Nebraska beats UConn for first five-year win at NCAA tournament | Baseball

Nebraska, the third-seeded, found some of the magic they had in Bricktown from his 12 most glorious days of glory. The Huskers broke their chronic struggles against left-handed pitchers and rose to offer an 8-5 victory Friday over Connecticut, seeded second, as slender as it was relieving.

"I think we all put that on the back and we said," No, we're done with that, "said Palkert, a junior substitute." We hate to see the news "Darin Erstad can not win a regional match. "That's just not true. This team can win baseball games. This team can win a regional. We are ready to fight. "

The playoff victory is the first in five years of the NU. She won a local game that dates back to 2014. She won her first regional game in 2008 and has not done it on the road for 19 years. Erstad, in his eighth year as a coach, improves to 2-6 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers and right-handed Matt Waldron will face Harvard (fourth seed) or Oklahoma State (seed) at 7 pm. Saturday. They are also guaranteed to play Sunday again at the home of Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.

So how did Nebraska (32-22) survive a UConn team that had at least two hits in the first seven innings and six extra hits?

Do not go for walks helped. It was the same for four doubles games, including three in the first four rounds. Each field player made a kind of stop or catch that directly or indirectly saved a race.

"We gave up strong outbursts and strong shots, but they continued to attack," said Erstad. "When you do that, you have a chance to fight."

Some long-awaited successes against a southpaw have also allowed for a margin of error. The junior aspirant and Huskies pro hope, Mason Feole, lasted more than five climbs and more than 108 shots while conceding the seven worst wins of the season. The Husker forwards capitalized on the suspended sliders and other off-speed lands that did not break, especially in a third four-run run when they continued their run.

"We are making it up to what appeared to be 5 minutes," said UConn coach Jim Penders. "Just bang-bang-bang, they were putting bullets in front of him."

The bottom of the first run alone brought a dramatic game. UConn opened the scoring with a single and dropped a caress of sacrifice to first base's side. With second baseman Alex Henwood covering the bag, the sprint racer's battering helmet flew off just as Henwood followed the throw in his glove. The ball hit him in the mouth and he broke at least two teeth, forcing him to leave the match.

Erstad said Henwood, hitting .29 with two homers this spring, was strong enough that he would not be ruled out to play on Saturday.

"He's pretty messed up, he's pretty swollen," said Erstad. "Just a weird and weird thing."

With two on and nobody on the outside, the Huskies have embarked on a double game on a decay appeared. Then receiver Pat Winkel followed with his seventh circuit of the season, led by the team, on a powerful shot in the center.

The 2-0 lead did not last long in a match that included only one 1-2-3 run. Senior New Zealander Angelo Altavilla opened the scoring with a shot that landed just past the "350" sign in the left field. UConn responded with a pair of RBI singles from David Langer and John Toppa in the bottom half.

But a third of four points gave Nebraska their first lead in their last 40 rounds in the NCAA, which dates back to 2014. The first six Huskers have achieved – five in singles – including RBI strikes from Cam Chick, Spencer Schwellenbach and Altavilla.

"Often, bats are not really there against left-handed," said Altavilla, third base player. "But it's regional time and you have to do what you can to win.I think we went out and we showed it right away against a pretty good pitcher."

The teams exchanged runs in the fifth. Gunman Hellstrom of the NU dropped a single by scoring two points to center in the top half, and then Christian Fedko tore his own shot of RBI a few minutes later to join UConn.

Representatives of the American Athletic Conference did not score again. Palkert, a balloon lifter, fired 3⅓ innings of nilball on 57 shots. He scattered five hits and removed four.

"They may have broken little singles in the center or six holes or break bullets against the wall," said Palkert. "But if no one is on the base, it does not matter, we can not be discouraged if we give up a shot."

The Huskers' offense added one point to sixth on Aaron Palensky RBI to score 7-5 and another in the ninth on a Joe Acker double on the left. Colby Gomes worked the ninth to earn his 13th save.

He added to the first victory of a Nebraska team intent on turning his recent unpleasant story into a memorable event.

"That's a pretty common problem for this version of the Huskers," Erstad said. "When you think something is going to happen, it's the opposite that happens."