Koty Frank had a career-high 10 strikeouts and tossed 6.2 shutout innings in Nebraska’s 2-0 win against Northwestern State on Friday at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. The 6.2-inning performance is Frank’s longest outing of his career, surpassing his previous career-high of four innings at TCU last weekend.
Nebraska (2-6) scored two runs on eight hits and didn’t commit an error, while Northwestern State (3-6) was limited to five hits.
Frank improved to 1-0 on the season after only allowing five hits and two walks in the win. Olson picked up his first save on the year after pitching the final 2.1 innings of relief without allowing a baserunner and striking out three.
Brice Matthews had a team-high two hits, followed by six Huskers with one hit apiece. Griffin Everitt was 1-for-3 at the plate with a two-run homer. Efry Cervantes hit a double, while Max Anderson, Cam Chick, Leighton Banjoff and Colby Gomes had one single each.
The Demons threatened early with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second, but Frank induced a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the jam.
Cervantes had Nebraska’s first hit of the game with a two-out double to left in the third. Matthews followed with an infield single to the shortstop, but NSU was able to escape the threat after throwing out Cervantes overrunning third on the play.
Matthews began the sixth with a single to left and stole second before Everitt drilled a two-run shot down the left field line to give the Big Red a 2-0 lead.
Frank recorded back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh before allowing a walk on four pitches to the final batter he faced. Olson drew a first-pitch out to end the seventh and didn’t allow a baserunner in the eighth or ninth inning to clinch the shutout victory for the Huskers.
The Nebraska baseball team had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth but fell 4-3 at UT Arlington on Friday afternoon at Clay Gould Ball Park in Arlington, Texas.
The Huskers (2-7) had three runs on 10 hits and no errors, while the Mavericks (3-5) scored four runs on 11 hits and committed an error.
Starter Kyle Perry tossed five shutout innings, posting four strikeouts with five hits. Mason Ornelas pitched two scoreless innings in relief, while Ethan Bradford shut down the Mavericks in the eighth. Colby Gomes dropped to 0-1 on the year after allowing four runs on five hits in 0.2 innings.
Jack Steil posted a team-high two hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Efry Cervantes went 1-for-2 with two RBI, while Griffin Everitt was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Leighton Banjoff tallied a double and five other Huskers had a single. Josh Caron scored a team-high two runs.
Back-to-back singles by Caron and Steil and a sacrifice bunt laid down by Cervantes put runners on second and third with one out. Brice Matthews reached first on a dropped third strike before Everitt lifted a sacrifice fly to right, plating Caron and giving the Huskers a 1-0 lead in the fifth.
Nebraska added to its lead in the sixth with a rare two-run sacrifice fly by Cervantes. Singles by Luke Jessen and Steil and a walk to Caron loaded the bases for the Big Red with one out. Cervantes smacked a fly ball to right, where the Maverick outfielder made a leaping catch, allowing Jessen to score from third and Caron to race home from second and avoid the tag at the plate.
Luke Sartori drew a two-out walk in the top of the ninth and advanced to third after an errant throw by the UTA pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt, but the Huskers couldn’t get him home to add to the lead.
A pair of doubles to right center made it a two-run game in the bottom of the ninth. A hit batter and a single loaded the bases for the Mavericks before an RBI single brought UT Arlington within one run with one out. With two outs and the bases loaded, UTA benefited from a slow-rolling ground ball that resulted in an infield single to third, which tied the game at three before the Mavericks won on a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded.
The Huskers wrap up this weekend’s slate with two games tomorrow. Nebraska faces Northwestern State at 11 a.m. before taking on UT Arlington at 3 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.
