LINCOLN, NEB. –The Sun Devil Baseball team struggled to limit free bases in a Sunday rubber match against Nebraska as the Huskers knocked three timely home runs to earn an 8-5 victory in the series finale.
Both teams had three homers on the afternoon, the lone exception being Nebraska had runners on base on its trio while the Sun Devils could only manage solo shots.
Lyle Lin homered twice, going opposite field both times, as he went 3-for-4 on the afternoon and was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing day. With the three hits, Lin now has a team-best nine games this season with three or more hits – two more than any other player on the roster.
Despite having numerous baserunners, ASU again failed to capitalize as it was just 2-for-10 with runners on base and had just one hit with runners in scoring position.
The Sun Devil pitching rotation was feast or famine, striking out 12 and stranding 12 runners on the base paths but also issuing 10 walks, three wild pitches and a hit by pitch. Those free bases were pivotal in the decisive fifth inning, as Nebraska scored a run on a wild pitch and put a pair of runners on preceding a three-run home run that blew the game open in the Huskers' favor.
Blake Burzell was the bright spot of the Sun Devil bullpen, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts, no walks and just one hit allowed.
His ability to keep Nebraska scoreless after the big run gave ASU a chance to climb back into things, making it a two-run game behind solo shots from Trevor Hauver and Lin in the seventh and eighth innings. But Nebraska tacked on an insurance run in the eighth and ASU was unable to mount a final comeback.
The Sun Devils will have a critical series on the road next weekend, traveling to the Bay Area for a three-game Pac-12 series against Cal beginning on Friday.
Both teams had three homers on the afternoon, the lone exception being Nebraska had runners on base on its trio while the Sun Devils could only manage solo shots.
Lyle Lin homered twice, going opposite field both times, as he went 3-for-4 on the afternoon and was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing day. With the three hits, Lin now has a team-best nine games this season with three or more hits – two more than any other player on the roster.
Despite having numerous baserunners, ASU again failed to capitalize as it was just 2-for-10 with runners on base and had just one hit with runners in scoring position.
The Sun Devil pitching rotation was feast or famine, striking out 12 and stranding 12 runners on the base paths but also issuing 10 walks, three wild pitches and a hit by pitch. Those free bases were pivotal in the decisive fifth inning, as Nebraska scored a run on a wild pitch and put a pair of runners on preceding a three-run home run that blew the game open in the Huskers' favor.
Blake Burzell was the bright spot of the Sun Devil bullpen, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with five strikeouts, no walks and just one hit allowed.
His ability to keep Nebraska scoreless after the big run gave ASU a chance to climb back into things, making it a two-run game behind solo shots from Trevor Hauver and Lin in the seventh and eighth innings. But Nebraska tacked on an insurance run in the eighth and ASU was unable to mount a final comeback.
The Sun Devils will have a critical series on the road next weekend, traveling to the Bay Area for a three-game Pac-12 series against Cal beginning on Friday.