LINCOLN, Neb. - Cal State Fullerton had 12 hits but hit into three double plays and allowed two unearned runs in a 7-2 non-conference loss to Nebraska Tuesday night at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Titans (11-12) dropped their second straight game and have now lost five of six games on the road this season while the Cornhuskers (18-6) scored their 11th consecutive home win of the season.
Five Titans recorded multi-hit games on Tuesday and seven of the nine starters collected at least one hit. Chris Hudgins, Tyler Stieb and Josh Estill each went 2-for-4 while Dustin Vaught was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Scott Hurst was 1-for-3 with an RBI and David Olmedo-Barrera was 1-for-5, recording his fourth triple of the season and second in as many games.
Connor Seabold took the loss for the Titans on the mound, going five and 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits. He struck out five.
For the Cornhuskers, Ben Miller was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Tanner Lubach and Scott Schreiber were each 2-for-4 on the night.
Garrett King scored his second victory of the season, going five and 1/3 innings and allowing one earned run on five hits. He struck out five.
The Titans fell behind 1-0 in the second inning after designated hitter Ben Miller singled with one out for the Cornhuskers. He was replaced on base by Austin Darby after a fielder's choice and, with two outs, first baseman Scott Schreiber belted a triple to right field to plate Darby and put the hosts ahead.
Fullerton tied the score in the fourth inning when Josh Estill led off the frame with a double. He moved over to third on a groundout and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Scott Hurst.
Nebraska reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Tanner Lubach led off with a double and then came in to score on a one-out single by Darby, putting the Cornhuskers up 2-1.
It stayed that way until the sixth inning when the Cornhuskers capitalized on a Fullerton mistake to expand the lead and they never looked back. Lubach started it with a one-out single to chase Seabold and then Ben Miller followed with a double down the left-field line off reliever Maxwell Gibbs to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Gibbs induced an RBI groundout from Darby to make it 3-1. Schreiber then hit a routine groundball to short but Timmy Richards' throw sailed wide of first to allow another run to score and Schreiber to advance to second. Pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado would then cash in the error with a double to right field to bring in Schreiber and give Nebraska the 5-1 lead.
The Titans got one back in the seventh inning after Dustin Vaught and Scott Hurst led off the inning with singles. With one out, both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch and then an infield single to short cashed in Vaught to make it 5-2.
But Nebraska put it away in their half of the seventh with an RBI single by Headley and an RBI double from Miller to make it 7-2.
Notes: The Titans are now 8-1 all-time against Nebraska. Tuesday night's game was the first played between the teams in Lincoln… Estill recorded his team-best eighth multi-hit game of the season. Vaught and Stieb each had their seventh multi-hit game of the year.
