Stillwater, Okla. – Trailing by one run and two outs away from the end of the 2014 season, Nebraska’s offense rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning on its way to a 8-6 win over the Binghamton Bearcats in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The No. 19 Huskers are now 41-20 on the year, and will continue NCAA Tournament play tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. against the loser of tonight’s game between Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma State.

The Huskers have now won 16 games this season when they have been behind or tied after the sixth inning, as the Bearcats took a 6-5 lead after plating three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The win also marked the 11th time this year the Huskers have won after taking the lead in their final at-bat of the game.

Nebraska’s first five hitters combined to go 12-for-23 with seven RBIs and six runs scored, including three-hit performances from both Ryan Boldt and Blake Headley. Nebraska walked just one time on the day, but also didn’t strikeout in 38 at-bats.

After the Bearcats took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth, the Huskers produced just one base runner over the next 2.1 innings. Following Austin Darby’s fly out to start the top of the ninth, freshman Ben Miller worked NU’s first walk of the game and was replaced on the base paths by Ty Kildow. Jake Placzek came through with a bloop single and on the play Kildow took two bases to put the tying run 90 feet from home with one out for the top of NU’s lineup coming to the plate. Binghamton turned the ball over to hard-throwing reliever Mike Bunal, but Boldt continued to swing a hot stick and picked up his fifth hit of the tournament, a game-tying RBI single. Nebraska then dialed up a safety squeeze that Steven Reveles executed perfectly, allowing Placzek to score the go-ahead run. The Huskers weren’t done though, as Michael Pritchard delivered a RBI single to center field that scored Boldt to put the Huskers ahead 8-6. Pat Kelly followed with his second hit of the game and Blake Headley reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, but Bunal was able to put an end to the damage with a 6-3 groundout off the bat of Tanner Lubach.

Zach Hirsch climbed the mound for the Huskers in the ninth to face the top of Binghamton’s lineup after retiring the Bearcats in order in both the seventh and eighth innings. Hirsch retired the first two Bearcat batters he faced before Daniel Nevares gave Binghamton hope with a two-out single. Shaun McGraw stepped to the plate as the game-tying run and got ahead in the count 3-0 before Hirsch fired a strike and then got McGraw to bounce into an game-ending 5-3 putout.

Hirsch earned the win and improved to 5-2 on the year after tossing a season-high 3.1 innings. It was his longest outing since March 23 of last season when he also threw 3.1 innings of relief at Illinois.

The Huskers had to rally after jumping out to a 4-0 lead through two innings. Nebraska’s offense scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first and the Huskers tagged on a run in the top of the second to push their lead to 4-0.

After not getting a runner past first base through the first three innings, the Bearcats broke through in the fourth with three runs on four hits. Binghamton’s first three batters each produced a hit, including a double by Nevares. NU starter Austin Christensen’s day came to an end after he gave up a sacrifice fly to Reed Gamache that cut NU’s lead to 4-2. Bob Greco came on and walked the first batter he faced, but got some help from his defense for the second out of the inning. John Howell tried to lay down a squeeze bunt, but Headley got to the ball quickly from first base and was able to toss the ball to Lubach at home to cut down McGraw. In a position to get out of the inning still up two runs, Greco instead gave up a double to Darian Herncane that escaped a diving catch from Boldt in right-center field. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Greco got a fly ball to end the Bearcats’ three-run frame.

The Huskers got one run back in the top of the fifth, starting with Boldt’s second triple of the weekend. The freshman centerfielder scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Pritchard that put the Huskers ahead by two, 5-3.

Binghamton put together its second three-run inning of the game in the bottom of the six to take a 6-5 lead, with all three runs unearned. Freshman reliever Jake Hohensee walked Gamache and then gave up a single to Brendan Skidmore. Howell then laid down a bunt and Hohensee had Gamache at third base, but instead threw the ball into foul territory that cut NU’s lead to one. No. 9 hitter Eddie Posavec tied the game with a ground out and then Hohensee’s day came to an end after leadoff hitter Zach Blanden walked to put runners on the corners. Hirsch took the mound and gave up a RBI single to Bill Bereszniewicz, his third of the day, putting the Bearcats ahead, 6-5.

After Binghamton starter Greg Ostner had retired eight straight Huskers, Headley broke the streak with a two-out double in the eighth. With the tying run in scoring position, Ostner kept the Bearcats on top by inducing an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Lubach. Ostner got the first out of the ninth before giving up a walk and a hit. On the day he went 8.1 innings and allowed seven runs on 11 hits and one walk.

Nebraska’s 41 wins are the most by a Husker team since 2008 when NU also won 41 games. Nebraska last won more than 41 games in 2006, when the Huskers posted a 42-17 record.

— NU Sports Information —

Stillwater, Okla. – Playing in a NCAA Regional for the first time since 2008, the Nebraska baseball team (40-20) dropped a 5-1 decision to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (33-22) on Friday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The game was a pitcher’s duel for most of the day, with four of the game’s six runs coming in the eighth inning. With the game tied 1-1 and the bases empty with two outs in the top of the eighth, the Titans loaded the bases and their No. 3 hitter J.D. Davis smashed a grand slam well over the left-field fence to put the Titans on top 5-1.

Both starters went 6.1 innings and put together strong outings, but neither factored into the decision. NU’s Chance Sinclair allowed just one unearned run on two hits, a walk and four strikeouts, while CSF’s Thomas Eshelman gave up one run on seven hits and a walk, while striking out five.

After being tabbed as a third-team All-American on Thursday morning, Sinclair showed why he deserved the national honor. The junior took a no hitter into the seventh, when Davis broke it up with a line-drive single to left field. Sinclair retired the first 14 batters he faced before he issued a two-out walk in the fifth. On the day, Sinclair retired the Titans in order five times.

Nebraska entered the day 31-1 on the year when outhitting their opponent, with the only loss coming in the second game of the season against Oregon State. NU’s record dropped to 31-2 after outhitting the Titans, 9-5. Eight of Nebraska’s starters notched a hit on the afternoon, including a pair of hits by freshman Ryan Bolt.

Nebraska was in position to scores the game’s first run in the bottom of the third when Austin Christensen led off with a single and Steven Reveles laid down a sacrifice bunt that put Christensen in scoring position for the top of NU’s lineup with one out. Eshelman didn’t let Christensen advance any farther though, as the sophomore righty got Boldt and Austin Darby each to pop out to end the third.

Sinclair was perfect through 4.2 innings, as he retired the first 14 Titan batters he faced. The Titans got their first base runner of the game when Tanner Pinkston worked a four-pitch walk. Sinclair went right back to work and got Austin Diemer to pop out for the final out of the CSF fifth.

Boldt nearly untied the scoreless game with one swing to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but the fly ball hit the wall in right-center field and the freshman had to settle for a leadoff triple, his fifth of the season. Two pitches later Darby delivered a RBI groundout to second base that put the Huskers ahead 1-0. With one down, Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly notched consecutive line-drive singles, but Eshelman kept the damage to one run with a strikeout and a fly out.

The Titans evened the game, 1-1, in the top of the seventh on an unearned run. Keegan Dale led off the frame with a ground ball to Christensen at first, but Christensen bobbled the ball and Dale reached on the error that would prove costly. Davis then broke up Sinclair’s no hitter with a single to left that put Dale in scoring position. Sinclair got a pop out for the first out of the inning, but David Olemdo-Barrera came through with a RBI single up the middle that tied the game 1-1. With the go-ahead run at second base with one out, Nebraska went to senior Zach Hirsch. The lefty calmed the waters and kept the game tied 1-1, as he got pinch-hitter Greg Velazquez to bounce into a 5-3 inning-ending double play.

Nebraska was in business in the bottom of the seventh after Reveles executed a hit-and-run and put runners on the corners with one down. Boldt then worked a four-pitch walk that loaded the bases for NU’s 2-3-4 hitters. CSF reliever Koby Gauna was able to escape the jam by getting Darby to pop up and Pritchard to fly out.

The Titans then loaded the bases in the top of the eight with two outs and Nebraska’s pitching staff was unable to what CSF’s bullpen. After Hirsch gave up a full-count walk to Dale that loaded the bases, NU brought in Josh Roeder to face Davis, a right-handed batter. The CSF right fielder blew the game open for the Titans when he blasted a 1-1 offering from Roeder for a grand slam to left field.

The Huskers got one hit over their final two at-bats, and were unable to put together a late rally like they have done so many times this year.

The Huskers fall to the loser’s bracket and will play tomorrow at 12:05 p.m.

— NU Sports Information —