Arizona State scored early and often on Sunday at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, piling up 11 runs and 13 hits to beat Nebraska 11-8 in Game 3 of the Lincoln Regional. The Sun Devils built a multi-inning cushion with a four-run third and a five-run sixth inning, and first baseman Dominic Smaldino drove in six runs to lead the Arizona State attack. Nebraska mounted a late rally — including a five-run seventh and a two-run ninth — but ultimately came up short as Arizona State held on for the victory.
Arizona State’s Sun Devil mascot rallies fans in the stands during the NCAA Regional elimination game against Nebraska.
The scoring unfolded across nine innings with Arizona State plating a run in the first inning, answering with a four-run third that put the visitors well in front. Nebraska got a run back in the top of the third, but ASU added a run in the fifth and then broke the game open with five runs in the sixth. Nebraska’s biggest response came in the seventh when the Cornhuskers posted five runs of their own to cut the deficit, and they tacked on two more runs in the ninth, but the comeback bid fell short. The official line shows Arizona State 11 runs on 13 hits with one error, and Nebraska 8 runs on 11 hits with two errors.
Offensively the Sun Devils were led by Smaldino, who accounted for six of Arizona State’s runs batted in. Additional run production came from Dominic Longo, credited with two RBIs, Dean Toigo with one RBI and Nu’u Contrades with an RBI as well, giving the Sun Devils balanced contributions up and down the lineup. Arizona State’s string of run-scoring innings was fueled by multiple hitters reaching base and timely swings, producing the 13-hit total the team compiled. The Sun Devils also recorded an early extra-base hit when Ky McGary doubled, contributing to the pressure applied on Nebraska’s pitching staff.
Nebraska’s offense showed resilience despite the loss. The Cornhuskers collected 11 hits and had contributions from several players in the run column. Mac Moyer chipped in with two RBIs and Jeter Worthley added a run-scoring hit; other run producers included Dylan Carey, Case Sanderson, Jett Buck and Joshua Overbeek, each credited with RBIs in the box score. Nebraska also recorded multiple doubles, with Moyer and Worthley each adding a two-bagger and Trey Fikes contributing another. The seven-run sequence between both teams in the middle innings underscored how the contest swung between offensive bursts and grind-it-out at-bats on both sides.
On the mound, Arizona State leaned on veteran Colby Guy for the bulk of the work. Guy went six innings, allowing four hits and one run while issuing one walk and sending 23 batters to the plate during his outing; he was credited with the win. Derek Schaefer worked briefly in relief and was followed by Taylor Penn, who turned in two innings of relief in which he surrendered multiple baserunners but recorded outs to bridge to the late-inning staff. The Sun Devils’ final reliever, Josh Butler, had a very brief appearance in which the Cornhuskers reached him for runs; Butler’s line shows he allowed multiple runs in a short outing as the bullpen was tasked with protecting a lead in the final frames.
Nebraska’s game plan began with Gavin Blachowicz on the bump. Blachowicz worked three innings and was charged with multiple runs, taking the loss. Kevin Mannell and Cooper Katskee followed in relief, with Mannell throwing 2.2 innings and keeping the Cornhuskers off the scoreboard during his time on the mound, while Katskee worked into later innings and was tagged for runs that helped widen Arizona State’s advantage. A late appearance by Colin Nowaczyk is recorded in the pitching line as well. The Cornhuskers’ relief corps was able to ignite a seventh-inning rally that produced five runs, but that spurt ultimately fell short of reversing the result.
The defeat leaves a clear statistical record for the Lincoln Regional matchup: Arizona State 11, Nebraska 8, with the Sun Devils compiling 13 hits and a single error, while Nebraska finished with 11 hits and two errors. The box score names for Arizona State include key offensive numbers for Smaldino (six RBIs), Longo (two RBIs) and Toigo (one RBI) among others; Nebraska’s run totals were driven by Moyer’s two RBIs and contributions from Worthley, Carey, Sanderson, Buck and Overbeek. Pitching decisions list Colby Guy with the win and Gavin Blachowicz taking the loss. For viewers looking ahead, the schedule information available for this regional action lists the next local game slot as Sunday, May 31 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.