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Published Mar 3, 2023
Vanderbilt blows late lead in loss to Nebraska
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Chris Lee  •  VandySports
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Nebraska scored two runs in each of the sixth and eighth innings, coming from behind to beat Vanderbilt, 5-3, in the Cambria College Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday afternoon.

The Cornhuskers’ Garrett Anglim hit a two-run home run off Thomas Schultz in the eighth, and also appeared to rob Vanderbilt’s Parker Noland of a two-run homer in the sixth.

Nebraska also scored two runs in the sixth off a combination of Vanderbilt starter Carter Holton and reliever Bryce Cunningham.

Nebraska (4-3-1) out-hit Vanderbilt, 13-5, with an astounding eight doubles.

Vanderbilt (6-4) got all its runs on two solo home runs by RJ Screck and another by Noland.

Nebraska's Shay Shanaman pitched three scoreless innings to finish the game and pick up the victory, while Schultz was charged with the loss.

Holton went five innings, allowing eight hits, a walk, a hit batsman and two runs with seven strikeouts. Cunningham allowed one of those two runs when he came on for Holton with no outs in the sixth.

Holton pulled a Houdini act in the second and third, allowing eight combined runners (including four of the first five reaching in the second) but somehow allowing one run.

Holton helped himself in both cases, getting a come-backer for an out in the second, later followed by a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

In the third, Holton fanned the last two to end the inning.

In the fourth, Schreck threw out a runner stretching a single to a double to start that inning.

In the fifth, Holton allowed a two-out double off the wall in right but again, struck out the last two.

In the meantime, Holton was pitching with a lead because in the bottom of the fourth, Schreck homered and Noland followed with another two hitters later.

Schreck added another homer to right and Noland nearly added a two-run shot himself, but Anglim, playing left, appeared to reach over the wall and take that away to end the sixth.

But the Commodores couldn't hold that 3-1 lead and failed to hit the ball out of the infield in the final three innings excepting line-outs to the outfield by RJ Austin and Davis Diaz.

Vanderbilt debuted a new lineup, with Diaz moving to third, Austin to short and Jonathan Vastine at short. The Commodores technically played errorless ball, though catcher Alan Espinal's passed ball in the sixth led to an unearned run charged to Cuningham.

Vanderbilt faces a ranked Maryland team at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The Terrapins face Ole Miss on Friday.