Huskers Drop Finale vs. Horns

Lincoln -- Andy Gerch had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, but it was not enough, as the Nebraska baseball team fell to Texas, 6-2, in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field in front of a national television audience.

Gerch’s two-run first-inning single highlighted a 3-for-4 afternoon for the junior left fielder, but it would be the only offense the Huskers would muster against the Longhorn pitching staff on a windy and rainy Sunday afternoon.

Joseph Krebs fanned three and allowed four hits over 6.1 innings to up his record to 5-0 on the season, while Randy Boone tossed 2.2 scoreless innings as Texas (33-12, 14-4 Big 12) allowed only one Husker to reach scoring position over the final eight innings.

"I thought we had too much of an individualized approach," Anderson said of the Huskers’ offense. "You’re not going to win games when you’re individualized. We had some hitters’ advantage counts, and we’ve got to be disciplined and hit line drives and ground balls."

The duo of Kyle Russell and Chance Wheeless paced the Longhorn offense on Sunday, as they combined for six hits and drove in four of UT’s six runs. Russell went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, while Wheeless also had three hits and scored twice. UT scored all six of its runs in the first two frames against starter Matt Foust, who dropped to 1-2 after allowing six runs on six hits.

One bright spot for the Huskers was the performance of junior reliever Luke Wertz, as the junior right-hander kept the Huskers in the game with 7.1 innings of scoreless relief. Wertz, who has not allowed a run in his last 14.2 innings of work, matched his career high with seven strikeouts.

Texas got on the board in the top of the first on Kyle Russell’s two-run homer, a one-out shot to left center. Wheeless tripled to the gap in right center before coming home on Russell’s 23rd round tripper of the season.

NU quickly regrouped, scoring a pair of runs by taking advantage of a couple of Longhorn miscues. With two outs and a runner at first, a walk and a miscue by shortstop Michael Demperio loaded the bases before Gerch sent a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a two-run single.

The Longhorns chased Foust in the second, scoring four times with two outs to extend their lead to 6-2. With two on and two outs, the Huskers nearly got out of the inning unscathed, as Jake Opitz nearly made a leaping snare of Jordan Danks’ liner, but the ball deflected off Opitz’ glove and into right for an RBI single to give Texas the lead for good. Wheeless then made it a 4-2 game with an RBI single before Russell’s second hit of the game, an RBI double to right, pushed the lead to three runs. UT then capitalized on a Husker miscue for its fourth run of the inning.

From there, Krebs took over as the left-hander faced one over the minimum over the next three innings, a stretch which also included a 40-minute rain delay. NU had its best opportunity in the fifth, as a one-out walk to Ryan Wehrle and a Jeff Tezak single put runners on first and second with the heart of the order due up. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Andrew Brown grounded into a fielder’s choice before Opitz’s grounder to first ended the threat.

Wertz, who came in for Foust in the second, kept the Huskers within striking distance, as only two Longhorns advanced into scoring position over the final six innings, but the Huskers could not slice into the Texas lead.

The Huskers return to action on Tuesday night, as they begin a series with North Dakota State. First pitch at Hawks Field is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations.