With the score deadlocked in the bottom of the eighth, Tim Hartshorn drove a ball to right center that NU center fielder Jeff Leise attempted to make a diving stab on the ball. Leise was unable to make the catch, and Hartshorn ended up on third with a triple. Trey Webb then lofted a fly ball to center, plating the Bears’ decisive run, as BU improved to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.

Steve Hale took the loss in relief, allowing one run in 1.2 innings of relief to fall to 0-1 on the season. The run was the first earned that the NU reliever, who had pitched out of a jam in the seventh, had allowed in 12.1 innings of work this season.

The Huskers, who dropped to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12, had a final chance in the ninth, as Ryan Bonesio singled to right with two outs. Pinch runner Josh Birmingham moved to second on a wild pitch, but Baylor closer Kyle Edens struck out Will Bolt to end the game and pick up his fourth save.

The loss, which ended NU’s five-game winning streak, was the Huskers’ fourth one-run loss of the season, as the teams battled 25 mile per hour winds, putting offense at a premium between two of the Big 12’s top pitching staffs.

The game was scoreless until the fourth, when the Huskers got on the board off Baylor starter Steven White. Consecutive singles by Jed Morris, Matt Hopper and Jeff Blevins loaded the bases with no outs. The Huskers would score only one run in the frame, as Justin Seely’s double play ball up the middle plated Morris to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.

“We had our chance in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs,” Van Horn said. “We had them on the ropes. Our hitter (Seely) had the pitcher up 2-1 and White threw a pitch away that became a routine double play. We have to score two runs or all three in that situation.”

The Huskers, who left eight runners on base, could not extend the lead on White, who allowed one hit, a Leise bunt single, in his final three innings of work. The BU right-hander scattered five hits in eight innings of work to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The Huskers got an equally strong outing from starter Jamie Rodrigue, who allowed one run in 6.1 innings, but was not involved in the decision. Rodrigue, who scattered five hits, did not allow a Baylor runner to reach scoring position until the sixth inning.

The Bears knotted the score in the seventh, as Paul Richmond’s RBI double to the alley in right center scored pinch runner Steve Dorneman from first. The run snapped the Husker southpaw’s 15.2-inning scoreless streak dating back to Feb. 23. Richmond, who went 2-for-3 and was the only player on either team with more than one hit, advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Hale got the Huskers out of the jam, striking out Michael Griffin and getting David Murphy to ground out to second to end the inning.

The two teams conclude the series with a three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1p.m., as sophomore right-hander Jason Burch (1-0, 2.53 ERA) will oppose left-hander Jared Theodorakos (1-1, 2.70).

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.