The Hawkeyes rallied back from a 7-0 deficit to lead 11-8, but gave up seven runs in the eighth to lose the game and the series.
After the hometown Nebraska Cornhuskers jumped out to a 7-0 lead, every red-cladded fan at Haymarket Park in Lincoln thought their team would produce a repeat of Friday's series opener against the rival Iowa Hawkeyes.
The Huskers won that game 10-0 in eight innings, but the Hawkeyes were determined to fight back.
Iowa (29-20, 12-14) indeed erased that 7-0 deficit and even took an 11-8 lead to the eighth inning, but Nebraska (36-14, 19-7) broke the Hawkeyes' hearts with a seven-run inning to take the game and clinch the series on Saturday.
What Happened?
After getting dismantled in the series opener on Friday, Iowa was looking for the all-important first run of the game to build some confidence for itself.
But that didn't happen. Nebraska quickly picked up where it left off on Friday, scoring seven runs in the first five innings and knocking Iowa starter Maddux Frese out of the game.
Jaixen Frost and Miles Risley got the Hawkeyes on the board with solo homers in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, but that was all the Iowa lineup could muster against Husker starter Ty Horn, who surrendered just four hits across six innings of work.
But Horn was pulled after the sixth, giving the Hawkeyes a chance to see a different pitcher. That immediately paid huge dividends in the seventh, as Mitch Wood came through with a clutch two-run pinch hit single to cut Nebraska's lead down to just three, 7-4.
Two batters later, Gable Mitchell delivered a two-out RBI single to make it a 7-5 game, and suddenly a Husker victory was far from guaranteed. A passed ball with the bases loaded tacked on another run, but Caleb Wulf flied out to end the inning and keep Nebraska in front by a whisker.
The Huskers got a run back on a sac fly in the home half of the inning, but Iowa had all the momentum by this point. Ben Swails tied the game with a two-run shot in the eighth, and it was officially a brand-new ballgame.
And the Hawkeyes weren't done.
After getting picked off earlier in the game, Schulte redeemed himself with an RBI single to give Iowa an improbable 9-8 lead. Risley scored another run with a double, and Wulf followed with a classic "Hellerball" bunt to make it 11-8 Hawkeyes.
Just when it seemed like Iowa would roll to a win, Dylan Carey broke its hearts with a three-run bomb to tie the game in the eighth. The Hawkeyes completely unraveled after that, surrendering four more runs to fall into a 15-11 deficit.
Iowa went down quietly in the ninth, and that was that.
Up Next
The series finale between Iowa and Nebraska on Sunday afternoon is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. Fans can catch the action on Big Ten Network.
First Summer Giveaway Drops on Monday!
Become a FREE HawkeyeRoundtable community member today to have a chance to win future Hawkeye prizes! Our first summer giveaway of the season will drop on Monday morning, so stay tuned for the announcement so you can join the fun. You can get a head start on everyone by becoming a member here.
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io