Hilo, Hawaii – Andy Gerch’s sixth-inning safety squeeze broke a 1-1 deadlock, as the Nebraska baseball team won the first game of a twinbill, 2-1, Friday afternoon in Wong Stadium in Hilo.
With runners on the corners and no outs, Gerch laid down a perfectly placed bunt, scoring Ledbetter, who opened the inning with a double, from third for the go-ahead run off Hawaii-Hilo starter and loser John Matson.
The Huskers, who improved to 2-0 heading into tonight’s second game (10 p.m. CST start), relied on an outstanding pitching performance from relievers Jeremy Becker and Brett Jensen, who combined not to allow a base runner in 2.2 innings of relief. Jensen earned the win, pitching the final 2.1 innings, striking out four.
Gerch’s sacrifice was one of four on the afternoon for Nebraska, which manufactured single runs in the first and sixth innings for the one-run win. Curtis Ledbetter had two hits for NU, as his RBI single in the first accounted for Nebraska’s other run.
The Huskers struck in the top of first on Ledbetter’s two-out RBI single. Jesse Boyer was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved into scoring position on Joe Simokaitis’ sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Brandon Fusilier put runners on the corners with an infield single before Ledbetter lined a 1-1 pitch into center to score Boyer with NU’s first run.
Nebraska starter Joba Chamberlain was cruising through the first three innings before the Vulcans struck in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game on Michael Higa’s RBI single. With one out, two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases before Higa knotted the game. Chamberlain, who had allowed two hits through the first three frames, got out of trouble by striking out Dayne Ogawa and getting Tyler Curtis to pop out to second to end the rally.
In the bottom of the fifth with the score tied at one, Chamberlain allowed a one-out bunt single to Sean Tamura before Becker came into relief. Chris Campbell’s sacrifice bunt put Tamura into scoring position, but Jensen came out of the bullpen to strike out David Chu to end the Vulcan rally, their last of the contest.
The Huskers scratched across a run in the top of the sixth while chased Matson. Ledbetter roped a double to open the inning before a Daniel Bruce single, one of two hits on the day for Bruce, put runners on the corners with no outs. Gerch then placed a safety squeeze down the first base line that scored Ledbetter, and reached on the play as the first baseman dropped the ball. Nebraska had an opportunity to break the game open, as Hilo’s second error of the inning loaded the bases with no outs, but Ryan Wehrle grounded into a fielder’s choice before Jesse Boyer hit into an inning-ending double play.
Matson (0-4) allowed two earned runs in five-plus innings to suffer the loss, as no Hawaii-Hilo (1-14) player had more than one hit.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
