Huskers Edged by Cougars in Game Two

Nebraska fell 7-6 in the second game of a doubleheader against BYU on Friday at Hawks Field.

The Huskers (13-20) had six runs on eight hits and an error, while the Cougars (19-13) notched seven runs on seven hits and two errors.

Emmett Olson pitched five innings in his third start of the year, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and tying his career-high with five strikeouts. Mason Ornelas, Chandler Benson and CJ Hood combined to pitch the next two innings in relief. Braxton Bragg dropped to 1-4 on the season after surrendering one run on two hits and striking out a pair in two innings.

Max Anderson was 2-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple and an RBI. Cam Chick had a two-run homer and scored two runs, while Garrett Anglim, Griffin Everitt, Leighton Banjoff, Josh Caron and Jack Steil had one hit each.

Chick opened the first with a walk, followed by Anglim reaching on a single and an error to put runners on second and third with no outs. Everitt opened the scoring with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Chick to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.

Caron led off the second with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brice Matthews, while Steil’s RBI single up the middle stretched the Nebraska lead to 2-0.

BYU tied the game in the third after a two-run homer to right center by Dawsen Hall.

Nebraska responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the third to take back the lead at 3-2. Anderson started it off with a double to left center and later came around to score on Banjoff’s one-out RBI groundout. 

The Cougars jumped ahead 5-3 in the sixth after an RBI single by Hayden Leatham, followed by a two-RBI double from Alex Sardina. A sacrifice fly to center in the seventh extended the BYU advantage to 6-3.

Steil walked and Chick smacked a first-pitch two-run shot over the wall in right to bring the Huskers within a run. Nebraska tied the game at six after Anderson drilled a 1-0 pitch down the right field line for an RBI triple, scoring Anglim from first.

BYU broke up the tie in the eighth after Mason Strong’s solo home run to right on a full count to give the Cougars a 7-6 lead.

The Huskers and Cougars conclude the four-game series with the series finale at Hawks Field tomorrow at 11:05 a.m.