley. Worthley came into a tough spot in the bottom of the 8th and after what seem to be a required staple of this game (HBP) got a massive flyout to strand the tying and go ahead runs.

The Big Red bats had another tough Friday night with runners in scoring position but got just enough runs on the board to outlast the Jags. Although Garrett Anglim homered in the second inning, the deciding runs would come in a much more situational role. Ben Columbus was the "hero" here as his 2 ground balls to the second baseman and HBP would bring home the decisive runs. Caron and Burnham also posted EBH's as the Skers gritted their way to a Series opening win.

Game 2

The Huskers must have gone full Pedro Cerrano on their bats after the Friday night game because they came alive and showed no intention of going back to sleep the rest of the weekend. Jace Kaminska got the nod on the mound, and he came through for this Husker staff in filling up the zone. In his 5 1/3 innings pitched he only allowed 1 walk and he hit 0 batters, a stat line that was hard to come by after Friday night. He was relieved by Jackson Brockett and JC Gutierrez who gave away no free passes and only allowed a combined 2 hits. This was more than enough for the Husker offense who posted 15 runs on 14 hits, which included 3 EBH and 2 Homers. Junior Brice Matthews was the shining bat in the lineup as he went 3 for 4 with a HR, 2B, and 3 RBI while also posting a BB out of the leadoff spot. His 7th inning 3-run shot was headed toward E.T on his bike ride. Matthews will continue to play a huge role for this Husker team.

However, the Huskers cannot take all of the credit for those 15 runs as only 10 of them went down as Earned Runs. The Jags defense just couldn't find the right hop as they posted 5 errors in this Saturday matchup. Something that will surely bring their SBC hopes crashing down.

Game 3

For the first time in 2023, Nebraska got to break out the Black Uniforms with a sweep on the line. I like to tell myself this means funeral implications for the opposing team as well. Nebraska saw some new faces post great lines as they picked up the 9-3 win to close out a much-needed weekend for themselves and Husker nation. On the mound, Caleb Clark got the start and he tossed for 3 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits. Most of the Jags production came in the 4th where Clark left the game and Garza entered. This was no outlook on how the rest of the game would go for the Jags offense as 5th year Senior Michael Garza (transfer from Incarnate Word) mowed down the Jags for the remaining innings. Garza went 6 innings, only allowing 1 hit while striking out 3. Icing on top of the weekend cake for the Huskers.

As I mentioned, the Nebraska bats were full of piss and vinegar all Saturday and Sunday. In game 3, Nebraska posted 13 hits that included 3 EBH and 4 Homers. Who shined? Where do I start? I guess the only right answer is with Josh Caron. The Sophomore Wisconsinite blasted 2 tanks in the Sunday blacks which played a huge role in setting the tone that stuck. He ended up going 3 for 4 with 5 RBIs. Carons second homer was followed by a Charlie Fischer missile over the RF wall as the Huskers went back-to-back for the first time in 2023. Another Husker launching a tator-tot was Garrett Anglim, as he went off the batters eye in the top of the 5th. All leading to a happy flight home as the Skers get back to .500 (kind of) in 2023.

Takeaways and Looking Ahead

It was a solid bounce back for Nebraska this past weekend and some specific pieces showed glimpses of just what the Big Red needed. For starters, Max Anderson extended his multi-hit game streak to 5. We talked early this preseason about how important his presence is in this lineup, and he continues to come through. Another piece this new team has is raw power. Top to bottom in this lineup (differing from last year) is the ability to drive the baseball out of the yard. Not something I ever want a team to depend on but definitely a nice addition for this squad. Finally, we saw more consistent strike-throwing after Friday night and it is imperative for this pitching staff to build off of that momentum.

The road is not getting any easier for the Huskers as they travel to take on Vanderbilt, Hawaii, and defending National Champion Ole Miss this coming weekend in Minnesota. This will be a good tell-all type of weekend for the Husker faithful and might give a better look into what B1G play will be like. See you all in U.S Bank!

GBR.