South Dakota State entered the Lincoln Regional Friday with everything stacked against them. Not only did they have to play a team in the upper echelon of this year’s NCAAM Baseball Tournament in Nebraska, but they also faced the Cornhuskers on their home soil in front of a Big Red crowd.
The score and box score would have you believe the game was dominated by a pitcher’s duel. However, both teams simply could not get a clutch hit when needed with runners on base and in scoring position. The Jacks left runners on first and third in the second inning, an occurrence that would be both frequent and debilitating for the visitors.
Nebraska found the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth when Jett Buck opened the inning by lining a ball off the glove of Jackrabbit third baseman Nolan Grawe for a painful double. Trey Fikes frayed a single off another near catch by Nic Werk at second base that would drive in the first run of the ball game. Nebraska would then add another run to make it 2-0 with the Jacks still clawing for that big hit.
The Jackrabbits were able to get one across on a single by Owen Siegert bringing home Keagen Jirschele, but a bases loaded strikeout by Nate Wachter would prove to be another crucial missed opportunity for SDSU
Nebraska picked up some insurance thanks to a couple of eighth inning homers by Dylan Carey and Jett Buck as the Cornhuskers would go onto win 4-1 and start the regional 1-0.
The Jackrabbits await the winner of Arizona State versus Ole Miss and will play Saturday afternoon at 2 PM CT.
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