Mar. 12, 2011
 
Bats fall silent in 1-0 loss.
 
Lincoln, Neb. — Nebraska starter Matt Freeman gave up only one run through seven innings, but the Huskers (8-6) produced just three hits off Fresno State starter Greg Gonzalez as the Bulldogs (11-1) claimed a 1-0 win at Hawks Field on Saturday afternoon.

Gonzalez matched Freeman's seven inning-outing and shut out NU while striking out 12 batters. The Huskers tallied only two hits off the All-WAC pitcher on singles from Khiry Cooper and Bryan Peters in the fifth and sixth innings.

"We did some great things defensively and we did some great things on the mound, but we didn't put it all together on the offensive end," head coach Mike Anderson said. "I'm disappointed. I give (Greg) Gonzalez and their closer (Charlie Robertson) credit first and foremost, but we had some undisciplined at-bats and it cost us. We had some chances early and late in the game. We have to be disciplined if we're going to win games like this."

Gonzalez threw 120 pitches before he was relieved by Robertson in the eighth inning. Kash Kalkowski came up with a one-out double in the ninth to put the tying run in scoring position before Chad Christensen and Patric Tolentino grounded out to end the game. Kalkowski's double kept his team-best hitting streak alive, which has now reached 10 games.

Freeman was outstanding from the start, as he retired Fresno State in order in four of the first five innings. He looked to be in trouble in the second after he walked Jordan Ribera to start the frame. Freeman then gave up a long double to Dusty Robinson but the relay throw from Cooper to Peters to Tolentino gunned down Ribera at the plate. The Omaha, Neb., native carried that momentum and struck out Kenny Wise and Aaron Judge to get out of the inning, two of his four punchouts on the day.

The Bulldogs came out with the game-winning run in the sixth as Pat Hutcheson hit a one-out double to right center and scored on a Garrett Weber RBI single. The lone run gave Freeman (2-1) a tough loss despite having a strong showing for the fifth straight game. Freeman holds a 0.79 ERA in 22 2/3 innings this season. That total is only bettered by fellow senior Casey Hauptman, who held the Bulldogs in check in the final two innings and improved his ERA to 0.48 in 18 2/3 innings.

"He had a great start," Anderson said of Freeman. "I thought him and (Casey) Hauptman were great. I thought he was composed, threw strikes and kept his pitch count down. He was very efficient. You can't ask for anything more. He gave up one run. On a day like that he should win a baseball game."

Hauptman did not allow a hit in his two innings of work while striking out a pair. He now has 19 strikeouts and only one walk this season, which was an intentional pass last weekend against UCLA.

Kale Kiser reached base three times, all via hit by pitch, marking the first time a Husker player has been hit by three pitches in a single game since 2007.

A day after combining for 26 hits in Fresno State's 8-5 series-opening win, the two teams totaled just six on Saturday. The series finale is Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch from Hawks Field. Tickets can be purchased on Huskers.com or by visiting the Hawks Field box office beginning 90 minutes before the game.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.