Huskers Fall to Bluejays, 2-1

Lincoln -- Matt Foust allowed two runs over eight innings, but Robbie Knight’s eighth-inning squeeze lifted Creighton to a 2-1 victory over the Huskers in front of a season-high crowd of 6.841 at Hawks Field Tuesday night.

Foust turned in the best performance of his career, allowing five hits over a career-long eight innings of work. The right-hander, who dipped to 1-1 on the year, matched his career high with five strikeouts and only allowed one run until Bluejays used a bloop single and a pair of sacrifices to manufacture the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth.

Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson compliments the efforts of both pitching staffs, as they combined to allow three runs on 11 hits in a crisply-played game that took just two hours and 15 minutes. It was the lowest scoring game between the two teams since a 3-0 Husker win in 1997.

"I thought Matt Foust pitched well enough to win, but so did (Creighton’s) guys," Anderson said. "You have to give them a lot of credit. It was a well-fought game and they made some defensive plays."

After Chad Ogden singled to left to open the eighth, Michel Lam executed a sacrifice that moved the runner to second. Ogden then headed to third on the play, but the Huskers were unable to tag him out, as the ball popped out of Foust’s glove when he applied the tag. That proved costly moments later as Knight’s bunt to the left of the mound was cleanly played by first baseman Andrew Brown who fired home, but the ball came loose on the tag on catcher Mitch Abeita’s tag, allowing Ogden to score with the game winner.

That was enough to make a winner out of reliever Pat Venditte, who pitched two scoreless innings and got Creighton (24-11) out of a jam in the seventh. Andy Maston then tossed a scoreless ninth for his 10th save, as the Bluejays picked up just their second-ever win over Nebraska at Hawks Field.

The Huskers, who had just six hits, squandered their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs, but scoring just one run to tie the game at one.

Consecutive singles from Andy Gerch and Craig Corriston against reliever Scott Reese put two on with no outs. Venditte came in and walked Bryce Nimmo loaded the bases, but nearly wiggled out unscathed as he retired the next two hitters. The switch-pitcher then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Gerch to score, while catcher Chris Gradoville’s throw bounced off Gerch’s helmet and went back to the screen. Corriston tried to score from third, but Gradoville’s second throw of the play nipped a sliding Corriston at the plate.

"I think the key tonight was having the bases loaded with no outs and only pushing one across," Anderson said. "We needed to push more across in that situation. That’s the key to the game.

Gerch and Corriston had two hits apiece for Nebraska, which fell to 24-11 on the season.

The Bluejays, who snapped a six-game losing streak to the Huskers, got on the scoreboard against Foust in the first, as Ross Sinclair singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Darin Ruf’s RBI single to left. Foust then settled down, allowing one Bluejay into scoring position after the first, as he retired 10 in a row before Ogden’s eighth-inning single.

The Huskers struggled offensively against Bluejay starter Chris Schmidt, who allowed just three hits over 5.1 innings in a no-decision, as Nebraska did not score until the seventh,

Nebraska continues its homestand this weekend when the No. 4 Texas Longhorns come to town for a three-game series beginning Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be carried state-wide on NET and also on the Husker Sports Radio Network. General Admission tickets are available by calling 800-8-BIGRED.

a at Hawks Field.

The Huskers, who had just six hits, squandered their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs, but scoring just one run to tie the game at one.

Consecutive singles from Andy Gerch and Craig Corriston against reliever Scott Reese put two on with no outs. Venditte came in and walked Bryce Nimmo loaded the bases, but nearly wiggled out unscathed as he retired the next two hitters. The switch-pitcher then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Gerch to score, while catcher Chris Gradoville’s throw bounced off Gerch’s helmet and went back to the screen. Corriston tried to score from third, but Gradoville’s second throw of the play nipped a sliding Corriston at the plate.

"I think the key tonight was having the bases loaded with no outs and only pushing one across," Anderson said. "We needed to push more across in that situation. That’s the key to the game.

Gerch and Corriston had two hits apiece for Nebraska, which fell to 24-11 on the season.

The Bluejays, who snapped a six-game losing streak to the Huskers, got on the scoreboard against Foust in the first, as Ross Sinclair singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Darin Ruf’s RBI single to left. Foust then settled down, allowing one Bluejay into scoring position after the first, as he retired 10 in a row before Ogden’s eighth-inning single.

The Huskers struggled offensively against Bluejay starter Chris Schmidt, who allowed just three hits over 5.1 innings in a no-decision, as Nebraska did not score until the seventh,

Nebraska continues its homestand this weekend when the No. 4 Texas Longhorns come to town for a three-game series beginning Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be carried state-wide on NET and also on the Husker Sports Radio Network. General Admission tickets are available by calling 800-8-BIGRED.