The second game of the 2021 home-opening series for Iowa baseball did not go as the Hawkeyes would have hoped in large part because of a seven-run third inning from Nebraska that led the Cornhuskers to a 10-8 victory.

Starting pitcher Drew Irvine didn’t have a clean first two innings but got out of them without any runs.

The third inning started with the Cornhuskers’ leadoff man, right fielder Joe Acker seeing Irvine for the second time in the game. After being walked on a full count the first time up, he singled the second time around. Center fielder Jaxon Hallmark, the next batter, laid a great bunt down for a single.

Iowa third baseman Matthew Sosa committed an error on the next at-bat, and then second baseman Cam Chick hit a gram slam for the first runs of the game.

On the next pitch, designated hitter Max Anderson hit a home run to bring the Cornhuskers’ lead to 5-0. Irvine got the next batter to strikeout but then gave up a walk to end his afternoon after 61 pitches.

“I think the biggest thing is that Drew kind of lost control of himself,” head coach Rick Heller said. “And that was the story there. They took advantage of some free bases, and he just wasn’t sharp today. The difference in the early part of the game was that Drew couldn’t locate many of his pitches at all and [Nebraska starter Chance] Hroch was locating everything which made the difference. Unfortunately, it made for an early exist for Drew.”

Ben Beutel replaced him and eventually gave up a two-run home run to first baseman Jack Steil. Acker grounded out to end the disastrous inning for the Hawkeyes.

The top five hitters in Nebraska’s lineup got 11 hits on the day.

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“I think they just got a few guys on,” Norman said. “We had a little bit of pressure on the bases and when they have some early baserunners that can create some problems for us. I mean Drew has been really solid for us, and I’m he’ll bounce back next time too.”

Irvine had a 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched heading into the game. He now has an 8.10 ERA.

The Hawkeyes had four relief pitchers come into the game who were responsible for three earned runs and eight hits. Including Beutel, those pitchers were Ty Langenberg, Jackson Payne, and Dylan Nedved.

Nedved came into the game as a pinch-hitter for Izaya Fullard and played second base before coming in as the pitcher during the eighth inning. He pitched 1.2 innings and gave up zero runs.

“I just tried to come in [and] trust the defense,” Nedved said. “Stay in the zone, attack the zone. Couldn’t find it early on. Gave up some hits then tried to silence them on the basepaths and I’m fortunate enough that I was able to do that.”

Heller said he thought all of his bullpen did a good job and that he wanted Langenberg to pitch past the fifth inning but decided it would be best for him not to after the Hawkeyes scored six runs in a long fifth inning.

The Hawkeyes (4-6) will finish their series with the Cornhuskers (6-4) at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.