The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Nebraska
No. 2 Baseball falls to Nebraska, 5-3
03.20.2010 | Baseball
March 20, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 2 Texas Longhorns were unable to muster a late offensive charge, falling to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 5-3, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Longhorns broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the second inning. Cameron Rupp hit a wall-banger to the gap in right centerfield for a double. Jonathan Walsh deposited the next pitch into the Texas bullpen down the rightfield line for his first career home run, staking the Longhorns to a 2-0 lead.
Nebraska knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. DJ Belfonte hit a leadoff single and with one out, Adam Bailey drove a pitch over the rightfield fence for his second home run of the series.
Texas (14-5, 1-1 Big 12) reclaimed the lead in the home half of the fourth when Kevin Lusson hit a moon shot over Comal Street down the leftfield line to start the inning.
The Cornhuskers responded with an equalizer in the top of the fifth when Kale Kiser hit a two-out home run in the same direction as Bailey's fourth-inning homer to knot the game at 3-3.
Nebraska (9-8, 1-1 Big 12) won the game with two runs in the seventh. With one Belfonte singled up the middle and Kiser singled to centerfield to put a pair on. After a wild pitch, Bailey was intentionally walked. Josh Scheffert plated Belfonte with a sacrifice fly to give the Cornhuskers a 4-3 lead and Cody Asche added an insurance run with a single up the middle to drive in Kiser.
Rupp and Russell Moldenhauer each had two hits for Texas. Walsh provided two RBI.
Belfonte paced the Nebraska offense going 3-for-4 with two runs. Kiser and Asche each added two hits.
Andrew McKirahan (1-1) was saddled with the loss for Texas. He allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in 1.0 innings. UT starter Cole Green allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three over 5.2 innings.
Michael Mariot (2-1) earned the win for Nebraska. He pitched 7.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out five. Chase Adams struck out three of the five batters he faced to earn his first career save.
The Longhorns and Cornhuskers face-off in the rubber match Sunday at 12 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports.
