OMAHA, Neb. (Interstat) — Will Sanford pitched six innings of no-hit baseball and the Oregon Ducks parlayed a four-run seventh inning into an 8-0 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday in the Big Ten Baseball Championship at Omaha.

Sanford struck out nine, walked none and did not allow a base runner in his six-inning stint. He retired 18 of the 18 batters he faced, facing the minimum. Tanner Bradley relieved Sanford and struck out three over two perfect innings. Luke Morgan closed the ninth with a scoreless inning, completing the combined one-hitter. Nebraska managed only four hits in the game, all singles, and did not advance a runner past second base.

Oregon scratched across a run in the first inning. With one out, Justin Cooney doubled to left-center field. After a groundout moved Cooney to third, Drew Smith drove him in with a groundout to third base.

The Ducks added a run in the fourth when Mason Molony led off the inning with a solo home run to left field.

Oregon broke the game open in the seventh. Smith delivered a two-run double to right-center field, scoring Angel Laya and Cooney. Brayden Jaksa followed with a two-run homer to left field, pushing the lead to 7-0. Smith finished the game with four runs batted in, going 1 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly.

Laya contributed two hits in three at-bats, including a solo home run in the fifth inning. He also walked and scored twice. Jaksa went 1 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Molony finished 1 for 4 with the solo shot.

Nebraska starter Gavin Blachowicz took the loss. He pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out nine. The Cornhuskers bullpen surrendered five runs in relief, with Pryce Bender charged with one earned run in one inning.

Nebraska’s best scoring chance came in the fifth inning when Dylan Jesske walked and Josh Buck singled to put runners on first and third with one out. But Sanford induced a bunt lineout and a groundout to end the threat. In the sixth, the Cornhuskers placed a runner on second after a leadoff double by J.D. Worthley, but Carey lined into a double play and Sanderson struck out.

The Oregon defense turned two double plays, including a pivotal one in the sixth that erased Worthley.

Oregon improved to 40-15 overall. Nebraska fell to 42-15. The Ducks had 10 hits and left eight runners on base. Nebraska had four hits and stranded three.

The game marked the fourth meeting between the teams this season. Oregon won two of three in a regular-season series in Eugene in April, taking the final game 5-4 on April 12. Nebraska won the middle game 10-8 on April 11.

Sanford’s outing was his second consecutive strong start. On May 15 against Southern California, he earned a win with six innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.

Oregon’s seventh-inning outburst proved decisive. After Blachowicz departed following five innings, reliever Carson Katskee retired the first two batters of the sixth before a challenge on a hit-by-pitch call stood. The Ducks then strung together a single, a strikeout and a pitching change. In the seventh, Nebraska used three pitchers, but Oregon scored four times on three hits, including Smith’s double and Jaksa’s homer.

The Ducks added an insurance run in the ninth when pinch runner Evan Cook singled, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on Smith’s sacrifice fly.

Nebraska threatened in the ninth when Cayden Sanderson singled with one out, but pinch hitter Nolan Buettenback grounded into a double play to end the game.

No betting line or over-under information was available for this contest.