Trailing 5-2, the Red Raiders (25-18, 7-11 Big 12) took advantage of a pair of costly errors, leading to five unearned runs off of starter Aaron Marsden (6-1) and reliever Jason Burch. Scooter Jordan, who drove in three runs, highlighted the frame with a two-run triple to left of Nebraska starter Aaron Marsden, giving the Red Raiders the lead for good at 6-5.

"It was our worst inning of the year in every aspect of the game," Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "From the calls to the pitching to the defense to the flares that dropped. Everything went their way and not one thing went right for us in that inning. It was one of those things that happens once a year, and it happened to us tonight."

Marsden, who came into the contest with a 6-0 record and a 1.81 ERA, took the loss, allowing seven runs - five earned - on nine hits, as he had won his last 13 straight decisions dating back to last season. The left-hander went just 5.1 innings - his shortest outing since April 4.

Sophomore catcher Matt Wells provided most of the offense for the Huskers (31-11, 13-5), going 2-for-4 with a homer and a career-high four RBIs, while Curtis Ledbetter extended his hit streak to 21 games, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

"We will take that out of Matt any day," Anderson said. "He had some competitive at-bats. We are used to bunt him and moving runners over, but to get RBIs out of him was a positive."

Nathan Fouts earned the win for the Red Raiders, allowing six runs on 11 hits in 7.1 innings to improve to 4-4 on the season. Offensively, Cooper Fouts went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Doug Beck drove in three runs and scored three times. In all, spots 6-9 in the Red Raider lineup went a combined 10-for-18 with eight RBIs 12 runs scored. With the loss, the Huskers fell into a second place tie with Texas A&M, a 6-1 winner over Missouri, one game behind Texas, which posted a 12-1 win over Kansas State earlier today.

Nebraska drew first blood in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single by third baseman Alex Gordon. With two outs, Hopper doubled to left center before Gordon�s 29th RBI of the year gave the Huskers a 1-0 lead. The run was the 218th of Hopper�s career, breaking the Big 12 record of 217 held by Baylor�s Jon Topolski.

The Red Raiders came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third, stringing together three consecutive one-out hits off Marsden, including an RBI double by Cooper Fouts to tie the score at 1-1. With runners on the corners, Jordan grounded into a fielder�s choice, plating Fouts with Texas Tech�s second run.

Nebraska regained the lead at 4-2 in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a Red Raider error to plate three runs. Gordon reached on an error before a walk to Curtis Ledbetter put runners on first and second with no outs. After Fouts retired the next two batters, Wells turned on the first pitch he saw and launched his second homer of the year. The hit broke an 0-for-15 slump in Big 12 play dating back to April 11.

Wells� second RBI single of the evening, a two-out single between third and short, in the top of the sixth gave the Huskers a 5-2 cushion, but the lead would not last, as the Red Raiders sent 14 batters to the plate. With no outs, Josh Haney�s apparent double-play ball was booted, putting runners on first and second. The miscue opened the floodgates, as a fielder�s choice and an RBI single by Fouts put Tech with 6-4, setting up Jordan�s two-run triple two batters later. The Red Raiders continued the assult on Burch, who allowed four runs (none earned) on four hits and hit two batters in 0.1 innings. When the dust had settled, the Red Raiders finished the inning with nine runs on seven hits and held a commanding 11-5 lead.

The series continues Saturday afternoon, as Quinton Robertson (5-1, 4.73 ERA) will be opposed by Dusty Buck (3-4, 4.63 ERA) with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.