Huskers Lose in 13 Innings, 1-0

Long Beach, Calif. – After putting up nine runs in the series opener on Friday night, the Husker baseball team was shutout for the first time this season in a 13-inning, 1-0 defeat to the No. 20 Long Beach State Dirtbags. Long Beach had their leadoff man on six times on the afternoon and finally converted it into runs in the bottom of the 13th when Zack Domingues scored on a two-out bases-loaded single by Alex Muzzi.

With the bases loaded and one out, reliever Max Knutson got an out at home on a ground ball off the bat of Jarren Duran and had two strikes on Muzzi, but the LBS right fielder drove a deep single to left field for the walk-off winner.

For just the second time this season the Huskers were held under double digits in hits with nine, with their 4-5-6 hitters going a combined 0-for-15.

Both starters had strong outing, but neither factored into the decision.

In his first start of the season Derek Burkamper gave the Husker five scoreless innings. The junior recorded a career-high eight strikeouts. He notched two strikeouts in each of the first three innings and matched his previous career high of seven when he struck out LBS’s leadoff man in the fourth. The junior then notched his career-high eighth strikeout in the fifth.

Long Beach starter Darren McCaughan also hung zeroes on the board, as he tossed 7.0 scoreless inning with six strikeouts. The righty allowed four hits and one walk, while not allowing a Husker to reach third base until the sixth inning.

The Dirtbags had a chance to win the game in the ninth after Domingues reached on a one-out bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error. Following an intentional walk to Garrett Hampson, freshman reliever Chad Luensmann got back-to-back 4-3 ground outs, including a beautiful back-hand play by Jake Schleppenbach with two outs that kept the game-winning run from scoring.

The Huskers had a man in scoring position with two outs in the 10th when Schleppenbach notched his second double of the weekend, but reliever Austin McGeorge shutdown the rally with his eighth strikeout.

Reece Eddins took the mound in the bottom of the 10th and LBS had the winning run again in scoring position when Joey Sanchez, who singled earlier in the inning, moved to second base on a two-out wild pitch. LBS went to pinch-hitter Matt Gimenez and Eddins got him to bounce into an inning-ending 6-3 groundout that moved the game to the 11th with the game still scoreless.

Ryan Boldt started the 11th with a single and was in scoring position following a sacrifice bunt by Jake Placzek. LBS then intentionally walked Ben Miller to setup the double play. Scott Schreiber stepped in and flew out to shallow right. A passed ball then moved the runners up and Boldt was 90 feet from scoring the go ahead run, but McGeorge struck out Jake Meyers, his ninth since coming out of the pen in the eighth.

Eddins retired the Dirtbags in order in the bottom of the 11th and the Huskers had a man on for the third straight inning in the top of the 12 when Jesse Wilkening reached on a one-out single, but again were unable to plate a run.

The Dirtbags got their leadoff man on in the 12th when Muzzi singled. Eddins settled in and recorded three straight outs to move the game to the 13th.

The Huskers got a one-out single from Placzek in the 13th, but the inning quickly ended on a 6-3 double play. The Dirtbags then put an end to the first game of the doubleheader with their walk-off win.

After playing their first nine games on the year on the road, the Huskers now return to Lincoln for their home opener on Tuesday against Northern Colorado at 1:35 p.m. The game will be streamed live on HuskersNSide, while the radio broadcast will be carried across the Husker Sports Network.