The Nebraska baseball team will go into Big Ten conference play this weekend on a sour note after letting a late lead slip away in a 6-4 loss to Northern Colorado at Hawks Field yesterday afternoon. A two-run pinch-hit home-run by Pat Kelly, his third of the season, gave the Huskers a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the visiting Bears scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to regain the lead. An RBI single by Rich Sanguinetti in the ninth gave the Huskers hope, but the Bears shut down the rally to escape with the win and a two-game series split. The loss drops the Big Red to 15-8 on the season. On Friday, the Huskers open their first ever conference season in the Big Ten by opening a three-game series in Illinois. First pitch against the Illini on Friday is set for 6:35 PM.