Nebraska rolled to a 12-2 win in seven innings against UConn at the MLB Desert Invitational on Friday night at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Nebraska (1-0) scored 12 runs on 16 hits, while UConn (0-1) totaled two runs, four hits and an error.

The Husker offense hit 8-of-14 with two outs and 11-of-23 with runners in scoring position on Friday night.

Cole Kitchens, Dylan Carey and Case Sanderson led the Big Red with three hits apiece. Kitchens was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Sanderson went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Carey had a 3-for-5 night with a triple and team-high four RBI.

Jeter Worthley was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored in his Husker debut, and Joshua Overbeek had a 2-for-3 performance with a double, three runs driven in and three runs scored.

Ty Horn allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks in 4.2 innings. Caleb Clark moved to 1-0 on the season after surrendering a run across 1.2 innings with three punchouts and a pair of walks. Tucker Timmerman recorded the final two outs for the NU pitching staff.

UConn opened the scoring in the opening frame with one run on a pair of hits. A plunked batter and an infield single had runners on first and second with two outs, while a first-pitch RBI single through the right side broke the scoreless deadlock.

The Husker offense responded with four runs behind two hits in the bottom of the first to hold a 4-1 lead through the first inning. Je. Worthley was hit by the pitch, while Overbeek drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. Carey laced a 1-2 pitch into the gap in left-center field to bring home Je. Worthley and tie the game at one apiece.

Max Buettenback followed Carey’s RBI single with a full-count walk to load the bases, before Kitchens delivered a bases-clearing double inside the right-field foul line to give the Big Red a 4-1 advantage.

Nebraska took advantage of a pair of walks to Je. Worthley and Sanderson and a single from Buck that set up an RBI fielder’s choice from Overbeek that stretched the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the second.

Horn and Clark combined to keep the Huskies scoreless in the second through sixth innings, before the Husker offense tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to expand the lead to 8-1.

The Big Red had runners on first and third with one out after a walk to Buck and Sanderson’s single to right field. Overbeek followed Sanderson by ripping a first-pitch two-RBI double down the right-field line, before Carey lined a first-pitch RBI single to left field, plating Overbeek and making it an 8-1 game through six innings.

UConn took advantage of two free passes in the top of the seventh, scoring their second run of the night on an RBI single to left field.

The Huskers answered with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh to give NU its 12-2 run-rule victory in seven innings. Back-to-back doubles from Je. Worthley and Buck plated the first run, while consecutive singles from Sanderson and Overbeek tacked on a second run in the inning. Carey capped the scoring in the inning and ended the game with a two-RBI triple to the wall in center field.

Nebraska continues play at the MLB Desert Invitational, as the Huskers take on Northeastern tomorrow night at Sloan Park. First pitch between the Big Red and Huskies is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

Huskers Fall to No. 3 Tennessee, 4-1

The No. 11 Nebraska softball team logged only one hit and lost to the No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers, 4-1, on Friday afternoon in Clearwater, Fla.

Samantha Bland was responsible for the Huskers’ (4-4) lone hit, a single in the third inning that advanced Hannah Coor, who would eventually score on a Jesse Farrell sacrifice fly to account for NU’s one run.

Jordy Frahm (1-3) took the loss in the circle, as she allowed four runs and six hits in 4.2 innings. Frahm also struck out four batters. Erin Nuwer (3-0) claimed the win for Tennessee and Karlyn Pickens grabbed a save.

The Vols scored one in the fourth inning and three in the fifth to close out the victory. 

NU will continue tournament play tomorrow, Feb. 14 against UCF at 12:30 p.m. (CT) in Clearwater, Fla. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.

No. 5 Huskers Rally Past No. 11 Illinois, 28-11

After falling behind 11-0 through the first two bouts, the No. 5 Nebraska wrestling team (11-6, 4-3 Big Ten) won eight straight bouts to defeat No. 11 Illinois (11-5, 4-3 Big Ten), 28-11, Friday night in Champaign. 

Illinois opened the dual with wins at 125 and 133 to take an early 11-0 lead. No. 16 Spencer Moore pinned Kael Lauridsen before No. 1 Lucas Byrd recorded a 17-2 tech. fall over Alan Koehler. 

At 141, No. 4 Brock Hardy sparked the Husker comeback against Will Baysingar. Hardy opened with a takedown and built a 6-1 first-period lead. The senior added two takedowns in the second, along with an escape and a stall call, before finishing with two more takedowns to secure a 20-4 tech. fall and put NU on the board. 

At 149, No. 20 Chance Lamer scored a late first-period takedown against No. 30 Michael Gioffre. An escape in the second extended the lead to 4-0 before Gioffre recorded a reversal in the third. Lamer answered with an escape and held on for the 5-2 decision. 

A top-10 matchup followed at 157, where No. 3 Antrell Taylor faced No. 9 Kannon Webster. After a scoreless first period, Webster took the 1-0 lead with an escape in the second. Taylor tied it with an escape early in the third but fell behind 2-1 on a stall call. With 10 seconds remaining, the Omaha native secured a clutch takedown to claim a 4-2 decision and his 12th straight dual win. 

With the team score tied 11-11 at intermission, No. 7 LJ Araujo faced No. 8 Braeden Scoles in another top-10 matchup. After missing last weekend while competing for a spot on Team Brazil, the redshirt freshman opened with a takedown before Scoles answered with a reversal. Araujo added an escape and a second-period reversal to regain control. Despite a late reversal by Scoles, Araujo secured an escape and riding time to earn the 8-5 decision.

At 174, No. 4 Christopher Minto defeated No. 25 Colin Kelly, 4-1. The pair were scoreless through the first period before Minto recorded an escape in the second. Kelly tied it up in the third, but Minto captured a takedown with 20 seconds remaining for his 40th career victory. 

Leading 17-11, No. 6 Silas Allred took on No. 18 Chris Moore at 184. Allred grabbed a late first-period takedown and added an escape in the second. Moore scored an escape, but Allred countered with another takedown to win by decision, 7-1. 

At 197, No. 9 Camden McDanel clinched the team victory with a 15-4 major decision over Cade Lautt. McDanel recorded takedowns in the first two periods and controlled the third to seal the win. 

In the final bout, No. 4 AJ Ferrari defeated No. 13 Luke Luffman, 11-4, by major decision. Ferrari scored a last-second takedown in the first, Nebraska’s fifth takedown in the final 15 seconds of a period, before adding an escape in the second. Luffman managed an escape, but Ferrari closed with two more takedowns and riding time to claim the 28-11 team victory. 

Up Next
The Huskers travel to Bloomington to face No. 20 Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 15. The final conference dual is set for 11 a.m. (CT) and will be televised on BTN, with live stats available on Trackwrestling.

No. 5 Nebraska 28, No. 11 Illinois 11
125: #16 Spencer Moore pinned Kael Lauridsen 3:57 (ILL 6, NEB 0)
133: #1 Lucas Byrd tech. fall Alan Koehler 17-2 (5:59) (ILL 11, NEB 0)
141: #4 Brock Hardy tech. fall Will Baysingar 20-4 (6:31) (ILL 11, NEB 5)
149: #20 Chance Lamer dec. #30 Michael Gioffre 5-2 (ILL 11, NEB 8)
157: #3 Antrell Taylor dec. #9 Kannon Webster 4-2 (NEB 11, ILL 11)
165: #7 LJ Araujo dec. #8 Braeden Scoles 8-5 (NEB 14, ILL 11)
174: #4 Christopher Minto dec. #25 Colin Kelly 4-1 (NEB 17, ILL 11)
184: #6 Silas Allred dec. #18 Chris Moore 7-1 (NEB 20, ILL 11)
197: #9 Camden McDanel major dec. Cade Lautt 15-4 (NEB 24, ILL 11)
HWT: #4 AJ Ferrari major dec. #13 Luke Luffman 11-4 (NEB 28, ILL 11)