The Huskers split a doubleheader with the Brigham Young Cougars on Friday afternoon. The Huskers lost the first game 8-3, before winning the second game in eleven innings 3-1. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first game of the doubleheader, the Husker bats fell silent until late in the second game of the doubleheader.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Blake Headley and Ben Miller lead off the second inning with back to back extra base hits. Headley drilled a triple, and Miller a stand up double. After Austin Christensen drove in Miller, the Huskers looked to be in good hands. Ryan Boldt singled in the third inning, scoring Steven Reveles who had earlier doubled.
With the Huskers up 3-0, a set of bad bounces resulted in a five spot being put up on Chance Sinclair and the Huskers. Sinclair allowed a season high 10 hits, but pitched better than his line would suggest. The Cougars recorded two infield hits in the inning.
While the Cougars would add to their lead in the sixth, the Huskers could not muster any offense. The Huskers did get solid relief pitching from Garrett King in the loss, but would go on to fall by the final of 8-3.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kyle Kubat put on a show with his deadly changeup. Kubat was fooling batters all afternoon, often inducing weak contact. Kubat had five strikeouts, but gave up the go ahead run in the sixth inning. After a double by BYU, a wild pitch, and a husker error put the Cougars on top.
As the Huskers fell behind, the offense tried to get going. After a freak power outage, Headley walked, and Miller hit a mile high pop up that fell in the outfield putting runners on first and second. Freshmen Jake Schleppenbach then drove in Headley with a solid single to tie the game.
The Huskers were unable to muster any offense to get Kubat the victory. Even with a missing offense for long stretches of time, the Huskers bullpen was once again a strong point. Colton Howell came in a induced double plays in the eighth and the ninth. Howell also pitched around two errors in the tenth and struck out a batter with a runner in scoring position.
The Huskers offense finally came around in the 11th inning, as Austin Darby singled sharply to right to start a rally. After advancing on a bunt to second, the Cougars walked Boldt. This set the stage for Headley to provide the dramatics again. Headley hammered a ball off the bullpen gate in right field that would be a home run in most other parks. Boldt had to stop at third, but was driven in by a Tanner Lubach Sacrifice fly.
Josh Roeder came in to shut the door on the Cougars, picking up his third save on the young season. The Huskers move to 3-3 on the season, while the Cougars fall to 1-5. The Husker are back in action tomorrow against the Cougars as they got for the series win at 1:05.