Oklahoma City, Okla. - Daniel Bruce’s ninth-inning single broke a 4-all tie, as fourth-ranked Nebraska forced a second elimination game with a 5-4 victory over No. 17 Missouri at the SBC Bricktown Ballpark Saturday afternoon.
Bruce, who went 4-for-5 and matched his career high in hits, slapped a 3-2 pitch through the left side, scoring pinch runner Bryce Nimmo with the decisive run, as the Huskers (49-13) forced a second game against Missouri (39-20) beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Bruce and Andy Gerch combined for seven of the Huskers’ 14 hits, as the Huskers overcame four deficits en route to their 18th come-from-behind win of the season.
Brett Jensen (3-4) fanned three over two innings of one-hit relief for the victory, while Andrew Johnston (4-4) took the loss, allowing the Huskers’ go-ahead run. It marked Nebraska’s second straight walk-off win against the Tigers this season, as the first four matchups have been decided by a total of five runs.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in top of the first inning on Hunter Mense's RBI single, before Nebraska fired back in the bottom of the second as Brandon Fusilier came through with his first hit of the tournament, an RBI single up the middle, plating Gerch and tying the score.
After the Tigers regained the lead in the top of the third on Mense's second RBI of the ballgame, the Huskers responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Bruce triped and scored on Joe Simokaitis’ RBI single.
After Missouri retook the lead, 3-2, in the fourth inning of the back-and-forth contest, Williams' two-out single in the sixth chased NU starter Zach Kroenke, who went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs – one earned and fanning a season-high eight Tigers.
Alex Gordon’s then tied the score at three in the bottom of the sixth, sending MU starter Nathan Culp's first pitch into the home bullpen in left center.
Bohanan ran into trouble in the top of the seventh, allowing the Tigers to take a 4-3 lead on John McKee's sacrifice to right field. With two outs and runners on the corners, Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson turned to left-hander Tony Watson. After walking pinch hitter Zane Taylor to load the bases, Watson coaxed Williams into a groundout to end the inning.
Bruce then tied the game at four with his third hit of the day, an RBI single off Culp, who allowed four runs on 10 hits but did not factor in the decision.
--Huskers--
Notes:
*- Nebraska’s last two wins against Missouri have been walk-off winners, as all four games so far have been decided on the opponent’s last at-bat
*-- Nebraska is 22-7 all time in the Big 12 Tournament
*- Daniel Bruce’s four hits tied a career high, set against Creighton on May 13, 2003. His previous season best was three hits set four times in 2005
*-- Zach Kroenke’s eight strikeouts this afternoon ties his season best of eight set in his last start against Kansas State on May 22.
*--Alex Gordon’s 18th homer put him in a four-way tie for 10th on the Husker single-season chart and was the 43rd of his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth on NU’s career chart.
*--Andy Gerch’s three hits tied a season high, set three other times, most recently against Northern Illinois on May 17
Missouri vs Nebraska (May 28, 2005)
Box score (NCAA)
2005 Nebraska Baseball
#17 Missouri vs #4 Nebraska
May 28, 2005 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Bricktown Ballpark)
Missouri 4 (39-20)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Helms, Trevor 2b......... 5 1 0 0 0 2 2 5 2
Chambers, Derek 1b....... 3 2 1 0 1 2 10 2 1
Boone, James cf.......... 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0
Priday, Jacob c.......... 4 0 1 0 0 3 6 1 0
Mense, Hunter lf......... 4 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 0
McKee, John 3b........... 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5
O'Neill, Greg dh......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Taylor, Zane ph......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Williams, Tyler rf....... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 3
Arndt, Gary ss........... 4 0 1 0 0 2 3 2 0
Culp, Nathan p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0
Mathis, Doug p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Johnston, Andrew p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 33 4 7 3 5 12 25 15 11
Nebraska 5 (48-13)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Bruce, Daniel cf......... 5 1 4 2 0 1 2 0 0
Simokaitis, Joe ss....... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 1
Gordon, Alex 3b.......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 0
Ledbetter, Curtis 1b..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 8 0 0
Gerch, Andy rf/lf........ 4 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 2
Wehrle, Ryan 2b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 1
Bohanan, Ryan dh/p....... 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0
Nimmo, Bryce pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fusilier, Brandon lf..... 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
Adams, Trey pr/lf....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Christy, Jeff c.......... 3 0 0 0 0 0 12 1 0
Opitz, Jake ph.......... 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Kroenke, Zach p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Watson, Tony p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jensen, Brett p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 33 5 14 5 1 5 27 8 7
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Missouri............ 101 100 100 - 4 7 0
Nebraska............ 011 001 101 - 5 14 2
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Note: 1 out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - Simokaitis(8); Gordon, A.(13). DP - Tigers 2. LOB - Tigers 11; Huskers
7. 3B - Bruce, D.(2). HR - Gordon, A.(18). HBP - Chambers; Williams;
Ledbetter, C; Bohanan, R.. SH - Priday(1); Adams, T.(2). SF - McKee(5). SB -
Opitz, J.(3). CS - Boone(2); Ledbetter, C(3); Gerch, A.(2); Fusilier, B.(2).
Missouri IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Culp, Nathan........ 6.1 10 4 4 0 4 26 28 101
Mathis, Doug........ 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 4 4 14
Johnston, Andrew.... 1.0 2 1 0 1 1 3 5 21
Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP
--------------------------------------------------
Kroenke, Zach....... 5.2 5 3 1 1 8 23 26 107
Bohanan, Ryan....... 1.0 1 1 1 3 1 2 7 26
Watson, Tony........ 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 13
Jensen, Brett....... 2.0 1 0 0 0 3 7 7 22
Win - Jensen, B. (3-4). Loss - Johnston (4-4). Save - None.
WP - Kroenke, Z.(6). HBP - by Kroenke, Z. (Chambers); by Culp (Ledbetter, C); by
Kroenke, Z. (Williams); by Culp (Bohanan, R.). PB - Priday(1). Pitches/strikes:
Culp 101/66; Mathis 14/7; Johnston 21/13; Kroenke, Z. 107/64; Bohanan, R. 26/12;
Watson, T. 13/7; Jensen, B. 22/15.
Umpires - HP: Jeff Henrichs 1B: Chris Coskey 2B: Andy Eaves 3B: Bill Davis
Start: 2:20p.m. Time: 2:54 Attendance: 6032
Game: NU62
Courtesy: Alan Jackson
