In a game that will be talked about for years, Nebraska erased a five-run deficit and walked off No. 12 USC on a wild play in the 10th inning, winning 8-7 on Friday night. Mac Moyer’s bunt single turned into the game-winner when a throwing error by the Trojans’ pitcher allowed Rhett Stokes to sprint home from first base with the winning run. The Huskers (29-9, 13-3 Big Ten) improved to 13-3 in conference play, while USC fell to 30-9 overall and 13-6 in the Big Ten. Nebraska collected 14 hits in the victory, while the Trojans managed nine hits and committed three errors. The Huskers showed remarkable resilience, chipping away at USC’s early lead before exploding late.
USC jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead through the first three innings. USC got on the board with a solo home run in the first, then added an RBI double and a sacrifice fly in the second to go up 3-0. Two more runs in the third, another RBI double and sacrifice fly, pushed the advantage to 5-0.
Nebraska’s Cooper Katskee struggled early, surrendering five runs in three innings. But the Husker bullpen stepped up big time. Jalen Worthley was brilliant in relief, throwing three hitless, scoreless innings. Kevin Mannell and Ty Horn kept USC off the scoreboard in the late innings, and J’Shawn Unger (5-1) struck out the side in the top of the 10th to earn the win.
The Big Red began their comeback in the sixth. Jett Buck doubled home Case Sanderson, and Drew Grego followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 5-2. USC answered in the seventh with a two-run single that stretched the lead to 7-2. But Nebraska refused to quit.
In the eighth, the Huskers got within two runs in dramatic fashion. Buck ripped another double, Grego reached on a fielder’s choice, and Benji Overbeek crushed a 419-foot three-run homer to right-center field, making it 7-5.
The ninth inning belonged to the Huskers’ offense and USC’s mistakes. Sanderson singled, and a fielding error put runners on the corners. Buck delivered a sacrifice fly to score Sanderson, cutting the lead to 7-6. Later in the frame, another Husker reached third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 7-7 and force extra innings.
In the bottom of the 10th, Stokes drew a leadoff walk. Moyer, who finished 3-for-5 on the night, laid down a perfect bunt single. The USC pitcher’s hurried throw sailed away, and Stokes never slowed down, racing all the way home as Hawks Field erupted. Buck led the offense with a 3-for-4 night, including two doubles and two RBI’s. Moyer added three hits, Sanderson went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Stokes contributed two hits and a walk. Grego and Overbeek provided the clutch extra-base hits that fueled the rally. The victory completes a stunning five-run comeback and gives Nebraska a huge boost in the Big Ten standings.