Lincoln - A home run off the
bat of freshman Pat Kelly propelled the Nebraska baseball team (31-19, 11-9 Big
Ten) to victory for the second straight game over the Minnesota Golden Gophers
(28-24, 10-10 Big Ten), as the Huskers held on to a 8-7 win at Hawks Field on
Saturday afternoon. After dropping a two-run homer in the series opener last
night, Kelly broke a 7-7 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo shot
into the right-field bullpen. Brandon Pierce then came into the game and
retired nine straight Gophers to pick up his second save of the season.
Batting
in the leadoff spot for just the third time this season, Kelly led the Huskers
with a career-high four hits in five at bats. His seven home runs this season
are the most by a NU freshman since Alex Gordon hit seven in 2003.
The
Huskers are now tied with Michigan State for fourth in the Big Ten standing,
while Penn State and Indiana are each one-game ahead and tied for second with
12-8 records. Ohio State sits sixth in the standing (11-10), while the Gophers
are on the outside looking in with a 10-10 record. Purdue secured at least a
share of the Big Ten title today with its 14-3 win over Michigan.
The
Husker hitters knocked around Minnesota's starter for the second straight game,
as DJ Snelton lasted just 3.2 innings after giving up seven runs, all earned,
on eight hits, both of which tied career highs against Snelton.
All
but one starter in NU's lineup recorded a hit, while the first four hitters accounted
for five RBI's and Cory Burleson knocked in a pair of runs from the 9-hole with
a bases-loaded double in the fourth.
Speaking
the fourth, the Huskers continued to light up opposing pitching with a
seven-run fourth on Saturday and have now outscored their opponents 79-17 in
the fourth inning this season. After Kash Kalkowski was retired to start the
inning, Richard Stock, Josh Scheffert and Rich Sanguinetti each slapped singles
to load the bases. Kale Kiser then drew a four-pitch walk to score NU's first
run of the game and tie the contest at 1-1. Burleson followed with his RBI
double and Kelly singled to put runners on the corners with one out and Michael
Pritchard up. The Huskers kept the pressure up with a squeeze that scored
Burleson and Pritchard reached first. Associate Head Coach Will Bolt then
dialed up a double steal from the third-base coaching box, giving NU runners at
second and third with still only one down and Chad Christensen at the plate.
The move paid off, as Christensen delivered his 45th RBI of the
season with a sacrifice fly that scored Kelly from third. Pritchard scored the
seventh run of the inning on a double by Kalkowski in his second at bat of the
inning.
Trailing
7-1 going into the sixth, the Gophers came storming back with six runs on six
hits. With only one run across and two out, Bobby Juan drew a walk to put
runners at first and second for No. 7 hitter Michael Handel. UM strung together
four straight hits, including two doubles, to tie the game at 7-7 going to the
bottom of the frame.
After
Burleson popped out to start the inning, Kelly lifted a 2-1 pitch off Dustin
Klabunde into the visitor's bullpen to put the Huskers back out in front 8-7.
Pierce entered the game in relief for the first time since March 31 and mowed
down the Gophers, including a pair of strikeouts looking in the ninth, to
secure a series win for the Huskers.
The
Huskers are now in position to sweep their first Big Ten series tomorrow when
the two teams meet at 1:05 p.m. at Hawks Field. NU is yet to announce its
starting pitcher, while Minnesota is scheduled to throw senior righty Austin
Lubinsky.
The
Huskers have already faced Lubinsky this season, when the two teams met at the
Dairy Queen Classic on March 4 at the Metrodome. Lubinsky went just 3.0 innings
in the 10-3 loss, as he gave up seven runs on 10 hits.
