Minneapolis – The Nebraska baseball team entered Sunday with a 2-0 record over the first two days of its trip to U.S. Bank Stadium, but then fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 6-4, and Iowa Hawkeyes, 3-1. The Huskers now sit at 5-3 on the year after two weeks of play.
Iowa starter Duncan Davitt struck out six and didn’t allow a hit through 5.1 innings. The sophomore right hander ended his day by allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 6.0 innings.
Jake Bunz went 4.0 innings in his second career start and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out two.
Iowa broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third with three runs on three hits, including a leadoff double from Brendan Sher. The Hawkeyes got a pair of RBI singles and plated the third run of the frame on a safety squeeze from Brett McCleary.
The Hawkeyes threated in the top of the fifth when they had two on and one out. Tyler Snep lifted a single to centerfield and Ben Norman tried to score on the play, but Jaxon Hallmark cut him down at the plate and Austin Martin was caught in an inning-ending rundown between second and third base.
Hallmark broke up the no hitter with a one-out bunt single in the bottom of the sixth and then Davitt hit Spencer Schwellenbach to bring the tying run to the plate. Davitt was able to induce a 1-4-3 double play off the bat of Max Anderson to put another zero on the board.
Leighton Banjoff led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and the Hawkeyes brought Dylan Nedved from shortstop to the mound. Nedved struck out Jack Stiel, but then Logan Foster put the Huskers on the board with a RBI double. With the tying run at the plate and one down, Nedved got consecutive fly outs to keep Iowa on top, 3-1.
Nebraska was able to get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after Anderson led off an reached on a fielding error by third baseman Matthew Sosa. Nedved sat down three straight Huskers to finish off the win and secure his second save of the year.
The Huskers will be back in action next weekend in Iowa City, Iowa, with a three game series against the Hawkeyes. The series is set to start at 4 PM on Friday afternoon at Duane Bank Stadium.
