Lincoln, Neb. - A two-run home run
from freshman Pat Kelly and a six innings of solid work on the mound from
freshman Kyle Kubat led the Nebraska baseball team (30-19, 10-9 Big Ten) to its
30th win of the season with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on
Friday night at Hawks Field. The Huskers and Gophers are now tied for fifth in
the Big Ten standing with a 10-9 league record, while Indiana, Michigan State
and Penn State are all one-game ahead of the Huskers and Gophers with an 11-8
record.
Kelly's
sixth home run of the year, the most by a freshman since Chad Christensen also
hit six in 2010, put the Huskers up 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth and proved
to be the difference in the one-run game. Kubat improved to 4-0 on the year, as
the freshman allowed three runs, all unearned, on six hits and just one walk,
while striking out three. Now 3-0 in Big Ten play, Kubat has a 1.19 ERA over
22.2 innings and has allowed just three earned runs.
Junior
Dylan Vogt closed the door for the Huskers with 3.0 innings on one-hit ball to
pick up his first save of the season. The righty took the mound in the top of
the seventh after Kubat walked the leadoff batter and retired the next three
Gophers he faced to end the inning. Troy Larsen led off the eighth with the
only hit Vogt allowed, but was cleared off the bases later in the inning when
Josh Scheffert made a diving stop on a line drive down the third base line and
then doubled up Larson at first to end the inning.
The
Husker offense strung together 10 hits off starter and losing pitcher TJ Oakes,
who entered the game with a 7-2 record and a 1.70 ERA. For the first time all
season the Huskers didn't record a strikeout at the plate, which was even more
impressive considering Oakes was averaging over six strikeouts a game coming
into the contest. Kelly, Kale Kiser and Rich Sanguinetti each had two hits in
the game, with Kelly and Sanguinetti each adding a pair of RBI's.
With
Kubat allowing just one hit through the first three innings, which was a
leadoff single by Andy Henkemeyer to start the game, the Huskers got on the
board in the bottom of the third with two runs on four singles. Kelly led off
the inning with a base knock, Kiser followed with a bunt single and then both
moved into scoring position when Kyle Geason committed a throwing error trying
to get Kiser at first. Sanguinetti then drove in both his teammates with a one-out
single.
Minnesota
struck back with a run in the top of the fourth, as Larson scored after
reaching on an error by Chad Christensen to start the inning. Kubat then gave
up back-to-back single, before getting a 6-4-3 double play and a ground out to
Christensen to end the inning.
With
one down in the bottom of the fourth, Austin Darby drew a walk with Kelly on
deck. A .361 hitter with a runner on base coming into the game, Kelly blasted
the third pitch he saw over the right-center-field wall for a two-run shot,
which was just the third home run all year off Oakes.
Kubat
then cruised through the top of the fifth with a three-pitch inning, the first
by a Husker since Michael Mariot achieved the feat at Oklahoma State on April
2, 2010. Matt Puhl led off the inning with a base hit, David Betternburg lined
out to Kiser in left field and Ryan Abrahamson grounded into a 4-6-3 double
play to end the inning.
Minnesota
was able to cut NU's lead to one run in the top of the sixth with two runs on
two hits and the Huskers' second error of the game. But the Minnesota got no
closer, as Vogt shut the Gophers down over the final three innings, including a
looking strike out by Puhl to end the game.
Nebraska
will look to win the series tomorrow with junior Ryan Hander on the mound.
Hander will start just his second game of the season and is 2-0 on the year
with a 1.50 ERA over 18.0 innings of work. The Gophers are scheduled to counter
with lefty DJ Snelton, who is 4-3 on the season and 2-2 during Big Ten play.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and will be carried on the Husker Sports
Network and streamed live on Huskers.com.
