Huskers Fall to OSU, 7-5

Lincoln ? DJ Belfonte tied a career high with three hits and scored twice, but Oklahoma State’s Rebel Ridling went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, as No. 13 Oklahoma State salvaged the finale of the three-game series with a 7-5 victory over Nebraska on Sunday.

NU (19-12, 5-7 Big 12) had a chance to tie the game in the ninth against OSU closer Jordy Mercer, as a one-out single by Belfonte and a two-out walk to Andrew Brown put the tying run on first. The Huskers, who saw their three-game win streak snapped, could not capitalize, as Jake Opitz flew out to left to end the game.

“We had a chance to get over the hump, and we just didn’t make it,” Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said.  “I really like the way our offense fought. We had the potential to have a great weekend with the staff we had set up today, but could not get the win.”

Ridling’s two-run homer in the seventh extended the Oklahoma State (23-8, 6-3 Big 12) lead to 7-4 and allowed the Cowboys to withstand Nebraska’s comeback in posting their first win in Lincoln in 14 games dating back to 1999.

Mercer allowed one hit over the final two innings for his first save, while Justin Friend upped his record to 3-2, holding the Huskers to two runs over 4.2 innings after NU overcame a pair of early deficits to tie the score the score at three.

Belfonte’s three-hit day was one of four multi-hit efforts in the Husker lineup, as NU out-hit Oklahoma State, 11-10. Ryan Wehrle Andrew Brown and Andy Gerch all went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Charlie Shirek pitched well for Nebraska in a losing effort, going 5.0 innings ? the longest relief stint of his career ? after coming into the game in relief of Zach Herr in the second. Shriek, who dropped to 2-4 on the year, tied his second high with seven strikeouts, but allowed a pair of runs on four hits, as OSU took the lead for good on Ridling’s fifth-inning RBI double.

OSU took advantage of the wildness of NU starter Zach Herr in the first, as two singles and a walk loaded the bases just three batters into the game. After a wild pitch put the first run on the scoreboard, Herr’s second walk of the frame loaded the bases before a third walk gave OSU its second run.

Nebraska got both runs back in the bottom of the first, as two-out Brown’s RBI double to right center scored Belfonte, who was hit by a pitch to open the home half of the first. Craig Corriston tied the game with an RBI single to center to score Brown.

OSU chased Herr in the second, as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with no outs. Shirek walked the first hitter to make it a 3-2 game, but escaped further damage by getting Tyler Mach to ground into a 5-2-3 double play and striking out Matt Mangini to end the threat.

The Huskers responded in the third, knocking OSU starter Andrew Oliver out of the game and tying the score at 3-3. Consecutive one-out singles by Wehrle and Brown put runners on the corners before Opitz was hit to load the bases. Friend then came in and uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Wehrle to tie the game, but retired the next two hitters to keep the game tied at three.

After Ridling’s RBI double scored Mach and gave OSU a 4-3 lead, the Cowboys tacked on another run in the sixth, as pinch hitter Dusty Harvard opened the frame with a single before a pair of wild pitches moved him to third. Three batters later, the wild pitches proved costly, as Ty Wright’s infield single made it a 6-4 lead.

The Huskers would fight back in the bottom of the sixth, as Corriston walked, stole second and came home on Gerch’s RBI single to pull NU within a run. That would as close as they got, as Ridling’s two-run homer off Matt Foust in the top of the seventh gave the Cowboys a three-run lead.

Nebraska got to within 7-5 in the seventh, as Belfonte doubled to open the inning and scored on Wehrle’s RBI single, but could not get closer.

The Huskers will return to action on Tuesday night, as they host Iowa beginning at 6:05 p.m. at Hawks Field. The game will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations and on the Internet at Huskers.com.