Nebraska Baseball Falls On Walkoff 11-10

In a game that went back and forth, the Nebraska baseball team (4-6) lost to the Sam Houston State Bearkats 11-10. Nebraska held a 9-2 lead but the bullpen struggled and could not deliver a win for Nate Fisher.

Fisher battled the Bearkats in the first four innings. He gave up a run in the second after surrendering a single, a balk, an error, and another base hit.

The Huskers and Bearkats traded runs in the fourth inning. Nebraska got on the board when Aaron Palensky doubled and came around the bases via a ground out and a wild pitch. A pair of singles sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt gave the Bearkats a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.

Then all hell broke loose. The teams combined to score 14 runs in a wild fifth inning.

For the Huskers, Jaxon Hallmark and Spencer Schwellenbach each hit doubles to tie the game. Angelo Altavilla reached on an error before four straight singles gave the Huskers a 5-2 lead. After a Bearkat pitching change, pinch hitter Carter Cross tripled to right to give the Huskers a 8-2 lead. Cross would later score on a passed ball.

Connor Curry came in to try and shut the Bearkats down in the fifth and he failed. He loaded the bases via a walk, a hit batter, and a single. The next two batters both reached to bring the Bearkats within 9-5. Altavilla committed an error and then a sacrifice fly combined with a second error on Altavilla made it 9-8. Curry was lifted in favor of Mike Waldron who got the Huskers out of the inning with the lead.

After a quick top of the sixth for Nebraska, the Bearkats got a questionable call to help them take the lead. Joe Acker appeared to have caught Riley McKnight line drive to start the inning, but the umpires ruled it a single. Video replay was used and the umpires ruled their was not enough evidence to overturn the call. The next batter launched a two run home run to put the Bearkats up 10-9.

Nebraska and Sam Houston State got to the ninth inning with the score 10-9. Nebraska got a single to start the inning from Mojo Hagge. Palensky then reached when a ball went through the legs of the third baseman. With Runners on second and third and no one out, Luke Roskam failed to get the job done. Cross lifted a sacrifice fly to get the job done and tie the game. Colby Gomes was unable to drive Palensky home from second.

In the bottom half of the inning the Bearkats would walkoff the Huskers. Ben Klenke hit Jordan Cannon to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt, intentional walk, and a strikeout would bring the Huskers to within one out of going to extra innings. Darien Simms had other ideas and found a hole on the right side of the infield for a walkoff single.

Nebraska had chances to win this game, and one wonders why Curry was left to sit out for the fifth inning for such a long period of time. Curry has now been hit around in his last two outings for the Huskers. Poor defense did the Huskers no favors, as three of the runs Curry allowed were unearned.

Nebraska continues play at the Frisco College Baseball Classic tomorrow when they face off against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Nebraska and Mississippi State are scheduled to face off at 11 A.M.