Huskers Edged by Bluejays, 5-4

Omaha, Neb. – The Nebraska baseball team (22-24) fell to Creighton, 5-4, in the season series finale between the intrastate rivals at TD Ameritrade Park on Tuesday night.

Junior righty Mike Waldron, who made his third start of the season and 19th appearance overall, went 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Freshman Andrew Abrahamowicz threw 2.1 scoreless innings, while Ben Klenke (1.0) and Max Schreiber (2.0) also came out of the bullpen for the Big Red.

Creighton struck first with one run in the top of the opening frame. Clark Brinkman hit a leadoff single and then scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning. The Huskers went down in order in the bottom of the first.

The Bluejays managed one baserunner in the top of the second, but left him stranded. Luke Roskam blistered a leadoff double and then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Jaxon Hallmark drove him in with a single up the middle and tied the score at 1-1.

Creighton’s first two batters in the third reached base with a double and a single, but couldn’t convert as NU recorded three straight outs on fielder’s choices. The Huskers went down in order in the bottom of the third.

Creighton’s leadoff hitter in the fourth singled and then scored to give the Bluejays a 2-1 advantage. The Huskers went down in order in the bottom of the fourth.

CU had a leadoff walk, but left the runner stranded in a scoreless fifth frame. NU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth.

Abrahamowicz retired all three Jays he faced in the top of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts. NU scored one run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. Mojo Hagge roped a leadoff double and then advanced to third on a flyout. Hagge scored on Hellstrom’s sacrifice fly.

Klenke retired all three Bluejays in the top of the seventh with two groundouts and a flyout. Angelo Altavilla drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, but remained stranded after three consecutive outs.

Creighton scored three runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead. Three of the first four Bluejay batters in the innings reached base on a single and two walks. NU responded with two runs to cut the deficit to 5-4. Hagge drew a leadoff walk before Scott Schreiber singled. Wilkening laced a double to score one run. Schreiber scored on Hellstrom’s sacrifice fly.

The Bluejays went down in order in the top of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts. Henwood walked in the leadoff spot in the ninth inning before Carter Cross laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance him to second. Hagge singled to advance Henwood to third. Back-to-back outs left the runners stranded and ended the game.

The Huskers finish up their home schedule this weekend when they host Indiana at Hawks Field for a three-game series, beginning on Friday at 6:35 p.m. (CT).