Charleston baseball team falls to Nebraska in finale

Charleston, South Carolina

The Charleston baseball team hosted Nebraska Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game set. After taking an early lead, the Cougars were unable to hang on as Nebraska came from behind once again to win 5-3 and sweep the three-game series.

Early lead

The Cougars got off to a great start as Trotter Harlan blasted a two-run homer in the first inning. A Kevin Madden RBI single put the Cougs up 3-0 heading into the fourth inning. However, Nebraska started to rally in the fourth.

Nebraska’s comeback

The Huskers got on the board in the fourth through a Tyler Stone homer. Later in the inning, Will Jesske brought in a run with an RBI single, cutting Charleston’s lead to 3-2. Despite the pressure, Charleston’s starter Connor Campbell managed to keep the Cougars in front by working out of a jam following Jesske’s RBI.

However, in the sixth inning, Nebraska tied the game at 3-3 with another RBI from Jesske off Campbell. The game remained tied into the ninth inning when Nebraska finally took the lead on an error. The Huskers then added to their lead through another error, making it 5-3.

Cougars’ efforts

Charleston threatened in the ninth inning, getting runners on first and second with one out. Nebraska went to the pen for left-hander Kyle Perry to face Sorrentino and Pendergrass. Perry struck out both batters to end the ballgame.

Key players

Connor Campbell had another strong outing for the Cougars, pitching 5.1 innings with 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. Jeb Bradford and Michael Schultz also made valuable contributions out of the bullpen, combining for 1.2 innings, no hits, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. Trotter Harlan stood out with his third homer of the season, finishing 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Cole Mathis went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Kevin Madden, Avery Neaves, Luke Wood, and Tyler Sorrentino each added a hit.

Up Next

Charleston is set to take on Liberty in a midweek home game on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.