PEORIA, Arizona—Victory number one came Friday afternoon, 8-3, for BYU’s baseball team, but Nebraska rallied back to win 3-1 in the 11-inning nightcap.

The Cougars (1-6) secured their first victory of the season in convincing style, rebounding from a 3-0 deficit with a five-run fourth inning when they batted through their order.

”I can't say enough about the effort we put forth today,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “Jeff Barker gave us a great start and our hitters answered the bell against one of the most highly-touted pitchers in the country. 

I liked what Hayden (Rogers) brought to the game. We need quality shut down innings from a left-hander and Hayden gave us that today. It was also great to see James (Lengal) come in and shut them down in the ninth.”

The heart of the Cougar lineup delivered to the tune of five runs on five hits in the fourth off Nebraska ace Chance Sinclair who exited the game an inning later. Among the big hits was a Colton Shaver deep one-out double to right centerfield off an 0-2 count to tie the game 3-all. Then Cole Wilstead, son of former BYU All-American Randy, got his first hit as a Cougar when he singled up the middle to plate a pair of teammates.

Shaver and Eric Urry scored insurance runs in the sixth, just prior to Barker completing his afternoon keeping the Cornhuskers (3-3) off-pace.

The offensive fireworks came to a halt in the night cap, which showed goose eggs through the first five innings.

BYU took a 1-0 lead in the sixth when Dillon Robinson doubled down the right field chalk line, scooted to third on a wild pitch and scored off of Dallen Reber’s fielder’s choice.

Nebraska matched that run the next inning when it got a two-out single that chased Cougar pitcher Brandon Kinser from the game.

 “BK (Brandon Kinser) gave us a great start today in game two,” Littlewood said. “He matched (Kyle) Kubat pitch for pitch and gave us a chance to win. We just didn't get the big hit in game two and Nebraska did.

“I see more confidence and improvement in our team every time we take the field which is very encouraging.”

Among the encouraging signs was the stellar relief pitching of Michael Rucker who set the Huskers down in order the next inning, then got back-to-back strikeouts swinging and looking to close the ninth frame.

Double plays halted BYU’s efforts to score in the eighth and ninth. Again in the 10th inning, BYU had a chance to win following consecutive Cornhusker errors with two away. However, NU reliever Colton Howell struck out Robinson swinging.

Nebraska then generated two runs in the top of the 11th from a double to deep right field and a sacrifice fly in the same area.

The two teams close their four-game series at noon MDT on Saturday.

Nebraska is no longer ranked, but will provide stiff competition this week for BYU baseball when the two teams compete in Arizona.

The Cornhuskers (1-2) lost two of three games and their No. 23 ranking last week at UNLV, while BYU (0-4) is looking for its first win. The Cougars and Nebraska play a four-game series starting Thursday at the Peoria Sports Complex, site of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres spring training camp.

“We knew how tough these first two weeks would be,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “Our goal is to get better and at Santa Barbara we played well and got better in those four days. Similarly, we want to compete and get better this week and the games with Nebraska will enable us to do this.”

Kolton Mahoney (0-1, 5.40) will start Thursday’s game at 1 p.m. MDT,Jeff Barker (0-1, 3.60)  starts the first game of a doubleheader on Friday at noon, followed by Brandon Kinser (0-0, 0.00), and Brady Corless (0-1, 5.40) will start Saturday’s game at noon.

“We have moved Kinser into our starting rotation because Hayden (Rogers) needs to work on some things,” Littlewood said. “We don’t know if this is a temporary move, but it will give us a left-hander coming out of the pen that can go hard for a couple of innings.

“Buffo (Maverik) was a nice surprise for us with his mound presence and we feel comfortable with him coming out of the pen.”

Kinser, Buffo and Gonzaga transfer Michael Rucker all have earned run averages of 0.00 in a combined nine innings on the mound this season. Kinser will be making his second start as a Cougar, having been pressed into a starting role last year at Dallas Baptist at the last minute due to a pre-game injury to Hayden Rogers. Kinser, a senior, has made 32 appearances as a Cougar reliever.

Centerfielder Brennon Lund has a current five-game hitting streak and leads the Cougars with a .410 batting average.

The Nebraska-BYU games can be listened to and followed through live links on www.byucougars.com. Last year BYU lost its four-game series at this same Peoria Sports Complex to Kansas.

Following the Nebraska games, the Cougars travel to play a four-game series at Oklahoma next week before the home opener against Hartford in March.

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