Bulldogs shut out Huskers
Ruston, La. — Nebraska saw its four-game winning streak come to a end Friday night at J.C. Love Field as Louisiana Tech opened the three-game series with a 5-0 win. Phil Maton delivered 7.0 shutout innings in the start, as the 2012 freshman All-American gave up four hits and struck out eight.
Nebraska starter Ryan Hander faced just three Bulldog hitters in an inning four times on the night, but fell to 0-2 on the season due. The senior righty struck out six and walked just two, but he was dinged for five runs on seven hits.
The Huskers and Bulldogs wrap up their three-game series Saturday with a doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m.
The series was originally scheduled as a Friday-Saturday-Sunday affair, but Sunday's game was moved to Saturday due to impending weather.
The Bulldogs tallied only three more hits than the Huskers but made each one count. While the Huskers left eight runners on base, the Bulldogs stranded just three.
Hander cruised through the first two innings, retiring the first six Bulldogs he faced. Hander hit Sam Alvis to start the third, but then retired him at second on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Ryan Jones. The Bulldogs then produced their first two hits of the game to load the bases with one down.
Hander got out to an 0-2 lead on Ryan Gebhardt, but the La Tech shortstop hung in and worked a walk to plate the game's first run. No. 3 hitter Taylor Terrasas opened the game up with a double down the leftfield line that cleared the bases, giving the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead. After a walk put runners on the corners, Hander struck out Kody Neel and Tanner Lubach threw out Tyler Ervine stealing to end the third inning.
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 5-0 in the fourth with a run on a pair of hits, including a two-out single from No. 9 hitter Taylor Burch.
Nebraska (4-8, 0-0 Big Ten) was in position to get on the board in the fifth with the bases loaded, but Maton got of the jam without any damage. After a walk to Rich Sanguinetti and an infield single to Austin Darby, Chad Christensen stepped to the plate with two out and the bases loaded. The NU senior was unable to come through, as he flied out into foul territory down the right-field line.
R H E ------------------------------------------- Nebraska ........... 000 000 000 - 0 5 1 Louisiana Tech ..... 004 100 00x - 5 8 1 -------------------------------------------