IOWA CITY — Reece Eddins pitched seven strong innings as Nebraska avoided a sweep with a 3-2 win over Iowa in the series finale Sunday.
One day after Husker pitchers allowed 17 hits and 17 runs — including a combined 13 in the fifth and sixth innings — Eddins and three relievers allowed only five hits and two late runs to close out the victory.
The Huskers (22-13, 11-4) remained in second place in the Big Ten, trailing Indiana (9-3), which split a doubleheader at Michigan State on Sunday.
Eddins scattered four hits and struck out two in his seven innings, and Millard West freshman Colby Gomes pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.
Eddins has pitched at least seven innings and allowed two or fewer runs in three of his past four starts.
Nebraska’s offense, meanwhile, did just enough against Iowa starter Grant Judkins, taking advantage of a couple of Hawkeye errors in the seventh to increase a 1-0 lead to 3-0.
Aaron Palenksy reached and advanced to second on an error. With runners on the corners, Luke Roskam hit a ground ball to second base, but Mitchell Boe’s throwing error brought in two runs.
Spencer Schwellenbach added a solo home run, his third of the season.
Schwellenbach led off the fourth inning against Judkins, worked the count to 2-2 and drove the next pitch over the left-field wall to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.
The Hawkeyes (23-15, 9-6) made a late charge before Gomes moved to the mound from first base and shut the door in the ninth.
With two outs in the seventh, Connor McCaffery homered to left to bring the Hawkeyes within 3-1. McCaffery had two of Iowa’s five hits on the day.
With runners at first and second and one out in the eighth, Izaya Fullard singled to center to score Boe.
Gomes retired the Hawkeyes in order in the ninth. He hasn’t allow an earned run in his past nine appearances — he’s picked up all eight of his saves during that span.
The Huskers will play Creighton at TD Ameritrade Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Bluejays and Huskers have split the first two games this season. NU won 6-3 in Omaha on March 26, and Creighton won 10-2 in Lincoln on April 9.
