Nebraska (20-10, 10-2 Big Ten) held Penn State to two hits in a 3-1 win during the second game of a doubleheader at Medlar Field on Saturday night.
With the win, the Huskers complete a three-game sweep of the Nittany Lions. It marks Nebraska’s first three-game road conference series sweep since March 25-27, 2016 at Purdue.
Senior left-hander Nate Fisher, making his eighth start of the season, tossed 5.0 innings and allowed only one run on two hits and earned six strikeouts. Mike Waldron threw 3.0 scoreless innings and earned the win, while Shay Schanaman notched a save by pitching the final inning.
In the opening frame, Spencer Schwellenbach and Aaron Palensky strung together back-to-back singles before three consecutive outs left them stranded at first and third. Fisher retired all three Nittany Lion hitters in the bottom of the first with one strikeout.
NU went down in order in the top of the second. The Nittany Lions also went down in order as all three batters flied out to center field.
In the top of the third, Nebraska’s hitters went down 1-2-3 with a strikeout and two flyouts. Penn State plated one run in the bottom of the third to take the early 1-0 lead. The Nittany Lions drew two walks during the inning and managed one hit.
The Huskers scored one run in the top of the fourth to tie the score at 1-1. Mojo Hagge and Keegan Watson drew back-to-back walks before Luke Roskam pounded an RBI double. With runners on second and third, each of the next three Husker batters produced outs to leave them stranded. Fisher recorded two strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth to keep the score tied at 1-1.
NU left two runners on in the top of the fifth, but couldn’t take the lead. Palensky managed his second hit of the game during the inning. One Nittany Lion reached on a walk in the bottom of the fifth, but he was left stranded.
NU went down in order in the top of the sixth with two flyouts and a strikeout. Penn State’s leadoff hitter singled, but a flyout and double play kept the score tied at 1-1.
Schwellenbach recorded a base hit in the top of the seventh, but NU couldn’t bring him in. Waldron retired all three Nittany Lion batters in the bottom of the seventh.
In the top of the eighth, Nebraska scored two runs to take a 3-1 lead. Joe Acker and Roskam drew back-to-back one-out walks before Angelo Altavilla singled to load the bases. A passed ball scored one run before Cam Chick’s sacrifice fly scored NU’s second run of the inning. In the bottom of the eighth, PSU went down in order with two flyouts and a strikeout.
Alex Henwood singled in the top of the ninth, but three consecutive outs left him stranded on third base. Schanaman retired all three Nittany Lions in the bottom of the ninth.
The Huskers return home to host Kansas State at Hawks Field on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. (CT).