Husker Baseball Tops Baylor
Senior left-hander Nate Fisher led Nebraska (6-6) to a 2-0 win over No. 21 Baylor with his no-hit 8.0 inning performance at Baylor Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. The Huskers, who clinched the series victory over the Bears after also winning on Friday night, didn’t allow a hit by Baylor until two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Fisher, making his fourth start of the season, recorded six strikeouts and allowed only one walk in his career-high 8.0 innings of work. After his no-hit showing, Robbie Palkert threw 0.2 inning before Colby Gomes earned his second career save by recording the final out.
The game marked Nebraska’s first combined one-hit game since March 6, 2013 when six pitchers contributed to the one-hit effort against Northern Colorado.
In the top of the first, Spencer Schwellenbach drew a leadoff walk, but a double play and strikeout ended a scoreless frame for the Huskers. The Bears sat down in order in the bottom of the first with two groundouts and a strikeout.
Gomes lined a leadoff single to start the second inning. Gunner Hellstrom singled in the following at-bat, but Gomes was thrown out at third on the play. Back-to-back strikeouts ended a scoreless inning for the Big Red. Fisher retired all three batters he faced, recording two strikeouts, in the bottom of the second.
Schwellenbach managed a two-out base hit in the top of the third, but was left stranded as the game remained scoreless. Baylor went down in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Nebraska scored first with one run in the top of the fourth. Gomes notched his second hit of the game with a one-out single. Hellstrom followed it up with his second hit of the game to advance Gomes to third. Roskam hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Gomes before an inning-ending strikeout. Fisher retired all three Baylor hitters in a row in the bottom of the fourth.
Both teams went down in order in the fifth inning. Fisher added a strikeout during the bottom half of the frame.
In the top of the sixth, all three Husker batters were retired. Baylor managed its first baserunner in the bottom of the sixth. Fisher allowed a one-out walk before the subsequent batter reached on a fielding error. A flyout and fielder’s choice left the runners on base in a scoreless frame.
Nebraska loaded the bases in the top of the seventh, but couldn’t extend its lead. Hellstrom picked up his third hit of the game with a leadoff single. Roskam walked before Carter Cross reached on a fielder’s choice. Acker singled to load the bases before NU produced back-to-back outs. Baylor had one baserunner on a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the seventh, but left him stranded.
Angelo Altavilla managed a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth, but a pair of strikeouts and fielder’s choice kept the Huskers from scoring. The Bears went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, Nebraska added an insurance run to take a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Acker reached on an error before Hallmark drew a walk. Schwellenbach laced an RBI single to drive in Acker before a fielder’s choice ended the frame. In the bottom of the ninth, Fisher was pulled after a leadoff hit-by-pitch. Palkert entered and the Huskers turned a double play. Davis Wendzel notched Baylor’s lone hit of the game before Gomes forced a flyout.
The Huskers and Bears conclude their three-game series on Sunday, starting at 12:05 p.m. (CT).