UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite strong efforts on the mound, Penn State came up short in a Big Ten baseball doubleheader Saturday, as Nebraska swept both ends by scores of 4-2 and 3-1, respectively, at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Game 1
Penn State tallied 10 hits and center fielder Jordan Bowersox (Winter Springs, Fla.) went 3-for-4, but it was not enough as Nebraska scored three unearned runs in a 4-2 win.
A lead-off error allowed Penn State to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Left fielder Mason Nadeau (Lansdale, Pa.) reached and advanced to second on a throwing error, advanced to second on an infield hit by Bowersox, and scored on a single by second baseman Gavin Homer.
Nebraska took the lead though in the third as a pair of errors contributed to two runs. Penn State tied it in the fifth as shortstop Conlin Hughes (Holly Springs, N.C.) led off the bottom half with a triple and scored on a groundout by Nadeau, but the Huskers went back ahead, 3-2, with RBI-double from Gomes.
An error and sacrifice fly in the seventh gave Nebraska its fourth run, and Colby Gomes (6) moved to the mound in the ninth to close it out.
RHP Eric Mock (2-2) (Shillington, Pa.) worked 5.2 innings for Penn State, striking out eight and allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks.
RHP Reece Eddins (3-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts to earn the win for Nebraska.
Game 2
Nebraska limited Penn State to two hits and scored the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning to take a 3-1 win.
In the bottom of the third, Penn State got on the board first thanks to a Bowersox single through the left side that scored Hughes.
Nebraska quickly responded as Luke Roskam hit a line-drive double off the right-center wall that scored a run. With runners on second and third and no outs, RHP Bailey Dees (Charlotte, N.C.) shut the door on the Nebraska's offense, getting the next three batters out with no further damage.
Nebraska regained the lead in the eighth, loading the bases scoring two runs from a passed-ball and then a sacrifice fly by Sam Chick.
Dees exited the game after six innings of work, allowing only four hits, one earned run, walking three, and striking out seven.
Nebraska's LHP Nate Fisher went five innings, only surrendering two hits, one earned run, walking two, and striking out six. RHP Mike Waldron (2-0) earned the win with three innings of perfect relief with one strikeout, and RHP Shay Schanaman (2) earned the save with a perfect ninth.
Up Next
Penn State concludes its homestand Wednesday, hosting West Virginia starting at 6:30 p.m.
The 2019 Penn State baseball season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Tickets are on sale online by clicking here or by calling the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ticket office at 814-272-1711.
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NOTES: With 10 strikeouts in Game 1 and 12 strikeouts in Game 2, Penn State has now struck out nine or more batters in 26 out of 32 games this season … Jordan Bowersox extended his hitting streak to 13 games … Nine of Penn State's 10 conference losses have been by two or less runs, and four of those have been one run losses … Penn State and Nebraska played a doubleheader Saturday due to expected