NEBRASKA BASEBALL: Huskers Fall To Beavers In Series Finale
Surprise, Ariz. – The Nebraska baseball team (3-5) was swept by No. 7 Oregon State after losing the series finale by an 8-3 margin at Surprise Stadium on Sunday morning.
Freshman right-hander Colby Gomes, making his second career start, went 1.1 innings. Nebraska saw relief appearances from Shay Schanaman (0.2), Reece Eddins (3.0) and Matt Waldron (3.0). Eddins recorded a career-high five strikeouts during his one-hit shutout showing out of the bullpen.
In the top of the first, the Huskers went down in order with three flyouts. Oregon State managed two singles, but left both runners on base in a scoreless opening frame.
Aaron Palensky blistered a leadoff double in the top of the second and advanced to third on a groundout. He scored on Jaxon Hallmark’s sacrifice fly to put NU on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead. Oregon State responded with five runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-1 lead. OSU compiled four hits during the inning.
Joe Acker hit a leadoff single in the top of the third, but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice two batters later. NU was held scoreless as the other batters struck out and flew out. Eddins struck out the side in the bottom of the third.
Nebraska plated two runs in the top of the fourth to cut OSU’s lead to 5-3. Mojo Hagge drew a leadoff walk before Palensky singled. Cam Chick drove in both runs with his RBI single up the middle. With two runners on, a fielder’s choice ended the inning. Oregon State managed a double in the bottom of the fourth, but left the runner stranded.
Angelo Altavilla doubled in the top of the fifth, but NU couldn’t bring him home after back-to-back strikeouts ended a scoreless frame for the Big Red. The Beavers went down in order in the bottom of the fifth.
All three Husker hitters were retired in the top of the sixth. Alex McGarry hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to give OSU a 7-3 lead.
Carter Cross roped a one-out double in the top of the seventh, but a strikeout and flyout ended his chance to score as it remained a four-run deficit for the Huskers. Oregon State scratched out one run in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-3 lead.
In the top of the eighth, NU went down in order with three groundouts. Oregon State left the bases loaded in a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, Acker tallied his third hit of the game, but the other three NU batters each struck out.
The Huskers return to action next weekend at the Frisco College Baseball Classic in Frisco, Texas. Nebraska opens with Texas Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) before facing Sam Houston State (Saturday at 2 p.m.) and Mississippi State (Sunday at 11 a.m.).