The Cornhuskers wasted little time getting on the board compared to Kansas State, as Nebraska reeled in a three-run inning in the bottom of the first. Center fielder Mac Moyer and catcher Jeter Worthley both scored on wild pitches, while shortstop Dylan Carey scored on an error.

Neither team could get runs in the second, as K-State pitcher James Guyette bounced back from the three-run inning in the first. In the third, things looked up for the Wildcats batting-wise, with third baseman Grant Gallagher scoring K-State’s first run of the game.

Nebraska responded with a two-hit, one-run bottom frame, as Worthley scored his second run of the game through three innings. Despite the 4-1 deficit, designated hitter Ty Smolinski gave the Wildcats life in the top of the fourth.

Smolinski hammered the ball to right center with right fielder Micah Kendrick on base, giving the Wildcats some much-needed runs to lower the deficit to 4-3. Although Nebraska had three on base and two hits in the bottom frame, nothing would come from it.

What’s better than one two-run homerun? K-State would say two. This time, left fielder Nick English hit a two-run bomb, scoring Gallagher and officially giving K-State a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Nebraska had another quiet inning with zero runs, as Aaron Arnold relieved Guyette.

The home runs continued to rain for K-State in the top of the sixth, as catcher Bear Madliak smashed the Wildcats’ third home run in three innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Nebraska left three on base with one hit but no runs, marking three innings in a row without a run for the Cornhuskers. 

After scoring through the four last innings, the top of the seventh was the beginning of the end for K-State. The Wildcats put up zero runs, and Nebraska responded at the right time. The Cornhuskers broke their scoring drought with a two-run bottom frame, with Moyer scoring his second run of the game in the inning. This clutch inning from Nebraska tied the game at six apiece.

Both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning, setting up a very crucial ninth inning in Lincoln. But, even though English walked and stole second, it wouldn’t lead to any runs for the Wildcats. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Nebraska decided to take full advantage of K-State’s scoreless frame. Right off the bat, third baseman Joshua Overbeek doubled to left center. Following that, a walkoff single from second baseman Rhett Stokes brought Overbeek in and sealed the game 7-6. 

“I thought we played a tough game on the road,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said. “We played from behind. We built a lead. We didn’t have some plays go our way and didn’t have some calls go our way.”

Gallagher finished with two runs and a double, and English had himself a run with two RBIs to finish the contest. Madliak, Gallagher and Smolinski all hit home runs in the game.

The Wildcats will play another ranked opponent, this time No. 18 West Virginia. The first game of the series starts at 5:30 p.m. on May 1.