Huskers hold off Western Illinois
Nebraska was in one of those scary, out-of-the-ordinary modes against Western Illinois in Haymarket Park on Tuesday night.
Left-handed junior Dan Jennings — who entered with a 5-0 record and was No. 3 in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (4.2) — had allowed eight singles. And that was in just the first 11/3 innings.
Later in the second inning, Jennings needed a diving play by second baseman Jake Opitz to avoid giving up what would have been another hit to give the Leathernecks on top 5-4.
In the third, he needed to get out of bases-loaded, no-out situation to keep NU in a tie.
So, to continue with the out-of-the-ordinary theme, he did. And then the sixth-ranked Huskers did what you’d expect them to against an opponent that came in with a 10-24 record.
They won — 6-4.
“We don’t look past anybody … we just didn’t have our best game tonight,” freshman shortstop Ben Kline said after Nebraska improved to 33-8-1 on the season.
It was Kline who provided the game-winning hit, a two-run, bases-loaded single with one in the sixth.
NU had loaded the bags against reliever Ben Percival. Nick Sullivan and Craig Corriston drove first-pitch singles off the mound into center field, and after DJ Belfonte bunted them up, Tyler Rank drew a walk.
Kline, who’d drawn air swinging at a first-pitch curveball, bounced Percival’s next delivery, a fastball, over drawn-in third baseman Drew Laidig to produce the decisive runs.
“I was a little out in front on the first one,” said Kline, who produced his fourth multi-RBI game in the last six. “The second one, just waited back a little longer.”
Right-handed freshman Casey Hauptman, who took over for Jennings to start the fifth, would earn his first career win by allowing two hits over four innings. Mike Nesseth pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save.
“Real, real good to see Casey do that. … It was awesome,” NU coach Mike Anderson said. “Dan struggled a little bit. He hadn’t done that all year. That, hopefully, is one time that he gets it and we move on.
“Everybody has those challenges, at times, and tonight’s was just Dan’s. He’ll be better because of it.”
Western Illinois, which beat Missouri and Long Beach State when those teams were ranked in the top 10, got hits from every one of its starters. Following a four-run first by the Huskers that included a two-run homer by Opitz and a two-run double by Belfonte, the Leathernecks got four straight one-out hits in the second to tie the game.
Opitz denied Kenny Price a two-out single that would have driven in a third run, but Western Illinois loaded the bases in the third when Jennings walked Jared Wolf, made a throwing error after fielding a bunt by Cooper Stewart and allowed an infield single to Tyler Metcalf.
But after Kyle Surprenant bounced a ball to third baseman Jake Mort, who threw home for the force out, Jennings got Lorenzo Gallaga to ground to Opitz to start a double play.
Hauptman then made the most of his opportunity, allowing just one base runner to reach scoring position.
“I didn’t really expect it then, but anybody can get the call at any time,” Hauptman said of making his seventh appearance. “The score didn’t mean anything to me. I just had to go out there and execute pitches. No matter if it was 4-4 or 11-4, you’ve got to pitch the same way.”
Nebraska and Western Illinois meet again today at 1:35 p.m. Right-handed junior Erik Bird (2-1, 4.40 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Huskers.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
Left-handed junior Dan Jennings — who entered with a 5-0 record and was No. 3 in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (4.2) — had allowed eight singles. And that was in just the first 11/3 innings.
Later in the second inning, Jennings needed a diving play by second baseman Jake Opitz to avoid giving up what would have been another hit to give the Leathernecks on top 5-4.
In the third, he needed to get out of bases-loaded, no-out situation to keep NU in a tie.
So, to continue with the out-of-the-ordinary theme, he did. And then the sixth-ranked Huskers did what you’d expect them to against an opponent that came in with a 10-24 record.
They won — 6-4.
“We don’t look past anybody … we just didn’t have our best game tonight,” freshman shortstop Ben Kline said after Nebraska improved to 33-8-1 on the season.
It was Kline who provided the game-winning hit, a two-run, bases-loaded single with one in the sixth.
NU had loaded the bags against reliever Ben Percival. Nick Sullivan and Craig Corriston drove first-pitch singles off the mound into center field, and after DJ Belfonte bunted them up, Tyler Rank drew a walk.
Kline, who’d drawn air swinging at a first-pitch curveball, bounced Percival’s next delivery, a fastball, over drawn-in third baseman Drew Laidig to produce the decisive runs.
“I was a little out in front on the first one,” said Kline, who produced his fourth multi-RBI game in the last six. “The second one, just waited back a little longer.”
Right-handed freshman Casey Hauptman, who took over for Jennings to start the fifth, would earn his first career win by allowing two hits over four innings. Mike Nesseth pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save.
“Real, real good to see Casey do that. … It was awesome,” NU coach Mike Anderson said. “Dan struggled a little bit. He hadn’t done that all year. That, hopefully, is one time that he gets it and we move on.
“Everybody has those challenges, at times, and tonight’s was just Dan’s. He’ll be better because of it.”
Western Illinois, which beat Missouri and Long Beach State when those teams were ranked in the top 10, got hits from every one of its starters. Following a four-run first by the Huskers that included a two-run homer by Opitz and a two-run double by Belfonte, the Leathernecks got four straight one-out hits in the second to tie the game.
Opitz denied Kenny Price a two-out single that would have driven in a third run, but Western Illinois loaded the bases in the third when Jennings walked Jared Wolf, made a throwing error after fielding a bunt by Cooper Stewart and allowed an infield single to Tyler Metcalf.
But after Kyle Surprenant bounced a ball to third baseman Jake Mort, who threw home for the force out, Jennings got Lorenzo Gallaga to ground to Opitz to start a double play.
Hauptman then made the most of his opportunity, allowing just one base runner to reach scoring position.
“I didn’t really expect it then, but anybody can get the call at any time,” Hauptman said of making his seventh appearance. “The score didn’t mean anything to me. I just had to go out there and execute pitches. No matter if it was 4-4 or 11-4, you’ve got to pitch the same way.”
Nebraska and Western Illinois meet again today at 1:35 p.m. Right-handed junior Erik Bird (2-1, 4.40 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Huskers.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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