Huskers.com
No. 23 Nebraska wrapped up its four-game slate in Arizona with a 3-1 loss to Grand Canyon on Monday afternoon at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Huskers (2-2) scored one run on four hits, while GCU (2-2) totaled three runs, 10 hits and an error.
Case Sanderson was 2-for-4 with a double, while Joshua Overbeek went 1-for-3 with a double. Cayden Brumbaugh scored Nebraska’s lone run and had a 1-for-3 afternoon at the plate.
Jackson Brockett pitched six innings in the start, allowing just one run on six hits and three punchouts. Drew Christo took the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Luke Broderick and Caleb Clark teamed up to record the final two outs for the NU bullpen.
The NU offense plated a run in the opening frame for the third consecutive game on Monday afternoon. Brumbaugh led off the game with a single and stole second, before an RBI groundout from Dylan Carey allowed the redshirt junior to trot down the third-base line and score.
The Huskers threatened in the second, loading the bases with a pair of outs. GCU eluded the damage and induced a popout to keep the Big Red’s lead at one.
A leadoff double in the bottom of the third had the Lopes’ first runner in scoring position on the afternoon. The Lopes attempted a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over, but a diving Brockett caught the pop-up in front of the mound. The southpaw gathered himself and fired a strike back to Carey at second base to double off the baserunner and put a halt to GCU’s threat.
A one-out solo blast to right off the bat of Eli Paton locked the game at one in the bottom of the fifth.
Two singles from the Lopes in the bottom of the seventh placed runners on first and second for Grand Canyon. A wild pitch moved the runners over to second and third, before Christo escaped any damage with a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the inning.
The GCU offense plated a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the eighth to take its first lead of the afternoon at 3-1. Consecutive singles and a wild pitch had runners on second and third with two outs for the Lopes. Facing a 2-2 count, Cannon Peery lined a two-RBI double down the left-field line to make it a 3-1 game after eight innings.
Nebraska travels to Lafayette, La., for a three-game series next weekend at Louisiana on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Ragin’ Cajuns is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.