Courtesy of Husker Athletics
Nebraska scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but stranded the tying run on third base, falling 8-7 to Creighton on Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
Nebraska (24-25) scored seven runs on 10 hits and an error, while Creighton (32-13) totaled eight runs, nine hits and two errors.
Joshua Overbeek went 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and team-high three runs. Gabe Swansen was 2-for-5 with a solo homer, while Riley Silva had a 2-for-3 night with an RBI and a run scored.
Robby Bolin drove in a team-high three runs and had one hit, and Tyler Stone and Case Sanderson tallied one hit apiece.
Will Walsh dropped to 4-7 on the season, allowing two runs on two hits in 2.2 innings. Gavin Blachowicz recorded two outs, before Colin Nowaczyk, Ryan Harrahill and Caleb Clark combined for 1.2 innings.
Casey Daiss tossed 2.1 shutout frames, while Grant Cleavinger, Drew Christo and Pryce Bender worked the final 1.2 innings.
Creighton broke the scoreless tie with two runs behind a pair of hits in the top of the third inning. A plunked batter and a double had runners on second and third with one out, while a two-RBI single to center field with two outs gave the Bluejays a 2-0 lead.
The Huskers nearly got out of a bases-loaded jam with a double play in the top of the fourth, but an errant throw allowed the inning to continue and let Creighton tack on four more runs to the lead with a plunked batter, sacrifice fly and RBI single all with the bases loaded.
The NU offense broke through in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two runs on a pair of hits. Overbeek began the inning with a single through the right side, while Silva was plunked and Hogan Helligso drew a walk to load the bases with one out.
Bolin laced a two-RBI single up the middle to plate Overbeek and Silva to bring the Big Red within 6-2 after five innings.
Overbeek led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer into the berm in right-center field, and Swansen drilled a two-out solo homer into the left-field berm in the bottom of the eighth to send a 6-4 game into the top of the ninth.
Back-to-back doubles to begin the top of the ninth inning set the table for a two-RBI single through the right side that doubled Creighton’s lead to 8-4 going into the bottom of the ninth.
A leadoff fielding error, followed by a pair of singles from Overbeek and Sanderson loaded the bases for the Husker offense with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Silva blooped an RBI single to left-center field, scoring Carey and keeping the bases loaded.
Devin Nunez drew a walk on a 3-1 count to bring home Overbeek and bring the Huskers within a pair of runs with no outs. Bolin lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring Sanderson from third and advancing the tying run to third with one out.
Trailing 8-7, the Huskers had runners on first and third with one out, but a pair of swinging strikeouts put a halt to Nebraska’s threat and clinched the 8-7 win for the Bluejays.
Nebraska concludes its home slate this weekend, as the Huskers welcome Michigan to Lincoln. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Big Red and Wolverines is set for 6:02 p.m. on Nebraska Public Media/B1G+.
