Jasa, Huskers Open Lincoln Regional with 4-1 Win

Carson Jasa allowed just one run across 6.1 innings to lead No. 20 Nebraska to a 4-1 win against South Dakota State in front of 7,828 fans in the opener of the Lincoln Regional at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Friday afternoon.

Nebraska (43-15) scored four runs on nine hits and one error, while South Dakota State (24-32) scored one run on seven hits and no errors.

Dylan Carey led the Husker offense with a 3-for-3 afternoon and a solo home run. Jett Buck was 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two runs scored. Mac Moyer and Trey Fikes singled and drove in a run, while Case Sanderson and Joshua Overbeek tallied one hit each.

Jasa improved to 10-2 on the season, becoming the 13th NU pitcher in program history to reach the 10-win mark in a season, including the first since Johnny Dorn in 2007. The redshirt sophomore allowed one run on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.

J’Shawn Unger entered in relief and worked 2.2 innings, scattering two hits while striking out four and walking none to earn his 13th save of the season. With the save, Unger is tied for the third-most saves by a Husker in a season in program history.

Nebraska broke open the scoring in the fourth with a pair of runs on three hits. Buck doubles to left to lead off the inning, while Overbeek singled to left to put runners on first and third with no outs. Fikes followed with an RBI single to right that scored Buck and made it a 1-0 game. Rhett Stokes advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Moyer plated Overbeek with a groundout to second to double the lead to two.

South Dakota State cut the lead in half in the seventh, scoring their lone run of the day on three hits in the inning. The Huskers threw out a pair of Jackrabbits at the plate, with the first coming on a fielder’s choice bunt for the first out in the inning. A single to left with runners on first and second set up Buck’s relay throw from left that resulted in the second Jackrabbit being thrown out at the plate in the inning.

A two-out RBI single to left field plated SDSU’s lone run of the day and trimmed the Big Red’s lead to 2-1 through seven innings.

Nebraska put the game away in the eighth as Carey launched a solo shot to left and Buck followed later in the inning with his own homer to right-center, pushing the lead to 4-1.

Unger retired the Jackrabbits in order in the ninth to close out the victory for the Huskers.

Nebraska continues regional play tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. The Huskers will take on the winner of tonight’s game between No. 18 Ole Miss and No. 22 Arizona State.