WACO, Texas — Nebraska pitcher Connor Curry may have a serious arm injury, and No. 21 Baylor struck soon after the starter’s departure for a 10-3 victory to salvage the series finale Sunday afternoon.
The sophomore left-hander from Lincoln Southeast signaled to the dugout after throwing his 53rd pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning. Making his second career start and first since March 2017, Curry sat out all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Coach Darin Erstad said during his postgame radio interview that the pitcher felt his arm tighten up before departing.
“You feel awful for him,” Erstad said. “The guy’s put so much work in. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy his whole career. We’re going to stay positive. He’s strong as an ox.
“Who knows what it is, but we’ll see where it’s at.”
In a 3-3 contest in the bottom of the fifth, Baylor (10-4) tagged reliever Reece Eddins for five runs after the first six hitters reached base — five singles, a hit batsman — to put the game out of reach.
Nebraska (6-7) still picked up its first road series win over a Top 25 squad in three years. The Huskers could have been closer to a sweep, but they finished 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and didn’t capitalize on eight walks.
“When I get over this one, that’s a good series win on the road against a ranked team,” Erstad said. “If you told me at the start of this thing that we’re going to win two out of three, I’m not going to let the bad taste in my mouth take that away.”
But Curry’s injury put a damper on the accomplishment.
A projected weekend starter at some point this season, he lasted three-plus innings, allowing a pair of runs on two-out hits in the second as the Bears took their first lead of the weekend. He also walked a pair and struck out one.
Eddins came on and was greeted by a single and an RBI double to tie the score. The Huskers had scored three in the third on bases-loaded walks by Mojo Hagge and Aaron Palensky along with Luke Roskam’s RBI single.
Baylor received two innings from true freshman starter Anderson Needham, who walked five. But the bullpen rolled up seven scoreless innings as Nebraska hitters struck out nine times.
The Bears, meanwhile, finished 7 for 18 with runners in scoring position.
Nebraska’s next scheduled opponent is New Mexico State beginning Friday, though that weekend matchup at Haymarket Park remains in jeopardy because of weather and existing snow. Erstad jokingly addressed Haymarket Park’s athletic turf manager, Jeremy Johnson, about preparing the field for the home opener.
“You better get your field ready, baby,” Erstad said. “Work hard because I’m going to be begging us to play next weekend.”
Nebraska (6-7)……….003 000 000— 3 4 1
At Baylor (10-4)……..020 150 20X—10 18 0
W: Winston, 1-0. L: Eddins, 0-2. 2B: BU, Thomas 3, Cunningham.
Nebraska’s Nate Fisher earns Big Ten honors after throwing eight no-hit innings
Nebraska senior Nate Fisher will share Big Ten pitcher of the week honors after his performance in Saturday’s series-clinching victory against Baylor.
Fisher didn’t surrender a hit in eight innings against the Bears and struck out six. He had a perfect game through 5-1/3 innings before issuing his only walk.
Baylor didn’t record its first hit until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, after Fisher had been taken out of the game.
Fisher has a 2-1 record and 3.15 ERA in four starts this season. He has 18 strikeouts compared to four walks, and opponents are hitting .230 against him.
Fisher shares the weekly honor with Indiana’s Pauly Milto, who also threw eight no-hit innings this past weekend.
The Huskers (6-7) will play their first home game of the season when they open a three-game series Friday at 6:35 p.m. against New Mexico State.
