Huskers Stun No. 12 USC Behind Moyer’s Walk-Off Bunt

A throwing error on Mac Moyer’s 10th-inning bunt single sent Rhett Stokes sprinting home with the winning run, as Nebraska completed a five-run comeback to stun No. 12 USC 8-7 on Friday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (29-9, 13-3 Big Ten) scored eight runs on 14 hits, while USC (30-9, 13-6 Big Ten) totaled seven runs on nine hits and three errors.

Jett Buck went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two doubles, and Moyer finished 3-for-5 with the walk-off. Case Sanderson went 2-for-5 and scored twice, and Stokes added two hits and a walk. Drew Grego doubled home a run and Overbeek provided a three-run homer in the eighth.

Cooper Katskee surrendered five runs in three innings to open the game. Jalen Worthley was outstanding in relief, tossing three scoreless frames without allowing a hit. Grant Cleavinger gave up two runs and recorded one out.

Kevin Mannell held the Trojans scoreless over 1.2 innings before Ty Horn pitched a scoreless ninth inning. J’Shawn Unger improved to 5-1 on the season, striking out the side in the top of the 10th.

USC built a 5-0 lead through three innings, with a solo homer in the first and an RBI double and sacrifice fly in the top of the second that had the Trojans up three. The Trojans added two more in the third behind an RBI double and a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0.

Nebraska began chipping away in the sixth when Buck doubled down the left-field line to score Sanderson, and Grego doubled to left-center to plate Buck, cutting the deficit to 5-2.

The Trojans immediately responded in the seventh with a two-RBI single down the left-field line that extended the lead to 7-2.

The Huskers made it a two-run game in the eighth in dramatic fashion. Buck ripped a double to right field before Grego reached on a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners with two outs. Overbeek blasted a 419-foot, three-run homer to right-center to bring the Big Red within two runs going into the ninth.

Nebraska capitalized on USC’s miscues in the bottom of the ninth to push two more runs across and tie the game at seven. Sanderson ripped a single up the middle and Carey reached on a fielding error to put runners on the corners with no outs. Buck lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field, scoring Sanderson and bringing the Huskers within a run.

Carey advanced to third on a flyout later in the inning and raced home on a wild pitch to send the game into extras tied at seven.

In the bottom of the 10th, Stokes drew a leadoff walk and Moyer dropped a bunt single that the USC pitcher threw away, allowing Stokes to race home with the winning run and complete the comeback on Friday night.

Nebraska continues its home series against No. 12 USC on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.