Nebraska pitcher Tucker Timberman was protecting a three-run lead in the eighth when things took a brutal turn. Early in the inning, he looked solid. He got a groundout, then dealt a strike on the corner. After giving up a double and a single, Vanderbilt trimmed the lead to two. With two outs, Timberman still had control and kept challenging hitters.
Then came a sharp comebacker, bouncing straight off his face. The first baseman fielded it cleanly and got the out, so it goes down as a one-three putout, but Timberman was down with blood pouring from his face. Scary moment. Trainers rushed in. The crowd stood in silence, trying to process what just happened. After some tense minutes, Timberman stood up and walked off on his own with a fist pump to the crowd. The stadium erupted.
The replay showed just how bad it was. One hop, straight to the face. The ball bounced off and still made it to first. His face took serious damage. He may need surgery. Despite everything, Timberman turned what could have been a disaster into a gritty moment. He got the out, walked off fired up, and gave his team a chance to close it out.