LINCOLN, Nebraska — The University of Iowa baseball team was defeated, 7-4, by Nebraska on Friday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead plating three runs in the first inning. Nebraska responded by loading the bases in the third, but Iowa held them to one run.

“We did a good job of getting traffic early,” said head coach Rick Heller. “We got Sear’s pitch count up and got him out of the game in the fifth inning. We felt pretty good about things.”

The Hawkeyes plated a run in the fourth after three singles to extend their lead to 4-1. A Husker three-run home run in the fifth drew the game level, and it was all Nebraska the rest of the way.

Marcus Morgan started on the bump for Iowa. He threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits, he struck out four and walked three.

“Marcus Morgan having to step up and bump up a day was good early,” said Heller. “He worked out of the jam in the third when he gave up one. But unfortunately, he couldn’t get out of the fifth. Gave up the  two-out, three-run homer to tie the game and after that our offense didn’t do much.”

Anthony Watts entered in relief and threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks, he struck out four.

Ben DeTaeye threw 2/3 of an inning and allowed a run, before Zach Voelker got the final out of the inning.

Three Hawkeyes had two hits in the contest: Andy Nelson, Sam Petersen, and Kyle Huckstorf. Raider Tello had an RBI triple and he and Davis Cop joined Petersen and Huckstorf as Hawks with an RBI.

“Just disappointing,” said Heller. “I mean, the effort was there, the energy was good. We played hard, but we made a couple errors. One was costly. We just didn’t play well enough to win and we still had too many free bases. We had three walks in the eighth inning of a tight ball game, that just can’t happen, I don’t think Nebraska had a free base after the fifth inning and that’s how it has to be done if you’re going to win.”

Nebraska had four two-out RBIs compared to Iowa’s one. The Huskers hit .400 with runners in scoring position compared to the Hawkeyes .267.