Nebraska Baseball Falls To Michigan State 6-3

Without Jake Meyers in the lineup, Nebraska struggled offensively and fell to Michigan State 6-3 Friday night. Jake Hohensee gave up five runs in the second inning, while the Michigan State bullpen managed to find their way out of jams all night.

The Huskers took an early lead in the first after Hohensee stranded the bases loaded. Angelo Altavilla singled on the first pitch he saw to open the frame. Scott Schreiber doubled to right to put two runners in scoring position. After a wild pitch plated Altavilla, Schreiber would score when Ben Miller reached on an error. Miller would be thrown out trying to score on a single from Luis Alvarado.

Michigan State would use the momentum from throwing out Miller at the dish to start a rally in the second. The Spartans would bat around, scoring five times off of six hits. Brandon Hughes single tied the game when he fought off a two strike pitch with a single, while Chad Roskelly put the Spartans ahead when he hit a 0-2 pitch to right for a double. Dan Durkin then laced a ball into center for a two run single to put the Spartans up 5-2.

Hohensee would settle down, and the Huskers would put pressure on the Spartans. In the fifth the Huskers got two runners on with two outs and stranded them both.

After stranding a pair of runners in the fifth, Michigan State added a tally in the sixth when Hughes came around on a single, error, wild pitch, and a Roskelly single.

With a 6-2 deficit, Nebraska threatened again in the sixth. The Huskers would chase Spartan starter Alex Troop when two men reached, again with two outs. Walter Borkavich would come in from the pen and got Zac Repinski to strikeout to end the threat.

Nebraska put a pair of runners in scoring position in the seventh with only one out when Altavilla singled and Schreiber walked. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position for Miller who struck out. Alvarado would hit a check swing floater to first to end the inning.

Nebraska managed to score in the eighth after loading the bases. Luke Roskam singled, Jesse Wilkening doubled, and Jake Schleppenbach walked to load the bases for Mojo Hagge with no one out. Hagge singled into left to plate Roskam, while keeping the bases loaded for Altavilla. Altavilla struck out on a 3-2 pitch, and then Alex Raburn grounded into a double play to keep the deficit at 6-3.

Nebraska got a walk from Miller in the ninth, but a pair of strikeouts ended any hope of the comeback.

Nebraska falls out of first place in the Big Ten and no longer controls their fate. The Huskers now fall to 30-17 (12-6-1 Big Ten) while Michigan State improves to 27-19 (9-10 Big Ten). Nebraska and Michigan State resume their series tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2:05.