Columbus, Ohio — Mother Nature was the only winner on Friday evening, as Nebraska’s Big Ten series opener at Ohio State was suspended because of inclement weather in the middle of the fourth inning.
Nebraska built a 5-2 lead after three and a half innings before lightning and rain suspended play for the night after a 30-minute delay. Action will now resume Saturday at 2:05 p.m. (central) while Saturday’s regularly scheduled game will now take place 30 minutes following the end of the suspended game.
Nebraska pushed across runs in three of the first four frames while Husker starter Jake Hohensee settled down after a rocky start to retire the final nine Buckeyes he faced. The right-hander allowed two runs – one earned – and fanned four over three no-hit innings.
Zac Repinski and Jake Meyers had two hits apiece for NU while Scott Schreiber drove in a pair of runs.
Nebraska struck quickly against OSU right-hander Yianni Pavlopoulos, racing out to a 1-0 lead three batters into the contest. Meyers opened the game by ripping a double down the right field line, moved to third on Angelo Altavilla’s sacrifice bunt and came home as Schreiber lined a sharp single to center.
In the bottom of the frame, the Buckeyes took advantage of a leadoff walk and a Husker error to plate a pair of runs off Hohensee. A walk and an error gave the Buckeyes runners on second and third with no outs before sacrifice flies from Dominic Canzone and Brady Cherry put the hosts ahead 2-1.
Nebraska regained the lead in the top of the second, pushing across three runs in the second to take a 4-2 lead and getting to the Buckeyes’ bullpen. Luke Roskam opened the second with a double and moved to third on a Pavlopoulous’ wild pitch, a pitch that ended the OSU starter’s evening, as he left the game with a leg injury. Two batters later, Repinski blooped an RBI single to center to even the score with his first RBI of the season. After an infield single by Jesse Wilkening put runners on the corners, Jake Schleppenbach laced a double off the wall in right to score Repinski. NU eventually loaded the bases against reliever Ryan Feltner before the OSU right-hander hit Altavilla to push across another run.
Nebraska manufactured a run in the top of the fourth to extend the margin to 5-2. Meyers opened the frame with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and eventually scored on Schreiber’s grounder to short.
The two teams will continue the game Saturday at 2:05 p.m. (CT) and the game will be carried on the IMG Husker Sports Network.