STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Sunday, May 8, 2005 7:00 pm
Nebraska outfielder Jesse Boyer hears it often, the playful teasing from teammates about his, ahem, home run prowess. "They ask me why I work out so much, because they say I'm the biggest singles hitter they've ever known," he said.
Late Sunday afternoon, the same teammates that tease Boyer about his power deficiency were joyfully mobbing him after he crossed home plate in a scene that was as unlikely as the events that led to it.
The left-handed hitting senior uncorked a line drive that sailed over the left-field fence in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting fifth-ranked Nebraska to a 6-5 triumph over No. 17 Missouri before 5,849 spectators at Haymarket Park.
It was Boyer's first home run in two seasons as a Husker, spanning 276 at-bats.
"You almost have to stop and pinch yourself and ask someone if it's true," he said.
Nebraska improved to 39-10 and 14-7 in the Big 12, retaining second place in the league standings, a game behind idle Baylor (15-6).
In a bit of irony, Husker All-American third baseman Alex Gordon led the jubilant pack of players that engulfed Boyer.
Gordon honored as the team's lifter of the year in a pre-game ceremony was one of four Nebraska players who committed errors as the Huskers experienced an uncharacteristic case of the bobbles (they entered the series with a .978 fielding percentage to rank third nationally).
Missouri, in fact, pulled to 5-5 in the seventh inning on Gordon's errant throw to first base. Earlier in the seventh, Husker second baseman Ryan Wehrle allowed a slow roller to skip under his glove, resulting in another run during the Tigers' four-run uprising.
All told, four of Missouri's runs were unearned.
"We didn't play our best ball," said Nebraska coach Mike Anderson, whose team nevertheless won its sixth Big 12 series in seven tries by winning two of three against Mizzou (32-16, 12-9). As the Huskers celebrated, several Tigers sat in the dugout in stunned silence, a few staring toward left field wearing looks of disbelief.
Although a 30 mph wind howled toward left field during the last two days tempting home-run swings by right-handed hitters Boyer's blast was the first of the series.
Boyer said he was "just trying to make solid contact and get on base."
Missouri relief pitcher Andrew Johnston (2-3) had been throwing first-pitch strikes to nearly every batter. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior tried to throw his first pitch to Boyer over the inside part of the plate, but the fastball "ran over the plate a little bit enough for him to get the barrel on it," Johnston said.
Boyer said he guessed right on the fastball and put a hard swing on the pitch. Was it hard enough to clear the fence?
It isn't as if Boyer is an authority on the matter.
"I used to hit a couple home runs in junior college when the wind was howling like it was today," said Boyer, a regular in the Husker lineup since transferring from Neosho County (Kan.) Community College. "I didn't believe it got over the fence when I was rounding second base."
Boyer's heroics supplied a happy ending to a day that was in some ways disconcerting for a Nebraska squad that has designs on returning to the NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska blew a 5-1 lead, then failed to score from innings five through 10, held in check by relievers Taylor Parker, a 5-9, 142-pound left-hander, and the right-handed Johnston.
"They were down and we were up, and we had all of the momentum going into the last inning," Johnston said.
Anderson said his team actually stayed positive throughout. Indeed, Nebraska prides itself on resiliency, the coach said.
"We've won some close games because of it," he said.
Nebraska seemingly took control early in the game, scoring two runs in the first inning, one in the second and two more in the fourth. The Huskers repeatedly applied pressure, their leadoff batter singling in each of the first four innings.
Brett Jensen, the fourth pitcher out of the bullpen in relief of starter Johnny Dorn, improved to 2-2 with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Gordon had called Saturday's triumph Nebraska's biggest of the year.
Nearly 24 hours later, Anderson updated that assessment.
"We're at that stage of the season when you could say that this was probably the biggest win of the year, again," he said.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.