Five-Run Shocker Third Inning Dooms Huskers

Wichita, Kan. – The Nebraska baseball team (5-5) fell behind 5-0 after three innings in a 6-3 loss to Wichita State (8-0) at Eck Stadium on a blustery Saturday afternoon.

Junior left-hander Nate Fisher made his second start of the season and third appearance altogether on the mound in 2018. He threw 2.1 innings and gave up five runs. Matt Waldron (2.2 innings) and Zack Engelken (3.0) also pitched for the Huskers.

The Huskers went down in order in the top of the first with one groundout and two flyouts. Wichita State managed a single in the bottom half of the opening frame, but never got a runner to second base.

NU went down 1-2-3 in the top of the second. The Shockers had one baserunner, but he was caught stealing between a flyout and inning-ending groundout.

Zac Repinski’s one-out single in the third was NU’s first hit of the game, but he was left stranded after back-to-back flyouts. Wichita State scored five runs off seven hits in the bottom of the third. Greyson Jenista and Alec Bohm homered in back-to-back at-bats before three consecutive singles drove in a fifth run. The Shockers left two on base.

Nebraska responded with one run of its own in the top of the fourth. Mojo Hagge hit a leadoff triple and scored on Scott Schreiber’s RBI groundout in the subsequent at-bat. Luke Roskam and Jaxon Hallmark had back-to-back two-out singles, but were left stranded after an inning-ending groundout. Luke Ritter’s solo shot extended WSU’s lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth.

Repinski roped his second hit of the game in the leadoff spot of the fifth frame, but three consecutive outs ended the inning. The Huskers held the Shockers scoreless in the fifth inning after a leadoff single. A 1-3 pickoff, lineout and strikeout ended the inning.

Schreiber singled and Wilkening walked as the first two NU batters in the sixth inning. A flyout and back-to-back strikeouts ended NU’s chance to add runs. Wichita State hit a leadoff single, but three straight flyouts ended the Shockers’ chance to add to its lead.

All three Husker batters in the seventh struck out. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch for the Shockers, Engelken forced three straight flyouts in the bottom of the seventh.

Hagge hit a leadoff single in the eighth, but got thrown out on a double play. Wilkening also singled, but a groundout ended the inning. WSU had a one-out single, but a caught stealing ended his threat to score before an inning-ending groundout.

Hallmark drew a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth before Jeff Athey blasted a home run to mark his first hit of the season. With the lead cut to 6-3, Klenke hit a one-out single, but a lineout and flyout ended the game.

The series finale between the Huskers and Shockers is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) at Eck Stadium.