San Diego, Calif. – The Nebraska baseball team (1-5) fell to Arizona, 3-2, at Tony Gwynn Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Blake Paugh hit two home runs and drove in all three runs for the Wildcats.
NU was held to three hits as a team, as Cam Chick, Ty Roseberry and Leighton Banjoff each managed one hit apiece for the Big Red.
Sophomore left-hander Cade Povich, making his second start of the season, threw 5.2 innings and allowed three runs, while recording eight strikeouts and only one walk. Kyle Perry tossed 2.1 no-hit scoreless innings out of the bullpen before Max Schreiber held Arizona scoreless for the final 1.0 inning.
In the first inning, Arizona managed a leadoff single, but a flyout and strikeout-caught stealing double play ended a scoreless frame for the Wildcats. In the bottom half, Chick reached on an error in the leadoff spot before three consecutive outs.
The Wildcats drew a one-out walk in the top of the second, but a fielders choice and flyout kept them from scoring. In the bottom of the second, NU scored one run to take the early lead. Banjoff blistered a one-out single before advancing to third on Mojo Hagges bunt. Joe Ackers sacrifice fly brought in Banjoff before a strikeout ended the frame.
Povich retired all three Arizona batters in the top of the third. NU also went down in order in the bottom of the third on two flyouts and a groundout.
In the top of the fourth, Blake Paugh launched a solo home run to tie the score at 1-1, but Povich struck out the other three Wildcat hitters. Roseberry hit a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth, but was left on base after back-to-back strikeouts.
Arizona managed one hit in the top of the fifth, but Povich added two strikeouts as the other three Wildcat batters were retired. The Huskers were retired in order in the bottom half.
Paugh blasted another home run in the top of the sixth, a two-run shot, to put Arizona up by a 3-1 margin. NU put runners on second and third in the bottom of the sixth, but couldnt add to its score. Spencer Schwellenbach was hit-by-pitch in the leadoff spot before Luke Roskam reached on a one-out walk, but back-to-back strikeouts kept the Huskers from scoring.
The Wildcats were retired in order with a flyout and two groundouts in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, NU also went down 1-2-3 with two groundouts before a foul pop-out.
In the top of the eighth, Perry retired all three Arizona hitters with three flyouts. Chick blasted a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth to trim the deficit to 3-2 before three consecutive outs ended the frame.
Arizona managed one base hit in the top of the ninth, but each of the other three batters produced outs. In the bottom of the ninth, the Huskers went down in order.
The Huskers return to action next weekend for a three-game series against Arizona State in Phoenix, Ariz., starting on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (CT).
