Nebraska has made its living this season on taking early leads and not allowing its opponent to come back.
This weekend, in the final series of the regular season against Missouri, it was just the opposite. No. 15 Missouri beat fifth-ranked Nebraska 7-3 at Taylor Stadium Sunday, marking the first time in two years the Cornhuskers (39-12-1, 17-9-1 Big 12) were swept in a Big 12 Conference series.
Sunday's game, in front of 2,547 fans and a national TV audience, looked a lot like the previous two. Though the Tigers (37-17, 16-11) didn't pound out 23 hits like they did in a 22-9 win on Saturday, or score seven runs in an inning like in an 8-1 win Friday, they answered every time Nebraska took a lead.
"That was our weekend," Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said. "One of the things you'll notice on any scoreboard that you look at: when we win games, we score and they don't."
Nebraska, which entered the series 23-4-1 when scoring first, took an early lead in each game against Missouri. The Huskers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when D.J. Belfonte scored from second base on Ben Kline's single to center field. Kline then advanced to second on a passed ball, before becoming one of eight runners to be stranded on base.
Missouri, like it did all series, answered in the bottom of the inning.
After Jacob Priday grounded out to start the inning, Nebraska starter Aaron Pribanic walked both Trevor Coleman and Jonah Schmidt before giving up an RBI single to Steve Gray. The bases were loaded when Andrew Thigpen beat out an infield single and, after Pribanic struck out Kyle Mach, Greg Folgia beat out another infield single that scored Schmidt to make it 2-1.
Gray then scored when Pribanic walked Ryan Lollis to make it 3-1, before reliever Dan Jennings got Aaron Senne to fly out and end the inning.
Pribanic fell to 3-4 after pitching 1 2/3 inning and allowing three runs. Nebraska scored in the top of the fourth on another Kline single that drove in Belfonte, but Missouri answered again with two runs in the fourth.
"You've just got to tip your cap to them," Belfonte said. "They played well and that's it. There's not much to say."
Jennings, who allowed three runs in 1/3 of an inning and was credited with the loss on Friday, had another shaky outing. He pitched out of trouble in the third, after allowing a lead off single and a walk, but gave up two runs in the fourth on three singles.
"I think the biggest thing in my situation was getting ahead," Jennings said. "That's just my job to get ahead of hitters and the game is 20-times easier. I didn't do that and it became easier for them instead."
Pribanic and Jennings' poor outings made Anderson adjust his pitching staff plans. Erik Anderson pitched out of trouble in the fifth, but he hit Kyle Mach on the second pitch of the sixth inning and was replaced by Joe Hatasaki. Hatasaki, who was making only his third Big 12 appearance, got Folgia to a 1-1 count before the Missouri second-baseman hit his second home run of the series to produce the final score.
Nebraska will enter Wednesday's Big 12 Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will play No. 6 seed Baylor at 4 p.m. to begin pool play, with another 4 p.m. game on Friday against No. 7 Kansas State and No. 2 seed Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Despite dropping three straight for the first time all season, and being swept by Missouri for the first time since 1996, Anderson isn't worried about his team putting the worst weekend of its season behind them.
"There were a lot of things that happened this weekend where you just go ’It wasn't our weekend,'" Anderson said. "I wouldn't jump off a cliff and say this is a bad team. They've performed well and done good things.”
Big 12 Standings
Big 12 Overall
Texas A&M 19-8-0 42-14-0
Oklahoma State 18-9-0 40-15-0
Nebraska 17-9-1 39-12-1
Missouri 16-11-0 37-17-0
Texas 15-12-0 34-19-0
Baylor 11-16-0 31-24-0
Kansas State 11-16-0 27-27-0
Oklahoma 9-17-1 32-23-1
Kansas 9-18-0 30-27-0
Texas Tech 9-18-0 25-30-0
Friday’s Games
Kansas State 5, Kansas 0
Texas 5, Texas A&M 2
Texas Tech 7, Baylor 4
Missouri 8, Nebraska 1
Oklahoma State 7, Oklahoma 1
Saturday’s Games
Baylor 13, Texas Tech 3
Missouri 22, Nebraska 9
Kansas State 5, Kansas 4
Texas 5, Texas A&M 2
Oklahoma State 11, Oklahoma 1
Sunday’s Games
Texas Tech 12, Baylor 5
Kansas St. 11, Kansas 10
Missouri 7, Nebraska 3
Oklahoma 10, Oklahoma St. 4
Texas 6, Texas A&M 3
Big 12 Tournament
At Oklahoma City
Pool 1—No. 1 seed Texas A&M, No. 4 Missouri, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Oklahoma.
Pool 2—No. 2 seed Oklahoma State, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Baylor, No. 7, Kansas State.
Wednesday’s Games
Missouri vs. Texas, 9 a.m.
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma, 12:30 p.m.
Nebraska vs. Baylor, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Texas A&M vs. Texas, 4 p.m.
Missouri vs. Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Nebraska vs. Kansas State, 4 p.m.
Oklahoma State vs. Baylor, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Texas vs. Oklahoma, 9 a.m.
Texas A&M vs. Missouri, 12:30 p.m.
Oklahoma State vs. Nebraska, 4 p.m.
Baylor vs. Kansas State, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday’s Championship Game
Pool 1 winner vs. Pool 2 winner, 1 p.m. (FSN)
