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No. 20 Nebraska baseball takes down Illinois 12-5 to even series behind 18 hits

by: Bobby Schneider04/25/26bschneider33

No. 20 Nebraska baseball (32-11, 16-4) evened the series at Illinois (21-20, 9-11) by taking Game 2, 12-5 on Saturday in Champaign.

Carson Jasa (8-1, 3.93 ERA) posted five innings off 100 pitches (49 strikes) and allowed two runs. The sophomore righty recorded five strikeouts, but issued six walks, along with plunking two and tossing a wild pitch.

Offensively, the Big Red plated those 12 runs off a whopping 18 hits for a new season high, including going 7-for-9 at lead-off.

“Their starter hadn’t given up a whole lot of hits this year,” head coach Will Bolt told the Huskers Radio Network postgame. “We did just such a great job. I think it was seven or eight lead-off hitters on base in this game.

“We just did a fantastic job of being focused and hitting flat balls, and taking our walks.”

Up 9-5 in the top of the ninth, three consecutive doubles from Mac Moyer, Dylan Carey and Case Sanderson to lead off the inning put the game out of reach.

Third baseman Joshua Overbeek led the way, going 3-for-5 for three RBI.

Here is an instant recap from NU’s series-tying win…

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Big Red offense takes advantage of early opportunities

Unlike its cold start in Game 1, Nebraska pounced on Illini starter Mitch Dye to plate eight runs in just 3 1/3 innings.

Left fielder Jett Buck and Overbeek each reached to set the table for a three-run second frame. Moments later, true freshman right fielder Drew Grego put the Big Red up 1-0 with an RBI single to center.

Second baseman Rhett Stokes followed with a beauty of a bunt to load the bases before catcher Trey Fikes and Moyer each added an RBI for NU to lead 3-0.

After gifting NU two free passes in the third, Overbeek cashed in for two more runs with his two-RBI single to left field before Stokes made it 6-0 with an RBI groundout.

That free passes and ball-in-play pressure carried into the fourth as the Big Red added another two runs. Moyer drew a lead-off walk before swiping second and ultimately scoring off a wild pitch. Buck later drilled Nebraska’s eighth run home with an RBI single.

Jasa manages traffic, but command causes concern

While Jasa only surrendered two runs in his start, the 49 strikes to 51 balls for eight issued free passes cause some concern.

The 6-foot-7 Nebraska arm brought the heat early by fanning five Illini batters through just two frames. Yet he tossed his final three without recording a strikeout.

In the third, Illinois landed its first punch off an RBI single thanks to an E3 and a walk issued earlier in the frame. However, Jasa remained calm to escape the jam and limit the damage.

But in the fourth, Jasa lost his command by yielding a lead-off single before issuing back-to-back walks to load the bases — all of which were 3-0 counts to start the frame.

After an RBI sac-fly to cut the Husker lead to six and another walk allowed, Nebraska avoided a disaster by forcing a 5-3 double play.

More traffic ensued in the fifth after another single, and Jasa allowed two more free passes. But yet again, he escaped the jam due to savvy fielding that helped force a pickle and two groundouts.

“We made some plays defensively to come out of some decent-sized jams there,” Bolt said.

He added, “The game probably would have gone differently if (Jasa) hadn’t had to throw so many two-out pitches today. I think he had 33 two-out pitches, maybe in the third inning.”

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Nebraska awakens after Illinois threatens

Righty Tucker Timmerman worked a clean sixth inning in relief of Jasa, which included a highlight-reel 1-6-3 double play with Sanderson fully extending at first base.

Despite firm control in the sixth, Illinois got to Timmerman in the seventh to plate two and cut the Nebraska lead to four. With the bases loaded and two down, pitching coach Rob Childress turned to closer J’Shawn Unger (SV: 9).

However, Unger walked in the Fighting Illini’s fifth run to make it 8-5 before recording the third out to strand the bases loaded.

After three consecutive scoreless innings and its lead cut to three, the Big Red barrels responded in the top of the eighth. Sanderson and designated hitter Will Jesske each drilled singles to lead off the inning. Buck followed with an RBI sac-fly to make it 9-5.

Yet NU left more on the board after stranding the bases loaded with just one out. In the bottom of the eighth, Unger worked through another jam by forcing a 6-4-3 double play and a flyout to Moyer to shut down Illinois.

Leading 12-5 after a three-run top of the ninth, Unger recorded the final three outs.

Nebraska returns to the ball diamond at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday for the rubber match against Illinois. Watch on B1G+ or listen on the Huskers Radio Network.

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