Long Ball in Ninth Gives Huskers 9-5 Win

Max Buettenback began the ninth with a solo homer and Jett Buck capped a five-run ninth inning with a grand slam to lift Nebraska to a 9-5 win against Michigan on Sunday at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Nebraska (18-6, 5-1 Big Ten) scored nine runs on 10 hits and two errors, while Michigan (11-11, 1-5 Big Ten) totaled five runs, eight hits and no errors.

Buettenback drove in two runs on a 2-for-2 day with two runs scored. Dylan Carey went 2-for-5 with a homer and an RBI, and Rhett Stokes was 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI. Buck had a 1-for-4 afternoon with a grand slam, while Mac Moyer, Miken Miller and Drew Grego tallied one hit apiece.

Gavin Blachowicz tossed four innings, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts. Cooper Katskee surrendered a pair of runs across 1.1 innings, while Grant Cleavinger recorded an out. J’Shawn Unger improved to 4-1 on the season after pitching 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on a pair of hits with five punchouts before Tucker Timmerman recorded the final two outs.

The Huskers fell behind early when the Wolverines took advantage of a catcher’s interference in the second and led 1-0 on an RBI single.

Nebraska got even in the sixth when Stokes led off with a homer to left-center field to tie the game at one.

Michigan answered immediately with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth after two batters were plunked with the bases loaded to give the Wolverines a 3-1 lead through six innings.

The Husker offense plated three runs in the top of the seventh to grab a 4-3 lead. Carey began the inning with a 384-foot solo blast to left field to bring the Big Red within a run. An RBI single from Buettenback locked the game at three and Worthley’s RBI fielder’s choice to first plated another to give the Huskers a 4-3 lead.

The Wolverines immediately tied the game at four with a leadoff solo home run to right field to begin the bottom of the seventh inning.

Buettenback blasted a 400-foot solo homer to right field to give the Huskers a 5-4 lead before the Huskers piled on four more runs to grow the lead to five. The Big Red loaded the bases with one out, setting the table for Buck’s 408-foot grand slam over the wall in left-center field.

A walk and a pair of singles brought Michigan within 9-5, but Timmerman retired the next two batters to clinch Nebraska’s 9-5 win at Michigan.

Nebraska returns to action on Tuesday, March 24, as the Huskers make a visit to Kansas State for a midweek matchup.