A lack of clutch hitting dropped Nebraska baseball to a 7-4 loss to Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. In the first seven innings, the Cornhuskers were 0-for-12 with runners on, 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-7 with two outs.
Malachi Witherspoon (4-8) stymied the Nebraska bats, throwing six shutout innings of three-hit ball, allowing two walks while striking out nine. Meanwhile the Sooners took advantage of their offensive opportunities. In the bottom of the second, Scott Mulder reached on a single. Mulder sustained a shoulder injury diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt. After a lengthy delay in which it appeared Mulder would leave the game for a pinch hitter, Mulder stayed in the game and returned to first base. On the next pitch, Drew Dickerson clubbed a two-run home run to right. Then in the third, Easton Carmichael drove a home run over the left-field fence to push OU’s lead to 3-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trey Gambill drove in a run with a single to left to make it 4-0. Then in the seventh, after an RBI groundout made it 5-0, Kyle Branch singled through the right side to score two and push the lead to seven.
Nebraska finally cracked the shutout in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and no one out, Max Buettenback ripped a three-run triple down the left-field line, cutting the Sooners’ lead to 7-3. Will Jesske followed with a sacrifice fly to score Buettenback and make it 7-4 OU.
The loss drops the Huskers into the elimination bracket, where they’ll face Holy Cross after No. 5 national seed North Carolina defeated the Crusaders, 4-0. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, with pregame coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m. on KLIN.
