Mar. 16, 2011
 
Huskers let go of 5 run lead.
 
Manhattan, Kan. — Nebraska (10-7) took a 5-0 lead after the top of the third but the Huskers gave up a pair of three-run homers as it dropped a non-conference ruled contest to Kansas State (11-5) by a score of 6-5 on Wednesday night in Manhattan, Kan.

"It's pretty disappointing," head coach Mike Anderson said. "That one will haunt one a little bit because we had a 5-0 lead on the road. We played well defensively and it was really two pitches that hurt us, but it was a walk and hit by pitch that got us in trouble. I told our club I was not pleased with our offense. We had too many strikeouts."

Each team had seven hits, but the Wildcats cashed in on three-run homers from Mike Kindel and Kent Urban to account for all their offense.

Nebraska scored four runs on four hits in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead, which was capped by Cody Asche's opposite field home run to left, marking the second straight game the junior has homered.

The Huskers had three doubles in the frame from Josh Scheffert, Chad Christensen and Kurt Farmer. Christensen's came on the first pitch from Jake Doller, KSU's third pitcher of the game, as he drilled a double to score Scheffert and Kash Kalkowski on a double steal. Christensen, who also executed a hit and run to score Kalkowski for NU's first run in the second inning, produced his seventh multiple-hit game of the season.

After tallying a hit each in the first and second innings, K-State answered NU's four-run third with some offense of their own, beginning with a warning track fly ball from Jason King. A batter later, with two runners on base, Mike Kindel hit one to nearly the same spot, but cleared the wall for a three-run homer to cut NU's lead to 5-3.

After walking the next batter, NU starter Dylan Vogt retired six in a row make it to the fifth inning before he was relieved by Tyler King following a two-out single. King nearly got out of the inning with a chopping grounder to first from Kindel, but Farmer's flip to King was just late for an infield hit. Urban then followed a three-run blast to right to give KSU a 6-5 lead and account for the final score. NU had only given up four home runs all season before allowing a pair Wednesday night.

The Huskers nearly caught a break in the eighth inning when a fly ball from Farmer fell into right center field between outfielders Jared King and Kindel. However, following the error, Shawn Lewich got three straight strikeouts to keep NU down 6-5.

Nebraska returns home for a six-game homestand that features a four-game set against North Dakota this weekend. The series kicks off Friday at 1:35 p.m. at Hawks Field.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.