Frank, Huskers Blank BYU with Combined One-Hitter

Nebraska edged out BYU in the series opener with a 1-0 victory behind a combined one-hitter by Koty Frank, Tyler Martin and Braxton Bragg on Thursday night at Hawks Field.

The combined one-hitter is the first for the Huskers since Nate Fisher, Robbie Palkert and Colby Gomes teamed up in a 2-0 win at Baylor on March 9, 2019.

Nebraska (13-18) scored one run on three hits, while the Cougars (17-13) were limited to one hit and had no errors.

Frank threw 6.2 innings in the no-decision, tying his career-high set earlier this season vs. Northwestern State. Frank’s final line on the night included one hit, seven strikeouts and zero walks in the shutout performance. Martin improved to 2-0 on the season after pitching 1.1 innings in relief, before Bragg tossed a perfect final inning in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Garrett Anglim was 1-for-3, while Griffin Everitt went 1-for-2 with a double and a run and Nick Wimmers was 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI.

Frank began the night sitting down the first 11 Cougars he faced, before Ozzie Pratt was hit by the pitch on a 3-1 count with one out in the fourth. Frank responded by inducing a flyout and groundout to get out of the inning with no harm.

The Tushka, Okla., native brushed off the hit batter by retiring the next 10 BYU batters that stepped up to the plate, before Jacob Wilk ripped a 1-2 pitch through the right side against the defensive shift of the Huskers to break up Frank’s no-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning.

Martin replaced Frank on the mound and plunked the first batter he faced, allowing BYU’s second and final runner to reach second base on the night. Martin kept the Cougars off the scoreboard after Austin Deming grounded out to second.

Anglim led off the bottom of the seventh with a single through the right side to post Nebraska’s first hit of the game.  Following a double play, Everitt smacked a double down the right field line to put the go-ahead run at second for the Big Red. Wimmers came through for the Huskers, dropping a 2-2 pitch into left for an RBI single, plating Everitt and giving the Huskers a one-run lead.

Martin sat down the three BYU batters he faced in the eighth and the Huskers couldn’t add to the lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Bragg took the mound in the ninth with a one-run lead. Bragg struck out the first batter he faced and drew a flyout and lineout to clinch the combined one-hit victory on Thursday night.

Nebraska and BYU continue the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. The doubleheader begins with a seven-inning game, followed by a nine-inning game approximately 45 minutes after game one.