Huskers Slip to Cats in 10

Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team gave up the tying run with two outs in the eighth inning, before surrendering seven runs in the 10th to fall to Kansas State, 8-2, at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Sunday afternoon.

Kansas State avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Huskers with the come-from-behind win. NU slipped to 25-18 overall and 10-11 in the Big 12, while the Wildcats improved to 27-17 and 7-11 in the league.

Luke Wertz took a hard-luck no-decision despite his third consecutive dominant performance on the hill. The junior right-hander from Parker, Colo., tossed 7.1 scoreless innings to stretch his personal streak to 22 straight without allowing a run. Wertz also struck out a career-high 10 Cats before exiting the game with two-on and one-out in the top of the eighth.

Thad Weber, who eventually took the loss to slip to 1-1 on the year, came on with runners at first and third and promptly got Rob Vaughn to hit a groundball up the middle that was fielded cleanly by Ryan Wehrle behind the bag at second. Wehrle flipped the ball to Jake Opitz to force out Jordan Cruz, who had reached on a single, at second base for one, but Vaughn beat the throw to first to avoid the double play.

Eli Rumler, who started the KSU rally with a one-out single and advanced to second after the ball bounced past Andy Gerch in left field, scored the tying run on Vaughn's fielder's choice ground out.

Rumler's unearned run gave the Wildcats new life after Andrew Brown had provided Nebraska with a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning on his RBI single to left with one out. Mitch Abeita started NU's rally with a leadoff walk off KSU starter Chase Bayuk, who scattered five hits and walked three over 5.2 innings.

DJ Belfonte pushed Abeita to second with a sacrifice bunt before Wehrle singled to left to put runners at first and third for Brown, who came through with a clutch hit to give NU a 1-0 lead. After Opitz struck out, Gerch loaded the bases with a two-out walk before KSU reliever Justin Murray came on to retire Jeff Tezak on a groundout to avoid further damage.

Wertz set KSU down in order in the seventh and Nebraska threatened to extend its one-run lead as Craig Corriston led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Murray retired Bryce Nimmo and Abeita, before Belfonte singled to right to move Corriston to second and chase Murray.

Daniel Edwards, who eventually picked up the victory with 3.1 innings of solid relief for KSU, walked Wehrle to load the bases for NU again. The Wildcats again escaped after a pitch from Edwards got past Vaughn at home plate and Corriston was thrown out at the plate trying to score to end the inning.

After Kansas State tied the game in the eighth, Weber set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth and NU loaded the bases against Edwards with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Nimmo started the potential game-winning rally by reaching on an error by the KSU third baseman Nate Tenbrink. Abeita then pounded a double off the wall down the left-field line that moved Nimmo to third. After an intentional walk to Belfonte to load the bases, Wehrle flew out to center field on a full-count pitch to send the game to extra innings.

The Wildcats immediately capitalized with a leadoff home run by Tenbrink to the deepest part of the ballpark. After taking a 2-1 lead, KSU continued to rally with a Tyler Ruch single to right. Rumler was then hit by a pitch and Steve Edlefsen came on in relief of Weber.

Cruz then put down a sacrifice bunt attempt that was mishandled by Corriston at third base to load the bases, before Edlefsen walked Vaughn to give KSU a 3-1 lead. Edlefsen then got Paul McCoy to ground into a 6-2-3 double play.

But after an Eddie Vasquez walk, Drew Biery drove in two runs with a single to center to give KSU a 5-1 lead. Byron Wiley then doubled to left to drive in two more runs, before Tenbrink capped the rally with an RBI single. On the day, seven of KSU's eight runs were unearned.

Nebraska continued to fight in the 10th as Brown and Opitz singled to put runners at first and third to open the inning. But Edwards got Gerch to ground into a double play. Brown scored on the play but Tezak flied out to right to end the game.

Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said it was a tough loss for the Huskers.

"

Any loss hurts and we still control our own destiny this close to postseason," Anderson said. "We just need to get ourselves into a position where we still can get ourselves in the top of the conference and good things will happen. We need a good run against Coastal Carolina. It gives us a chance pick up a good RPI series and get some other guys going that we need to get going and we just need to make sure we get some guys healthy as we’re going into the end of our conference. "

 

The Huskers will take the week off from competition during Finals Week at the University of Nebraska, before taking on Coastal Carolina in an out-of-conference three-game series at Hawks Field next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.