The Nebraska baseball team (21-11) split games with Indiana (23-10) in the pod series this weekend after falling in game two 4-2. After a rough first inning, the offense didn't do enough to come back and the Huskers missed a chance to take two games from the conference leaders.
On the mound to start the game was Shay Schanaman and the Hoosiers dominated him in the first inning. The junior gave up six base hits in the first and had the bases loaded with two outs, but he got out of the jam with four runs allowed. In the sixth inning, Ethan Bradford made his second appearance of the season, and he pitched two shutout innings, allowing no hits and striking out one.
The Big Red struggled to get their bats hot, and for the first six innings, they were scoreless on just one hit. The top of the seventh inning was when Nebraska was finally able to get on the board. Jaxon Hallmark led off the inning with a bunt single and a throwing error got him to second. Cam Chick drove in the senior and gave the Huskers some momentum, but two quick outs ended the inning.
After NU was on the board, Trey Kissack stepped up to the mound to pitch in the eighth, and he kept the Hoosiers from adding to their lead. The senior pitched one-third of an inning and allowed no hits for no runs but walked two batters. Cam Wynne took over from the mound, and he forced a double-play and the Big Red had one more chance at a comeback.
The top of the ninth started with a strikeout, and then Jaxon Hallmark tried to start a rally with a solo home run to make the score 4-2, but Nebraska had no more hits in the inning and it ended in the favor of Indiana.
First inning barrage
The game got out to a fast start when Indiana hit six base hits off Shay Schanaman to start their day. The four runs that the Hoosiers scored in the first inning were enough to take them through the entire game with the lead. Although it was a tough start, the Huskers were able to bounce back defensively, and allow no more runs for the final eight innings. The starter pitched four innings after the first, and in those innings he allowed no hits for no runs. A slow start came back to bite NU in this game, and a lack of offensive threat didn't help them.
Bats didn't heat up
The Big Red started the game with four straight innings where they went three up, three down. Along with that, the only hit in the first six innings came in the second when Luke Roskam hit a single into right center field and tried to turn it into a double but was throw out at second. Jaxon Hallmark was finally able to get a hit and get on base in the seventh inning, and he was driven in. In the ninth, Hallmark hit a solo shot to left field, but that was all the hitting Nebraska would do for the day. Four hits and two runs in this game was not enough to overcome the first inning deficit.
What's next
The Huskers will take on Rutgers in game two of the double header today at 2:00 p.m. After that game, NU will finish the pod series with a fourth game against the Scarlet Knights on Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Both games can be streamed on BTN+ and heard on Husker Sports Network.
