OSU drops Huskers 1-0
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
STILLWATER, Okla. — Andrew Oliver figured it would take a special performance to get the best of Nebraska’s Johnny Dorn.
But really, a three-hit complete-game shutout in which you face two batters over the minimum and allow only one runner past first base? Come on.
“I knew it was going to be that type of game going in, but you just battle it out and hope that things happen for you,” said the Oklahoma State left-handed sophomore after coming on top in a 1-0 duel against Dorn and the sixth-ranked Huskers in Allie P. Reynolds Stadium on Friday night.
As dominant as Oliver was while notching the first complete-game shutout against NU since Oklahoma’s Stephen Porlier did it almost exactly a year ago on April 14, he still needed Dorn to be the victim of a tough break in order to deliver the right-hander with the first loss of his senior season.
With both lineups having failed to mount any serious offensive threats, Oklahoma State leadoff hitter Michael Dabbs opened the sixth by lining a pitch to the gap in left-center field that Husker center fielder Bryce Nimmo had a beat on.
But as he was getting ready to make a running catch, Nimmo lost his footing, slipped to his seat and had the ball fall in for what was ruled a triple. NU then drew its infield in for Jordy Mercer, but he was able to reach out and slap a two-strike single between third and short to produce the lone run.
“I had it and my foot came out from underneath me. I really don’t know what happened,” Nimmo said. “I was right there. … (The outfield) wasn’t wet in many spots, but apparently it was there and my foot gave out.”
Dorn (4-1) had no trouble shaking off that play, nor did he question Nebraska’s decision to draw in the infield, which obviously made his task of escaping the jam even more difficult.
“I needed that strikeout, thought I made an all right pitches, he just put the bat out there,” said Dorn. “That’s what we have to do in that situation.
“It’s a tough loss. You can’t blame Nimmo for slipping. I kind of made a bad pitch. You can’t blame it on one thing. That guy pitched good, you’ve got to give credit to him. It wasn’t our day.”
It was a much better one for Oliver than the one he had against Nebraska last year, when he started the final game of a series against the Huskers and was gone after allowing three runs on five hits in just 21/3 innings.
“We knew his numbers and what he was doing,” NU coach Mike Anderson said of Oliver, who entered Friday’s game with a 2-2 record despite a sterling earned-run average of 3.00. “That’s a different guy than what we saw last year. He’s attacked with the fastball more, his mechanics are a little bit different. I thought he had a great approach tonight.”
Oliver, who went 6-1 as a freshman but had a 5.52 ERA, relied on a fastball that tailed towards the plate and led to numerous sawed-off, easy-out results.
“When you see things like that, especially on right-handers, there’s more deception. You’re just seeing the ball later and people weren’t picking it up early enough,” said Nimmo, who had one of the hits. “We just didn’t make the adjustment to get it done tonight.”
Anderson paid Oliver a true compliment by suggesting the Huskers weren’t that far off.
“We had some balls we were fouling off, but that just shows you (his) movement, some things when we were on some pitches we just couldn’t hit them,” he said.
Nebraska, which has produced nine come-from-behind wins this season, was up for another attempt in the ninth inning Friday, as Cody Neer led off the inning with a single up the middle. But after Ben Kline bunted pinch-runner Dan Johnston to second, Oliver retired top-of-the-order hitter DJ Belfonte on a popup to first, then got Brett Sowers to look at a third strike to end the game.
“The ninth inning, I pretty much tried everything,” said Oliver, who’d never made it that far into a game. “I had a bunch of adrenalin running, I just wanted to get this game over and get this win.”
By doing so, the 21st-ranked Cowboys improved to 22-9 overall, 13-1 at home and 7-6 in the Big 12 Conference. The league-leading Huskers fell to 24-5-1 overall and 10-2-1.
Their task in the series’ second game at 1 p.m. today will be to do a better job of solving another sophomore lefty, Tyler Lyons.
“He’s pretty good, too,” Anderson said. “That’s their strength, (but) it’s good to have another chance at it tomorrow.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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