Kubat delivers in 8-1 win
 Kubat |  Headley |  Schreiber |
Following a pair of no decisions to start the season, senior Kyle Kubat picked up his first win of the year and the 16th of his career on Saturday. The 6-1 lefty went 7.0 innings and allowed just five base runners on the afternoon, including three hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Kubat retired the Lions in order four times on the day, and from the first through the sixth innings he sat down 16 straight Lions.
After producing only seven hits in Friday night's series opener the Husker offense found its rhythm early on Saturday, with eight hits through the first four innings. Six Huskers produced multiple hits, including three hits from Blake Headley. Headley notched two doubles for the third time in his career, while he and Tanner Lubach each recorded two RBIs. Nebraska started an inning with a hit six times on the day, including a solo home run by Lubach in the seventh that cleared a 37-foot tall wall in left field.
Sunday's rubber match between the Huskers (5-4, 0-0 Big Ten) and Lions (7-3, 0-0 WCC) is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT). Lane Grindle and Ben McLaughlin will have the call on the Husker Sports Network, while LMULions.com will have a free video stream.
LMU starter Trevor Megill lasted just 3.1 innings for the Lions, as the junior was touched for three runs on eight hits. It was a Megill's shortest start since April 6, 2013 when he went 3.0 innings against San Diego.
LMU may have not scored in the game if it hadn't been for a miscue by Kubat in the bottom of the first. After retiring the leadoff hitter, Kubat plunked Billy Wilson a 3-2 pitch and the Lions made it hurt, as David Fletcher followed with a RBI double. Kubat then went on to retire 16 straight Lions.
Jake Schleppenbach and Ryan Boldt each picked up their second hits of game in the third and unlike the first inning when both were stranded, the Huskers were able to cash in on the opportunity. Headley came up with one out and battled Megill in an extended at-bat, and on the 10th pitch Headley delivered a two-RBI double off the right-center field wall that put the Huskers ahead 2-1. It was Headley's third double of the year, as well as his ninth and 10th RBIs of the season.
With Kubat cruising, the Huskers tacked on a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to give their senior starter a 4-1 lead. Steven Reveles drove in Austin Darby in the fourth with a double and Headley scored in the fifth on a sac fly from Lubach after Headley opened the inning with his second double of the game.
Nebraska pushed its lead to six runs in the sixth, with two runs coming on a LMU error. Luis Alvarado and Reveles opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and Schleppenbach executed a sacrifice bunt, but on the play reliever Tyler Cohen made an errant throw to first base that allowed two runs to score and Schleppenbach to coast into third base. Freshman Scott Schreiber followed with an infield RBI single, the first of his NU career, to put the Huskers on top 7-1.
The Huskers notched at least a run for the fifth straight inning in the seventh with Lubach's home run. The solo shot was a no doubter, as it not only cleared the 362-foot sign in left-center field, but also the 37-foot tall blue monster.
Freshman Jake Meyers finished off the game for the Huskers, tossing a pair of shutout innings to cap the 8-1 win.
R H E ------------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 002 113 100 - 8 15 0 LMU................. 100 000 000 - 1 3 2 -------------------------------------------