Baseball 2001

Huskers Post 7-1 Win over Oklahoma

March 30

Norman, Okla. - All-America right-hander Shane Komine struck out 11 and allowed one unearned run, as eight-ranked Nebraska posted a 7-1 victory over Oklahoma in front of 988 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Field Friday evening in Norman.

Komine, a junior, scatted four hits and threw his third complete game in the last five starts and the 11th complete game of his career to improve to 7-1 on the season. The Honolulu, Hawaii native retired 21 of 23 Sooners at one point in picking up his seventh consecutive win.

"He spotted his fastball effectively and got ahead of hitters tonight," Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn said. "When we got up 3-1, we were pretty confident because Shane was throwing so well."

He's an outstanding pitcher and that is why he was Big 12 Player of the Year last season," Oklahoma coach Larry Cochell said. "Out hitting was average tonight and he pitched well."

"I felt great out there," Komine said. "My curveball was working well, and I was able to throw my pitches well."

Nebraska broke open a 3-1 contest, scoring one in the eighth and adding three in the ninth to improve to 20-7 on the year and 6-2 in the Big 12. OU, which tied a season low with four hits, dipped to 10-20 and 5-8 in league play.

Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead, scoring an unearned run off Komine in the bottom of the first . With one out, Jason Bartlett doubled down the left field line, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Greg Dobbs' grounder that was thrown away by Husker shortstop Will Bolt.

Nebraska knotted score at one in the top of the third on an RBI single by Bolt. Jeff Leise reached on an error to start the inning, stole second and scored as Bolt singled up the middle. The junior from Conroe, Texas, had been just .197 over the last 21 games and two for his last 17 in the last five games, went 3-for-4 with a walk in the win.

In the fifth, the Huskers knocked OU starter Michael Bradbury out of the game, scoring a pair of runs to take a 3-1 lead. Adam Stern, who went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Bolt started the inning with back-to-back singles before Matt Hopper's sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. Dan Johnson brought home NU's second run on slow rolling grounder that was booted by OU shortstop Sergio Garcia, allowing Stern to score from third. John Cole then increased the NU lead to 3-1, doubling to left center to score Bolt. Cole went 2-for-5 as NU pounded out 13 hits.

Bradbury, who was not originally penciled in as Friday's starter, allowed three runs in 4.2 innings, allowing six hits and walking three.

The Huskers added another run of OU reliever Austin Coose in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Leise singled off the leg of second baseman Matt Fisher before Stern's doubled to right center scored Leise, who was running on the pitch.

"We had some timely hits late, and it was a lot closer than 7-1," Van Horn said.

Komine had retired 21 of 23 batters until Elliot Joyner's pinch-hit single to right in the eighth ran into a jam in the eighth, walking Matt Fisher to put runners on first and second with one out. Komine then struck out Jerome Godsey and Jason Bartlett to end the inning and OU's final threat of the evening.

In the ninth, NU tacked on three more runs on RBI singles from Dan Johnson and Jed Morris and a double by Josh Hesse.

The Huskers continue the series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Source: University of Nebraska Sports Information