Huskers Stumble in Tony Gwynn Classic Opener

San Diego, Calif. – The Nebraska baseball team tallied 15 hits on Friday night at Fowler Park, but trailed 8-0 to San Diego after the first inning and were unable to recover in a 17-5 defeat.

Jake Meyers led the way for the NU offense with a four-hit game, including two doubles. The Huskers produced five extra-base hits on the night, including home runs from Ryan Boldt and Ben Miller, but it was not enough to match USD’s offense that totaled 18 hits, including  two home runs and five doubles.

San Diego starter Troy Conyers tossed 5.0 shutout innings and struck out six, while allowing five hits and one walk. After tossing 5.0 shutout innings last week in Charleston, Colton Howell was unable to get out of the first inning. The senior right hander got just one out, giving up eight runs on seven hits and two walks.

The Huskers got in a deep deficit early with the Toreros taking a 8-0 lead in the first. Howell retired the leadoff batter before nine straight batters reached, including a three-run home run from Kevin Collard. Sophomore Reece Eddins took the mound and got out of the jam.

Eddins allowed just one unearned run over the next 3.0 innings and the Huskers offense put runners on base, but were unable to get on the board and trailed 9-0 after four complete.

After the Huskers stranded a pair in the top of the fifth, the Toreros offense went back to work and scored four runs. Riley Adams picked up his third hit of the night with a two-out, two-run home run that pushed USD’s lead to 13-0.

Nebraska’s offense finally got on the board in the sixth on three hits, including two doubles, off of USD’s bullpen. Meyers notched a one-out double, moved to third on a wild pitch and ended the shutout when he scored on a RBI groundout from Luis Alvarado. Taylor Fish then picked up his second hit of the game and San Diego native Cole Klemke stepped in and picked up his first hit and RBI as a Husker with a double off the left field wall, cutting USD’s lead to 13-2.

The Huskers plated two more runs in the seventh on two solo home runs. Boldt hit a one-out homer down the right-field line and two batters later Miller launched a solo shot over the 391-foot sign in dead center field. NU chipped away with one more run in the eighth when Meyers led off with his second double of the game and later scored on a RBI single from Klemke, making it 13-5.

In the eighth USD stretched its lead to 12, 17-5, when it scored four runs on four hits. The Huskers got singles from Meyers and Alvarado in the ninth, but were unable to drive them in.

The Huskers will be back at Fowler Park tomorrow at 3 p.m. (CT) and they will face Arizona. Greg Sharpe and Ben McLaughlin will have the call across the Husker Sports Network and there will be live video stream on CampusInsiders.com.