Bats Cool in 4-2 Loss to Wildcats

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team (19-9, 5-1 Big Ten) had its three-game winning streak against the Kansas State Wildcats (13-17, 0-6 Big 12) snapped on Tuesday night at Hawks Field with a 4-2 defeat. The Huskers had the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the eighth with no outs, but were unable to drive in the runs.

Freshman Jesse Wilkening was 3-for-4 on the night and notched the Huskers’ lone RBI, while Ben Miller was 2-for-4 and Cole Klemke recorded his second double of the season.

The Huskers started the bottom of the first with three straight singles, but were unable to score a run, and then didn’t get another hit until Wilkening produced a one-out single in the fourth.

KSU took a 1-0 lead in the second when Jake Scudder started the frame by depositing a 0-1 offering from NU starter Jake Meyers into the right-center field seats. After going down in order in the third, KSU pushed its lead to 2-0 on three hits, including a one-out RBI single from Tyler Wolfe.

The Huskers then gave KSU a run in the top of the sixth on an error. It looked like Wolfe was going to hit into an inning-ending double play, but instead Reece Eddins’ throw sailed into center field, allowing an unearned run to score, extending KSU’s lead to 3-0.

Nebraska finally got on the scoreboard in the sixth, but left the tying runs on base. Jake Placzek started the frame with his second walk of the night and later scored on a one-out RBI single by Wilkening. With runners on first and second, KSU reliever Mitch Zubradt struck out Elijah Dilday and Klemke in order to end the Husker rally. The Wildcats got the run back in the top of the seventh on a two-out single by Tyler Moore, pushing their lead to 4-1.

KSU reliever Brogan Heinen took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and he started the inning by hitting Placzek. Miller followed with a single and the Huskers had runners on the corners. Heinen then uncorked a wild pitch that scored Placzek and he walked Schreiber to put the tying runs on base. The Wildcats went to lefty Jordan Floyd and his first pitch was a single off the bat of Wilkening to load the bases with no out. Floyd dug in and left the bases loaded with a pair of ground balls sandwiched around a strikeout, keeping KSU in front by two, 4-2.

Floyd worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his first save of the season.

Nebraska will head to Werner Park tomorrow night for a 6:30 p.m. meeting with the Omaha Mavericks. The Huskers will be back at Hawks Field this weekend for a three-game series against the Northwestern Wildcats, with the series opener set for 6:35 p.m. on Friday night.