OKLAHOMA CITY — The Nebraska baseball team did its best to wake up the old Bricktown ghosts Saturday night, but Oklahoma State scored four runs in top of the ninth inning to come from behind and shock the Huskers 6-5.Â
The Cowboys, quiet for the bulk of the game, came alive in the seventh, scoring five runs over the final three frames.
Nebraska freshman Colby Gomes entered the ninth with a 5-2 lead, but a three-run blast from Trevor Boone gave OSU the lead and the victory.Â
The Huskers quieted a lively Oklahoma State crowd and gave the red-clad fans who made the trip plenty to cheer for right at the start.
Facing Oklahoma State left-hander Parker Scott and his 1.45 ERA, the Huskers started the game with back-to-back singles from Jaxon Hallmark and Cam Chick before Aaron Palensky blasted a no-doubt, three-run shot into the party deck at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
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Just like that, on the same field where this program won four Big 12 Tournament titles, the No. 3 seeded team in the regional had control against the host squad.
The damage came after Matt Waldron worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first. The senior right-hander stranded two more in the second, then retired 10 of 12 batters at one point, including four in a row with strikeouts.
Nebraska tacked on two more runs in the third when Angelo Altavilla walked and Gunner Hellstrom singled before freshman Gomes, who came in batting .210, rolled a two-RBI single up the middle to stake NU to a 5-0 lead.
NU used two highlight-reel plays to get out of the fifth, when third baseman Angelo Altavilla flipped over the wall near the Oklahoma State dugout while making a catch in foul territory, and Joe Acker followed it up with a diving catch in center field to end the inning with a Cowboy baserunner on third.
The Cowboys got to Waldron in the sixth inning thanks to a Carson McCusker home run to left field. Waldron was flawless all night, as he struck out a career-high 11 batters over 7â…” innings, walked zero and allowed just two runs.
With the loss, the Huskers will now face UConn in an elimination game on Sunday at noon. The winner of that game will play Oklahoma State at 5 p.m. on Sunday evening and need to beat the Cowboys twice to win the regional.Â
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Reach the writer at 402-473-7436 or cbasnett@journalstar.com. On Twitter @HuskerExtraCB.
THE HUSKERS ARE HERE!! Aaron Palensky puts Nebraska up 3-0 in the 1st on this moon shot! |
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)