On Friday night after the Nebraska Baseball team lost to Oklahoma State 1-0, Head Coach Darin Erstad took a very hard line approach to how his team played, especially on offense.
Saturday night against a nationally ranked Arkansas team, with a Husker coaching great across from him, Erstad found every reason to get even more frustrated.
Behind six solid innings by starter Trevor Stephan & a 5 RBI night by Carson Shaddy, the Razorbacks & former Nebraska coach Dave Van Horn gave the business to Nebraska by a final score of before a soaked crowd at the Frisco Classic in Dr. Pepper Ballpark Saturday.
Arkansas only trailed after the first inning, where things looked promising for the Huskers as they opened the game with a run. That was something that they couldn’t get from the game Friday vs. Oklahoma State. However the Huskers simply couldn’t get out of their own way on defense & pitching wise, allowing runs in all but 2 of 8 innings on the night.
Stephan got the win for the Razorbacks tonight, going 6 innings and only giving up 2 runs, 1 earned on 3 hits with 3 walks and 8 strikeouts on the night. The start was similar to Tyler Buffett’s start for Oklahoma State last night, where he was rocked early yet stayed in the game and made Nebraska look foolish at the plate at times.
Jake Hohensee, who was in his second start after Tommy John surgery last year, took the loss for the Huskers as he went 2 and a third innings, giving up 6 runs (3 earned) with 5 hits and 3 walked surrendered, with 2 strikeouts. Hohensee’s two worst starts as a Husker has come against the Razorbacks, as he’s allowed 10 runs to them with 7 of those earned.
There wasn’t a wait for scoring tonight, as Nebraska got off the scoring bunk early in the game. A full count walk to Mojo Hagge was followed by an Angelo Altavilla double down the RF line. A 4 pitch walk to Jake Meyers loaded them up with no outs. Ben Miller worked the count full, but popped out to the 3rd baseman in foul ground. Scott Schreiber, however, got it done with a sacrifice fly to CF, scoring Hagge. The threat ended with a Luke Roskam strikeout to make it 1-0 Nebraska after half an inning.
Arkansas got back into the game when it was their turn to bat. With 2 outs in the inning, Luke Bonfield got on by a error on Roskam. Grant Koch walked, then Dominic Fletcher got the poke to RF, and a bad Hagge throw didn’t get the run at the plate. Carson Shaddy lined one over Hagge, and a misplay by Catcher Ben Childs for Nebraska plated 3 unearned runs for the Hogs, who ended the inning with a 3-1 lead.
Nebraska responded in the Top of the 2nd. Luis Alvarado reached on a strikeout that was passed, then 2 batters later Ben Childs reached on a error by 3B Chad Spangberger, putting runners at the corners with 1 out. Mojo Hagge delivered a sac fly to LF, scoring Alvarado. A strikeout by Altavilla made it 3-2 Arkansas after 1 and 1⁄2 innings.
Scoring resumed in the game in the bottom of the 3rd when Arkansas started the inning with consecutive singles to left-center by Bonfield and Grant Koch. Dominic Fletcher walked on a full count, loading up the bases with no outs. Carson Shaddy stepped up to the plate and sent one to the RF corner for a double, scoring Bonfield and Koch. Evan Lee scored Fletcher on a groundout to Altavilla to make it 6-2 Hogs. After Jake Hohensee gave up the mound to Nate Fisher, Biggers ended the inning by lining to Ben Miller at first, who made the catch and the tag of the base for the inning ending Double Play.
Arkansas scored again in their version of the 4th, all self-inflicted by Fisher, all with 2 outs after a double play. Bonfield & Koch walked, followed by a Fletcher HBP to load them up. Carson Shaddy walked on 4 pitches to make it 7-2 Razorbacks. Fisher strikes out Evan Lee to end the threat with 3 left on base, but the deficit grew to 5 for the Huskers.
Another big inning for the Hogs came in the 5th under Nebraska pitcher Paul Tillotson. A Jordan McFarland single, Biggers walk & Bonfield infield single with 2 outs brought up Grant Koch once again, and he did some big damage. Koch took a 1-0 pitch and sent it over the LF patio, hitting a Grand Slam. That made the score 11-2 Razorbacks after 5.
More scoring for Arkansas in the 6th under Tillotson’s arm. Shaddy doubled to right center, followed by a Evan Lee infield single to 2nd base. A Jordan McFarland single over the glove of Altavilla scored Jaxon Williams, who came into pinch run for Shaddy. Another run scored in the inning after Bonfield’s third hit of the game & first RBI. That made it 13-2 Arkansas after 6 innings.
More runs in the 7th for Arkansas off of Nebraska pitcher Connor Curry. Jaxson Williams’ triple to right center plated Jack Kenley, who pinch hit for Fletcher & got on by a HBP. Williams scored on the next at-bat when Evan Lee drove him home with a groundout to 2B. That made it 15-2 after 7.
The Huskers finally gave an answer back with a Mojo Hagge single to right, scoring Zac Repinski as the bases were loaded. Altavilla drew a walk in the next at-bat, plating Jeff Athey. Another walk drawn by Nebraska’s Joe Acker plated Alex Henwood, but a flyout ended the threat as the Huskers got 3 in the inning to make it 15-5, where the scoring finished.
The Huskers get one more chance at a win here in Texas tomorrow as Jake Meyers takes the hill for Nebraska in a Noon Central contest with the Arizona Wildcats, who are 2-0 in the Classic.