April 13, 2012
 
NU stumbles at Ohio State
 

Scheffert

Columbus, Ohio — A rough first inning put Nebraska in a 7-0 hole that they could bot climb out of on Friday night at Bill Davis Stadium. Ohio State went on to win the game 10-2, while the two squads played a close 3-2 game over the final eight innings.

Josh Scheffert was a bright spot for NU offensively on the night with a 2-for-4 performance, hitting a home run and driving in two runs. Kyle Kubat also threw well in relief, as the freshman put up three shutout innings with three strikeouts.

Ohio State jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first on just three hits to give starter Jaron Long, who threw his second complete game of the season, a big cushion on the mound. NU's Tyler King struggled in his first career conference start, as he retired just one, walked three and hit two Buckeyes, before Tyler Niederklein came in and got the Huskers out of the frame.

The Huskers (23-13, 5-5 Big Ten) got one run back in the top of the second when Kash Kalkowski reached on a one-out single and scored on a two-out single by Scheffert. NU put itself in position to add more in the third with a pair of leadoff singles by Cory Burleson and Michael Pritchard, but Pritchard was picked off, Rich Sanguinetti struck out and Chad Christensen grounded out to end the threat.

Scheffert added the Huskers' other run of the game with a leadoff homer in the seventh inning. It was the junior's fifth home run of the year, tying his single-season career high, as he also hit five as a freshman in 2010.

The Huskers will look to even the series Saturday with sophomore Brandon Pierce on the mound when the two teams meet for game two of the three-game series at 2:05 p.m. CDT. Due to Nebraska football's spring game, many affiliates will join the baseball game following the conclusion of the football broadcast. In Lincoln, 105.3 WOW-FM (not KLIN 1400 AM) will carry the entire baseball broadcast.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.