Mistakes plague Huskers in Game 3 loss at Grand Canyon

Too many mistakes plagued the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a 7-5 loss on Saturday night in game three of a four-game series at Grand Canyon in Phoenix.

Of Grand Canyon’s seven runs, three were unearned as two Husker errors helped the Lopes’ offense. Nebraska wasn’t without opportunities — it had the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings but was unable to cash in.

Both teams finished with 11 hits, but the Huskers left nine runners stranded and struck out 11 times. Nebraska hit .267 (4-of-15) with runners on, and .143 (1-of-7) with runners in scoring position.

Nebraska starter Will Walsh lasted three innings. The right-hander gave up six hits, four runs, two earned, and struck out two. Mason McConnaughey came on in relief to toss three frames. He allowed four hits and two runs, one earned, while striking out two and hitting a batter.

Evan Borst (1.1 innings) and Kyle Perry (0.2) finished the game on the mound. Borst allowed one run and struck out one.

Josh Caron continues to hit — he gave the Huskers an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first off a three-run homer to right field. The Wisconsin native drilled two home runs in Friday night’s win.

Caron went 2-of-5 at the plate with a home run, three RBIs and a run. Cole Evans was 2-of-3 with a double while Cayden Brumbaugh and Will Jesske each had two hits.

GCU responded with two runs right away in the bottom of the first. The Lopes hit a two-out, two-run double, but those runs were all unearned.

After Walsh gave up a pair of home runs in the third, which put Nebraska behind 4-3, the Huskers tied the game at four thanks to a Brumbaugh sac fly to center that scored the Grand Island native Evans.

But like they did in the first, the Lopes responded immediately. In the bottom of the fifth, an errant throw from McConnaugey to first allowed one run to score. Then GCU got an RBI groundout to push its lead to 6-4.

Brumbaugh recorded his second sac fly of the game in the seventh to cut the Husker deficit to 6-5, but that’s as close as Big Red would get to GCU. The Lopes tacked on an RBI triple in the seventh and held the Husker bats scoreless the final two innings.

Nebraska drops to 3-3 on the season while GCU improves to 5-2.

The Huskers will go for the series win Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Nebraska will send lefty Caleb Clark (0-0, 3.38 ERA) to the mound vs. righty Hunter Watkins (0-0, 6.00 ERA).