Nittany Lions Take Series Opener, 7-4

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team (31-18, 11-8 Big Ten) scored four runs over the final three innings but it was too little too late on Friday night at Hawks Field, as the Huskers fell 7-4 to the Penn State Nittany Lions (27-24, 11-8 Big Ten). The Huskers and Nittany Lions are now tied in the Big Ten standing with two games left in this weekend’s series.

The Huskers were only out hit by one tonight, 11-10, but six of NU’s 10 hits came in its last three at bats. NU totaled just five base runs on four hits and a walk over the first six innings off starter Nick Hedge.

Hedge was the team’s Friday starter last season, but made his first weekend start of the 2016 season on Friday night. The senior lefty went a season-high 7.0 innings, and allowed three runs on seven hits and four walks, but did strike out a season-high tying five batters.

After giving up just three earned runs over his past three starts, Derek Burkamper allowed three earned runs on six hits and four walks over 5.0 innings. The Huskers had won each of Burkamper’s last three starts and Friday marked the third straight start where he has walked four batters.

The Nittany Lions struck first in the third inning, taking a 2-0 lead. With one down and two runners in scoring position Greg Guers lifted a sacrifice fly, notching his first of four RBIs on the night, into right center field and both runners moved up 90 feet. Following a two-out walk, PSU scored a run in a very unconventional way. Burkamper struck out Willie Burger on a ball in the dirt and the ball rolled up the first-base line, while Burger ran to first he kicked the ball twice, but the umpires ruled the contact unintentional and not only did Burger reach, but Nick Riotto scored from third base.

Nebraska tried to answer in the bottom of the second when it had two in scoring position following a two-out double by Steven Reveles, but Hedge ended the threat with an inning-ending ground ball off the bat of Jake Schleppenbach. After leaving the runner in scoring position in the second, Hedge didn’t allow another Husker to get into scoring position until the seventh.

After the Husker stranded a runner in the bottom of the third, PSU cashed in a leadoff walk in the fourth. James Coates worked a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a RBI single from No. 9 hitter Ryan Sloniger. Facing the top of the lineup Burkamper got consecutive pop ups, but the Nittany Lions stretched their lead to 3-0.

The Nittany Lions nearly blew the game open in the top of the fifth when they had the bases loaded with two outs and Conlin Hughes lifted a shallow fly ball to center field. But Ryan Boldt sprinted in and made a diving catch to end the frame, keeping at least two runs from scoring.

Reliever Robbie Palkert stranded a pair of runners in the top of the seventh and the NU offense finally cracked the scoreboard. Taylor Fish worked a leadoff walk and following a lineout from Luis Alvarado, Reveles worked a walk to put two runners on. Head Coach Darin Erstad went to his bench and freshman Jesse Wilkening came through with a pinch-hit RBI single. With runners on the corners and the top of NU’s lineup coming to the plate, Hedge stranded the tying runs with a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.

Palkert retired the first two batters in the eighth, but then the PSU lineup rolled over. Riotto and Nick Haley recorded consecutive singles and Guers worked a full count before blasting a three-run homer to right field, his sixth of the season. Palkert ended the frame with a groundout, but not before PSU pushed its lead to 6-1.

Hedge walked Boldt to start the eighth and then gave up back-to-back singles, including a RBI single by Ben Miller. PSU went to closer Jack Anderson for a six-out save. Scott Schreiber welcomed him with a RBI single before Anderson struck out Fish for the first out of the frame. Anderson then got a potential inning-ending double play ball to Haley at third, but second baseman Christian Helsel dropped the throw from Haley and the Huskers loaded the bases with one down. With the tying runs on base Anderson got an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Reveles.

Garett King took the mound in the ninth and struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a walk. Hughes followed with a single and PSU dialed up a double steal, on the play Fish was unable to make an accurate throw to third and Coates scored to put PSU up 7-3. With a runner still in scoring position, King ended the frame with his third strikeout.

Anderson allowed a run on two hits in the ninth, but polished off the six-out save for his Big Ten high 13th save of the year.

Nebraska and Penn State are back in action tomorrow at Hawks Field, with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. The game will be carried statewide on NET and streamed live on BTN2Go.