LINCOLN — Hearts were beating hard through on-field handshakes and dugout cleanup. A shot of weeknight adrenaline for Nebraska ahead of a long baseball trip on the West Coast.

The Huskers’ tightest victory of the season featured a variety of characters befitting a midweek happening. A pitcher making his first NU start and a pair of freshmen hurlers got them halfway home. A pinch-hit home run ultimately made the difference.

It all added up to Nebraska holding off Wichita State 5-4 in a thriller that came down to the final pitches. Big Red completed the two-game home sweep – barely – courtesy of a four-run first inning and a bullpen that collected the bulk of the outs on a pleasant sunny evening at Haymarket Park. WSU stranded the tying run in scoring position as closer Luke Broderick nailed down his third save.

Max Buettenback came off the bench in the fifth inning to provide the decisive spark after NU’s lineup went almost totally dormant following the quick start. The sophomore put a charge into the crowd and a full-count slider 403 feet over the party deck in right field to push the Husker edge to 5-3.

“It’s just great to get a win, get back on track,” Buettenback said. “It’s been a little bit of a struggle but it just feels different. This game felt way different. The energy is amazing.”

The blast proved to be a loud exception for the offense. Following a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the first inning, Big Red hitters reached base in just 4 of their final 27 plate appearances.

Nebraska (7-8) extended its win streak to three anyway in its first one-run victory of the spring. On deck is a nine-game road trip including eight on the West Coast beginning Friday night with a series at UCLA.

“It was obviously some tense moments there,” NU coach Will Bolt said. “But you win a game like that, it kind of brings you closer together.”

A line of young Nebraska pitchers preserved the advantage. TJ Coats – a sophomore junior-college transfer – handled the opening two frames in his first Huskers start. A pair of free passes in the second came around to score via a pair of wild pitches, a Kam Durnin sacrifice fly and Camden Johnson scoring single.

NU freshmen Colin Nowaczyk (2 1/3 innings) and Gavin Blachowicz (1 1/3) navigated the middle innings. WSU touched Nowaczyk in the fifth when Josh Livingston led off with a single, moved up on a wild pitch and came home on a Lane Haworth hit to right field. With the NU lead cut to 4-3, Blachowicz arrived to prevent further damage.

Bolt said the freshmen first-year players continue to stack trust as the season reaches its quarter mark.

“They’re got good stuff and they’re competitive and they’ve pitched against some really good teams already up to this point,” Bolt said. “We’re not just kind of throwing it out there to see what happens.”

Jalen Worthley (1 2/3 innings) and Drew Christo (one) took the baton into the eighth. The Shockers singled twice off Worthley to start and, after a sacrifice bunt against Christo advanced the runners, Johnson lined a pitch to left for a sac fly as WSU drew within 5-4.

With the tying run at third base, Christo got two-hole hitter Mauricio Millan to offer at an outside breaking pitch for strike three.

Broderick in the ninth issued a leadoff walk and WSU advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt. The closer countered with a pair of strikeouts to send a home crowd of 5,406 home happy.

“It was great to see everyone getting in there and working for the team,” Broderick said.

Wichita State starter Tyler Dobbs fired five scoreless innings in a Shockers win in Lincoln last season but fell behind after three batters largely of his own doing this time. Two walks set up Cayden Brumbaugh, who pulled a low-90s fastball down the left-field line for an RBI double. Another walk loaded the bases for Gabe Swansen and his two-run single on a middle-middle fastball.

A run-scoring fielder’s choice from Rhett Stokes extended the Nebraska lead to 4-0.

The Husker lineup virtually disappeared from there. Wichita State retired 19 of the next 20 hitters before Case Sanderson’s two-out single in the seventh inning.

Wichita State (6-11) used four pitchers in all. Dobbs lasted three innings and struck out a pair.

Nebraska players filtered off the field afterward ahead of their Thursday chartered flight to Los Angeles. A perfect midweek start means momentum will be among their carry-ons.

“It’s great weather here,” Buettenback said. “But California? I’m pretty excited.”