College Station, Texas – Curtis Ledbetter went 3-for-4 with two homers, while Joba Chamberlain fired a complete-game four-hitter, leading No. 10 Nebraska to a 2-1 victory over Texas A&M in front of a crowd of 6,812 at Olsen Field Friday evening.
Ledbetter provided Nebraska with all of the offense they needed, belting his 10th and 11th homers of the year to lead the Huskers’ 10-hit attack. The two homers marked Ledbetter’s fourth multi-homer game of the season and sixth of his career for the senior first baseman from Lawrence, Kan.
Chamberlain turned in a dominant performance, striking out five without a walk in turning in the first complete game of his Husker career. The right-hander from Lincoln allowed only one run - Coby Mavroulis’ solo homer in the third - and faced one over the minimum through seven innings.
The Huskers (30-6, 7-3 Big 12) used Ledbetter’s two homers to take a one-run lead and held on for just their third win in 14 tries in College Station, as the Aggies (22-15-1, 4-9 Big 12) put the tying runner in scoring position in each of the final two innings.
In the eighth, Austin Boggs singled to open the inning before a sacrifice bunt by Justin Pouk moved the runner into scoring position. Chamberlain buckled down, getting Mavroulis to pop up before Parker Dalton grounded out to third to end the threat.
John Infante opened the ninth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Travis Bartek, but the Aggies could not plate the tying run, as Ryan Hill popped up to first before Cliff Pennington grounded out to Ledbetter to end the game.
While Chamberlain, who improved to 5-0, silenced the Olsen Field crowd, Aggie starter Jason Meyer pitched himself in and out of trouble through the first seven innings. The A&M starter allowed a season-high 10 hits, but allowed only two runs - Ledbetter’s solo blasts in the fourth and sixth. Meyer, who dipped to 5-2, struck out three and walked only one, as the Huskers stranded six runners in a game that took just 1:55.
Nebraska threatened in the first, loading the bases after consecutive singles by Alex Gordon, Brandon Fusilier and Ledbetter, but could not capitalize as Andy Gerch grounded out to end the threat.
The Aggies broke on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, as Mavroulis’ sixth homer of the season gave Texas A&M a 1-0 lead. It was only the third homer allowed by Chamberlain and the first he surrendered since March 18.
Nebraska got the equalizer in the top of the fourth, as Ledbetter launched his 10th homer of the season over the fence in left. Not only was it just the third homer allowed by Meyer this season, but was the first by a Husker since April 6, a span of 55 innings.
The Huskers finally got the lead in the sixth as Ledbetter sent Meyer’s 3-2 pitch over the wall in left center for his second round tripper of the evening.
Meyer pitched into the eighth for the Aggies, allowing two runs on 10 hits before Gordon opened the inning with a single up the middle. Clayton Turner came out of the bullpen and got two strikeouts, while Gordon, who went 2-for-4, was caught stealing at second.
The series between the Huskers and Aggies continues Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. first pitch. The game will be joined in progress on the Pinnacle Sports Network, while the game will be shown over much of the nation on Fox Sports Net. For a complete list of affiliates carrying Saturday’s game, check the pregame release on Huskers.com
Nebraska vs Texas A&M (Apr 15, 2005)
Box score (NCAA)
2005 Nebraska Baseball
#10 Nebraska at Texas A&M
Apr 15, 2005 at College Station, Tx (Olsen Field)
Nebraska 2 (30-6,7-3 Big 12)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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Bruce, Daniel cf/rf...... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Simokaitis, Joe ss....... 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
Gordon, Alex 3b.......... 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 4 0
Fusilier, Brandon dh..... 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
Ledbetter, Curtis 1b..... 4 2 3 2 0 1 14 2 0
Gerch, Andy rf........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3
Nimmo, Bryce cf......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Boyer, Jesse lf.......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Christy, Jeff c.......... 3 0 1 0 1 1 5 0 0
Wehrle, Ryan 2b.......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 1
Chamberlain, Joba p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
Totals................... 34 2 10 2 1 6 27 15 6
Texas A&M 1 (22-15-1,4-9 Big 12)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Stein, Keith Jr. lf...... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Bartek, Travis ph....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hill, Ryan dh............ 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Pennington, Cliff ss..... 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1
Baldwin, Andrew rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Boggs, Austin 3b......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Pouk, Justin c........... 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 3 0
Mavroulis, Coby 1b....... 3 1 1 1 0 0 14 0 0
Dalton, Parker 2b........ 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 1
Infante, John cf......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0
Meyer, Jason p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Turner, Clayton p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 28 1 4 1 0 5 27 18 2
Score by Innings R H E
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Nebraska............ 000 101 000 - 2 10 0
Texas A&M........... 001 000 000 - 1 4 0
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DP - Huskers 1; Aggies 1. LOB - Huskers 6; Aggies 2. 2B - Bruce, D.(10). HR
- Ledbetter, C 2(11); Mavroulis(6). SH - Bartek(1); Pouk(3). CS - Gordon, A.
2(3).
Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Chamberlain, Joba... 9.0 4 1 1 0 5 28 30
Texas A&M IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Meyer, Jason........ 7.0 10 2 2 1 3 29 30
Turner, Clayton..... 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 5 5
Win - Chamberlain (5-0). Loss - Meyer (5-2). Save - None.
Inherited runners/scored: Turner 1/0.
Umpires - HP: Ken McQueen 1B: Patrick Spieler 3B: Wes Hamilton
Start: 7p.m. Time: 1:55 Attendance: 6812
Meyer faced 1 batter in the 8th.
Game: NU36
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
