Huskers get swept in a Friday doubleheader against BYU

The Nebraska baseball team (13-20, 4-5 Big Ten) dropped another game to BYU (19-13, 6-6 WCC) in the second meeting of Friday's double header 7-6.

Emmett Olson was the evening starter for the Huskers and his third start built off his last. The sophomore started strong, throwing two scoreless innings, striking out three batters.

The Husker offense got off to a strong start themselves with a run in each the first and second innings. Griffin Everitt and Jack Steil drove in the runs for NU and put them up 2-0.

The Cougars answered in the next half inning, scoring two of their own to tie the game up, and put the pressure back on the Big Red. However, Nebraska met the challenge and put another run on the board in the third when Leighton Banjoff drove in the Huskers' third run.

After five full innings, Olson was done having given up two runs on two hits and struck out five. Mason Ornelas took the mound for NU and that is when things started to go downhill. BYU got four consecutive players on base, and drove in three runs in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead.

Chandler Benson was on the bump in the seventh inning and after giving two free bases, CJ Hood took over. Hood gave up a sac fly that charged a run to Benson and NU trailed 6-3.

Cam Chick changed the momentum in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run shot to bring Nebraska within one. Max Anderson then tripled with a runner on first to tie the game up, and it looked like the tides were changing. With one out and a runner on third, the Huskers failed to get Anderson across.

Braxton Bragg came in to pitch in the eighth and the first BYU batter he faced hit a solo home run to take the lead, and that was too much for the Big Red to overcome.

Nebraska had a chance to tie the game in the first leg of Friday's double header when Luke Sartori was on third base with just one out, and the offensive effort fell short. In this game, Max Anderson was in a similar situation, but this time the game was tied. Once again, with just one out, the Huskers hit two soft ground balls that weren't enough to get the runner home, and that moment came back to bite the Big Red.

Mason Ornelas was the first guy out of the pen for NU and the tone he set was not what the team wanted. A double from the jump, followed by a walked batter and two more hits; BYU had three runs across before Nebraska recorded an out. This theme continued as Chandler Benson struggled to throw strikes, walking two of the three batters he faced, and CJ Hood had control issues of his own. In a game where the Big Red gave themselves the chance to win, the bullpen didn't hold up their end of the bargin.

The Huskers are back in action for the final game of the four-game series against BYU on Saturday at 11:05 a.m.

The game can be streamed on B1G+ and heard on the Huskers Radio Network.