The Cornhusker’s late-inning comeback was not enough Tuesday night as they dropped the season series to UNO by way of a 6-5 defeat.
It was a tough outing for starter Caleb Clark Tuesday night. The Freshman from Ontario, Canada, gave up four runs, three earned in two innings of play.
The Mavericks got going in the first, plating one after a walk and a triple by right fielder Noah Griese. Omaha added one more in the second with a sacrifice fly, which was set up by a fielder-choice error by shortstop Brice Matthews.
Clark’s night ended after yielding a two-run home run in the third and was taken out in favor of side-winder Corbin Hawkins.
Hawkins worked through two scoreless innings for the Big Red until two straight singles by Omaha and another sacrifice fly extended their lead to five.
The Husker’s offense was nowhere to be found at the start of the game. NU compiled three hits and scored zero runs with five baserunners through the first four innings of play.
The Big Red offense got the going bats going starting in the 5th. Matthews scored NU’s first run of the night after a Casey Burnham double to cut the lead to 5-1.
NU kept their momentum going into the 6th as Right-hander Drew Christo came into the game and made quick work of the Mavericks, and in the bottom of the inning, Gabe Swansen belted a two-run home run to bring the Cornhuskers within two.
Shay Schanaman came in for Christo in the following inning and held down the fort for Nebraska, allowing one baserunner over the next two innings.
It seemed like the Nebraska comeback had stalled until a two-out homerun by Garrett Anglim in the eighth brought the Huskers within one.
Schanman found himself in trouble with the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth, but NU manager Will Bolt kept Schanaman on the mound and allowed him to work out of the Jam. Schnaman’s stellar pitching kept the Huskers within one heading into the Bottom of the ninth.
UNL kept the late-game rally going in the 9th. The Big Red managed to load the bases with one out after the Mavericks intentionally walked Max Anderson to face Charlie Fischer. Fischer stepped up to the plate and beat out a groundball for a fielders choice RBI, which scored Matthews.
As the game headed into the tenth inning Bolt kept Schanman on the bump for NU. Schanaman once again found himself in a bases-loaded jam and could not work out of it as Omaha tallied the game-winning run off another sacrifice fly.
UNL was unable to match UNO in the bottom of the tenth, suffering a 6-5 loss.
Schanman finished the night with 4.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, and one earned run. Burnham had a stellar day from the plate, going 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Anglim also had a multi-hit ball game along with a home run.
The Big Red will face the Mavericks one more time this season in Omaha.
The Husker’s next game is Friday, April 14, as they start a weekend series with the Northwestern Wildcats.