Nebraska dropped its series opener vs. Rutgers, falling 7-5 on at Hawks Field on Friday night.
The Huskers (12-16, 4-3 Big Ten) scored five runs on six hits with no errors, while the Scarlet Knights (23-6, 6-1 Big Ten) had seven runs on 10 hits and an error.
Shay Schanaman dropped to 2-4 on the season after allowing seven runs on nine hits and striking out seven in six innings. Chandler Benson tossed the next two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out a pair, while Corbin Hawkins pitched the final inning.
Brice Matthews extended his on-base streak to 22 games after posting his seventh multi-hit game of the year. Matthews went 2-for-4 with a walk and a team-high three runs. Colby Gomes tallied two hits, while Cam Chick had an RBI triple and Griffin Everitt posted a three-RBI double.
Ryan Lasko led off the game with a solo homer to right to give the Scarlet Knights a quick one-run lead.
Two consecutive walks to Matthews and Chick put two runners on with no outs, before Matthews advanced to third on a flyout and raced home on a wild pitch to tie the game in the first. Two more walks loaded the bases for the Big Red with one out, but the Huskers couldn’t break the tie.
Rutgers added a run in the third off a pair of singles to go ahead 2-1 after three. A two-run homer to center off the bat of Nick Cimillo stretched the lead to 4-1 for the Scarlet Knights.
Nebraska got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth after Chick ripped an RBI triple to the wall in right, scoring Matthews to make it a two-run game.
The Scarlet Knights tacked on three runs on four hits in the sixth, expanding the lead to 7-2. Mike Nyisztor’s RBI double to center, followed by a Lasko’s two-run homer to right center gave Rutgers the five-run advantage.
The Huskers had runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh after Gomes roped a single to left and Cervantes drew a walk, but the Big Red couldn’t cut into the deficit after RU drew a strikeout and groundout to end the inning.
Gomes led off the ninth with a single through the left side and Matthews lined a one-out single down the left field line to put two runners on for the Huskers. Chick loaded the bases after being hit by the pitch before Everitt smacked an 0-2 pitch down the left field line to clear the bases for a three-RBI double to make it a two-run game. With the tying run at the plate, Rutgers’ Dale Stanavich struck out Garrett Anglim to end the Husker rally and clinch the Friday night win for the Scarlet Knights.
Nebraska and Rutgers continue the series tomorrow at Hawks Field. Saturday’s game will be broadcast on BTN, with first pitch set for 3:17 p.m.
Huskers drop series opener to Rutgers
