Lawrence, Kan. – Curtis Ledbetter went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, while Brian Duensing went a season-best 7.1 innings, as No. 9 Nebraska took the rubber game of the series with a 9-4 victory at the Hoglund ballpark Sunday afternoon.
Ledbetter, a native of Lawrence, Kan., led the Huskers’ offensive outburst against his hometown school, driving in three of the Huskers’ first four runs, as Nebraska jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held on for the win. The Huskers also took advantage of two-out situations, driving seven of their nine runs with two outs.
Duensing (4-0) pitched well in his first Big 12 start since 2002, scattering six hits and taking a shutout into the eighth. The Omaha native allowed three runs and struck out three while walking only one in the win, as his outing was his longest since returning from Tommy John surgery last March.
The win, NU’s first Big 12 series win since last April, moved the Huskers to 21-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Big 12, while Kansas dipped to 21-10 and 1-2 in the league, after dropping the final two games of the series.
Daniel Bruce went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, while Trey Adams added a two-run homer in helping NU continue its best season start in 22 years.
The Huskers manufactured a run in the top of the first off Jayhawk starter Kodiak Quick, as Ledbetter’s two-out RBI single scored Alex Gordon, who drew a walk and stole second.
Nebraska tacked on its second run in the third, loading the bases before Ledbetter drove homer Jake Opitz, who led off the third with a single, with a sacrifice fly to center.
Duensing faced the minimum over the first 4.2 innings before Kansas rallied in the fifth on a two-out single by Jared Schweitzer and an error on Opitz gave the Jayhawks their first scoring threat. The Husker left-hander got out of the jam, getting Jake Kauzlarich to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice and then didn’t allow another runner until the eighth.
The Huskers pushed across their third run in the sixth on the Jayhawk starter, as Daniel Bruce reached with a one-out single before scoring two batters later on Jeff Christy’s RBI double to left.
Quick, who pitched two innings of relief in Kansas’ 7-6 win in the series opener, pitched into the seventh, before loading the bases on two walks and a fielding error.
Ledbetter then drove in his third run of the day, as he was hit by Don Czyz’s pitch to give NU a 4-0 lead. After Brandon Buckman grounded into a double play. Daniel Bruce continued NU’s two-out success with a double into right center to plate two runs before Jesse Boyer’s RBI single to left gave NU a seven run cushion.
Quick (7-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits, but also walked seven in six innings.
Duensing took a shutout into the eighth before running into trouble, as he allowed three runs, a RBI double to John Allman and a two-run homer to Erik Morrison, to pull the hosts within 7-3. KU continued to threaten of Phil Shirek, getting a two-out single by Ritchie Price, but Jeremy Becker came in to get A.J. Van Slyke to ground out to Ledbetter to end the rally.
The Huskers got two of the runs back in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer by Adams, the first of his career, while Gus Milner’s solo shot of Brett Jensen accounted for the final run.
The Huskers return home to take on Creighton Tuesday evening at Hawks Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including KLIN 1400 AM (Lincoln), KFAB 1110 AM (Omaha) and KRVN 880 AM (Lexington). The contest, the first of three this season between the Huskers and Bluejays, will also be video-streamed on HuskersNside.
-- Huskers --
#9 Nebraska at Kansas
Mar 27, 2005 at Lawrence, KS (Hoglund Ballpark)
Nebraska 9 (21-3,2-1 Big 12)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Nimmo, Bryce cf.......... 3 1 0 0 2 0 4 0 1
Simokaitis, Joe ss....... 5 0 1 0 0 1 2 6 0
Gordon, Alex 3b.......... 2 2 0 0 3 2 1 5 1
Ledbetter, Curtis 1b..... 3 1 1 3 0 0 12 0 0
Buckman, Brandon dh...... 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Gerch, Andy pr.......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bruce, Daniel rf......... 5 2 2 2 0 2 1 0 3
Boyer, Jesse lf.......... 3 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0
Adams, Trey lf.......... 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0
Christy, Jeff c.......... 4 0 1 1 0 2 3 2 1
Opitz, Jake 2b........... 3 1 1 0 1 0 3 2 1
Duensing, Brian p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shirek, Phil p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Becker, Jeremy p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jensen, Brett p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 33 9 10 9 8 7 27 16 8
Kansas 4 (21-10,1-2 Big 12)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Baty, Matt 2b............ 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0
Price, Ritchie ss........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0
Van Slyke, A.J. rf....... 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Milner, Gus cf........... 4 1 2 1 0 0 5 0 0
Richardson, Sean c....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 7 3 0
Schweitzer, Jared 1b..... 3 1 2 0 1 0 8 2 0
Allman, John lf.......... 4 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0
Kauzlarich, Jake dh...... 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Morrison, Erik 3b........ 3 1 1 2 0 2 1 0 0
Quick, Kodiak p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0
Czyz, Don p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals................... 33 4 9 4 1 3 27 11 3
Score by Innings R H E
Nebraska............ 101 001 402 - 9 10 1
Kansas.............. 000 000 031 - 4 9 2
E - Opitz, J.(1); Morrison; Czyz. DP - Huskers 3; Jayhawks 1. LOB - Huskers
8; Jayhawks 3. 2B - Buckman, B.(7); Bruce, D.(7); Christy, J.(2); Allman;
Kauzlarich. HR - Adams, T.(1); Milner; Morrison. HBP - Ledbetter, C. SH -
Christy, J.(8). SF - Ledbetter, C(1). SB - Gordon, A.(12). CS - Boyer,
J.(2); Opitz, J.(2).
Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Duensing, Brian..... 7.1 6 3 3 1 3 26 27
Shirek, Phil........ 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2
Becker, Jeremy...... 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Jensen, Brett....... 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 4 4
Kansas IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Quick, Kodiak....... 6.0 5 5 4 7 4 21 30
Czyz, Don........... 3.0 5 4 2 1 3 12 14
Win - Duensing, B. (4-0). Loss - Quick (7-2). Save - None.
WP - Czyz. HBP - by Czyz (Ledbetter, C).
Umpires - HP: Doug Williams 1B: Bob Homolka 3B: Mike Droll
Start: 1:02p.m. Time: 2:37 Attendance: 904
Quick faced 3 batters in the 7th.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
