Huskers Drop Twinbill to Kansas

Lawrence, Kan. ? The Nebraska baseball team saw its two-game win streak snapped, dropping both games of a doubleheader at Kansas by scores of 8-2 and 9-4 Sunday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.

In the nightcap, Kansas took advantage of a controversial call, scoring three times in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 4-3 deficit.

With two outs and runners on first and second, David Narodowski’s seeing-eye single between short and third scored Casey Lytle to tie the score. On the play, NU had Zac Elgin caught between second and third, but Jeff Tezak’s throw to third hit Elgin in the arm, allowing both runners to be safe. The Husker players and coaches argued that Elgin interfered with the throw, but the call stood, putting runners on second and third. The play would prove costly, as David Stanfield sent Casey Hauptman’s 2-2 pitch to left, scoring both runners and putting Kansas up for good at 6-4.

Elgin went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Stanfield had two RBIs for Kansas (29-15, 10-8 Big 12)

Nebraska (19-23-1, 5-16 Big 12) used the power of DJ Belfonte and a solid performance by Sean Yost to take a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth. 
In the second, Nick Sullivan doubled with one out and came home two batters later as Belfonte belted his second homer of the year, a two-run shot to left off KU starter Lee Ridenhour, to stake the Huskers to a 2-0 lead.

The Huskers had opportunities against the Jayhawk right-hander, getting runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but could not come up with a clutch hit to extend the lead.

KU pushed across an unearned run without the benefit of a hit in the fourth to pull within 2-1, but was held in check by Yost through five innings. The Husker freshman fanned four and allowed one hit through five innings before running into trouble in the sixth.

Kansas opened the frame with back-to-back hits and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs. Yost then picked off Narodowski at second for the first out, but Brian Heere tied the game with an RBI double to right to end Yost’s afternoon. Hauptman came in to face Buck Afenir, who lofted a sacrifice fly to center to score Stanfield and give the Jayhawks a 3-2 lead.

Nebraska regained the lead with a pair of runs in the top of seventh, taking advantage of a costly Jayhawk miscue. Kale Kiser walked to open the seventh before Belfonte’s sacrifice moved Kiser into scoring position. Brett Bochy replaced Ridenhour on the mound and struck out NU's Cody Neer for the second out, but could not get out of the inning unscathed. Kyle Bubak capped a nine-pitch at-bat with a sharp single to center to score Kiser, but KU center fielder Jason Brunansky had the ball run underneath his glove. The ball rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Bubak to race around the bases to put the Huskers up 4-3.

Adam Bailey went 3-for-5 while Bubak had two hits and an RBI in the losing effort.

NU's lead was short-lived, as Kansas scored three times to take control in the seventh and broke the game open with three runs in the eighth for the final margin, as Bochy (4-0) earned the win in relief.

In the opener, Heere and Afenir drove in a three runs apiece, as Kansas picked up an 8-2 victory

Kansas scored all the runs they needed in the first three frames, jumping to a 5-0 lead against NU starter Mike Nesseth and relying on the arm of sophomore T.J. Walz (5-1), who scattered five hits and fanned 10 over 7.2 innings for the win.

Kansas jumped to 2-0 lead on Heere’s two-run homer in the bottom of the first. With one out, Robby Price doubled and came home, as Heere sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center. 

The Jayhawks took advantage of some wildness by Nesseth in the bottom of the third, scoring three times to take a 5-0 lead. With one out, Nesseth hit Price and Heere before a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Afenir then cleared the bases with a two-run double.  Two batters later, Lytle plated Afenir with an RBI single to extend the margin to 5-0

Nesseth (3-3) allowed five run four hits over 3.2 innings to take the loss.

Nebraska scratched across a run in the fifth to pull to within 5-1. Cody Asche opened the fifth with a single to center before Belfonte walked to put runners on first and second. Nick Sullivan then hit a grounder to first, as Preston Land threw to second to start a double play attempt, but the throw back from Narodowski bounded into the dugout, allowing Asche to score on the play.

The Huskers pulled closer in the sixth, getting within 5-2 on a sacrifice fly by Bailey. After a walk to Tezak, Jake Mort doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. Bailey then lofted a sacrifice fly to deep right, scoring Tezak to make it a three-run deficit.

Kansas, which was held scoreless by reliever Kash Kalkowski after he entered the game in the third, broke the game open with three runs in the sixth, getting two-out RBI singles by Stanfield and Afenir sandwiched around Heere’s run-scoring double.

The Huskers return home to begin a eight-game homestand Tuesday night, as New Mexico comes to town for a two-game series. First pitch at Hawks Field is set for 6:05 p.m.