(Amanda Sharp / Daily Titan File Photo)
Cal State Fullerton baseball earned the series split to get back to .500 on the season and snap the Cornhusker 11-game winning streak with the 4-3 victory over Nebraska on Wednesday at Hawks Field.
The Titans (12-12) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when junior David Olmedo-Barrera led the game off with a single to second base before sophomore first baseman Josh Estill was hit by a pitch.
Junior third baseman Jerrod Bravo was then issued a walk to load the bases with two outs. Freshman Scott Hurst came through with a sharply-hit single to left to bring around Olmedo-Barrera and Estill to put the Titans up 2-0 over the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska answered with a two-out, two-run rally of their own in the bottom of the second when redshirt sophomore starting pitcher Miles Chambers issued a two-out walk, an RBI single and the throwing error by junior second baseman Josh Vargas allowed the Cornhuskers to tie it up 2-2.
In the top of the fourth, Olmedo-Barrera cashed in on the Jake Placzek error at shortstop that allowed sophomore Timmy Richards to reach base when he launched a shot over the right field wall for his second home run of the season. Olmedo-Barrera’s homer gave the Titans a 4-2 lead over Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers cut into the Titan lead once more when they rallied for another run in the bottom of the fifth inning off of senior reliever Willie Kuhl. Nebraska made it 4-3 on an RBI groundout by Scott Schreiber after Kuhl allowed a single and a double to consecutive hitters with one out.
Titan senior closer Tyler Peitzmeier entered the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh and was lights-out, retiring the first five batters faced while only allowing a single baserunner with four strikeouts to earn his eighth save of the season.
The Titans will continue their road trip when they return to California to open Big West Conference play in a three-game set against Cal State Northridge (19-6) starting Thursday with first pitch at 3 p.m. at Matador Field.
