HUSKER BASEBALL: Nebraska Shuts Out Former Big 12 Foe K-State

Manhattan, Kan. –(NU Athletics April 2)– The Nebraska baseball team (14-9) scored four runs in the opening frame and never looked back in a 7-0 win over Kansas State at Tointon Family Stadium on Tuesday night.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Kyle Perry, making his fourth start of the season, tossed a season-high 7.0 shutout innings and allowed only three hits, while recording three strikeouts. Freshmen Bo Blessie (1.0 inning) and Tyler Martin (1.0) each made relief appearances.

Nebraska pounced early, scoring four runs in the top of the first. Jaxon Hallmark crushed an inside-the-park grand slam after three of the first five Husker batters drew walks. Angelo Altavilla also drew a walk, but remained stranded after a strikeout ended the inning. Kansas State managed one hit in the bottom of the first, but Perry retired the other three batters he faced.

Aaron Palensky drew a walk in the top of the second, but each of NU’s other three hitters struck out. The Wildcats went down in order in the bottom of the second.

Keegan Watson drew a leadoff walk in the top of the third, but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice before back-to-back flyouts. K-State recorded a one-out single, but a double play ended a scoreless frame as the score remained 4-0.

Nebraska added three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. Colby Gomes laced a leadoff single before Alex Henwood was hit-by-pitch. Palensky drove in one run with a double before Gunner Hellstrom’s RBI single. Watson also tallied an RBI with his sacrifice fly. Perry retired all three Wildcat batters in the bottom of the fourth.

Altavilla was hit-by-pitch after a leadoff groundout, but a double play ended a scoreless fifth frame. KSU produced a two-out double in the fifth, but left the runner stranded.

In the top of the sixth, Palensky launched a two-out double before Hellstrom drew a walk, but a strikeout ended a scoreless frame for the Big Red. The Wildcats went down in order in the bottom of the sixth.

The Huskers went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. K-State managed a walk in the bottom of the seventh, but left him stranded as the score remained a 7-0 Husker lead.

Mike Addante drew a two-out walk in the top of the eighth after a pair of groundouts, but a strikeout ended the frame. K-State left two stranded in a scoreless eighth inning.

In the top of the ninth, pinch hitter Ty Roseberry, making his Husker debut, singled up the middle in a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the ninth, K-State managed a two-out walk, but the next hitter was thrown out at second after hitting it to left field.

The Huskers continue Big Ten play this weekend when they host Purdue for a three-game series at Hawks Field. The games are set for Friday at 6:35 p.m. (CT) on NET, Saturday at 2:05 p.m. (CT) on BTN Plus and Sunday at 12:05 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU.