Baseball 2001

Huskers Explode for 32 Runs in Sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

March 28

Lincoln -- After scoring four runs in its previous two games, Nebraska erupted for 32 runs and 30 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Buck Beltzer Stadium Wednesday, winning the opener 16-2 in seven innings before taking a 16-10 decision in the nightcap.

With the wins, the Huskers, ranked eighth by Baseball America and 15th by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball Weekly/ESPN, improve to 19-7 on the season and end the Panthers' nine-game winning streak. UWM falls to 9-7 on the season.

In the opener, the Huskers provided starter R.D. Spiehs with more than enough support, scoring 11 runs in the first two innings, including a season-high seven in the second frame, as the junior from Grand Island, Neb., went five innings to pick up the win to move into 10th on NU's career victory charts with his 17th win. Spiehs allowed two runs, a two-run homer to John VandenBerg in the second, and scattered four hits while tying a career high with eight strikeouts in improving to 4-1 on the season.

Offensively, five Huskers had two hits apiece while first baseman Dan Johnson and outfielder Justin Seely, each drove in three runs in the victory.

In the first, the Huskers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, scoring all four runs with two outs. Jeff Leise led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice and stole third before scoring on a balk on UWM starter Mike Oiler. The Huskers increased the lead to 2-0 on an RBI single by Seely before shortstop Brandon Eymann's two-run single gave the Huskers a four-run advantage.

Nebraska pushed the lead to 11-0, knocking Oiler, who fell to 2-3 on the season, out of the game in the second. After NU loaded the bases with one out, Johnson, who went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, was beaned with the bases loaded for NU's fifth run. Seely, who went 2-for-4 then chased Oiler with a two-run double, as the Panther starter allowed nine runs on six hits in 1.1 innings of work. The Huskers continued the assault off UWM reliever Tim Meinecke, as Josh Hesse drove in a pair of runs with a triple before Tito Rivera's RBI single gave NU an insurmountable 11-2 advantage.

The Huskers plated five more runs - all with two outs in the fourth inning, with John Cole's two-run double and Johnson's two-run homer, his ninth of the season.

In the nightcap, the Huskers jumped to a 12-2 lead after five innings only to see the Panthers claw back. UWM scored eight runs in the final four innings to nearly push the Huskers to the limit before sophomore center fielder Jeff Leise, who went 4-for-5 with four RBI, added an eighth-inning two-run homer, his fifth of the year, gave the Huskers breathing room.

NU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the contest, scoring three in the second, on a two-run double by Eymann and an RBI single by Leise, and adding another run in the third on Jed Morris' RBI single off UWM starter and loser Quintin Oldenberg.

The Huskers used another two-out rally, scoring six runs in the fourth to seemingly put the game out of reach. After a pair of walks, Matt Hopper's RBI single gave NU a 5-0 lead before Seely's second hit of the day, a two-run single, extended the margin to 7-0. Jed Morris, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, then sent a Rob Erickson offering over the fence in right for a three-run homer, his fourth of the year, to give NU a 10-0 lead.

Nebraska starter Jason Burch was cruising along through the first four innings before the Panthers finally scored a pair of runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Scott Gillitzer. Burch, who went the first 5.2 innings to pick up his first collegiate victory struck out six, but ran into trouble in the sixth, as UWM closed to within four runs. With two outs, two-run hits by Matt Houk and Darin Haugam cut the NU lead to 12-6 before Gillitizer, who went 3-for-4 in game two, took NU reliever Brandon Penas' first pitch over the fence in left to cut the Husker lead to 12-8.

After UWM closed to within 12-9, NU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth to regain a comfortable margin. In the seventh, Leise led off with a single and move to second on Adam Stern's fielder's choice, which he beat out, putting runners on first and second. With one out, Johnson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cole plated the first run of the inning on a fielder's choice, scoring Leise, before Stern came home on a wild pitch.

Nebraska returns to action this Friday, March 30, as the Huskers will begin a three-game conference series at Oklahoma (10-19, 5-7 Big 12). First pitch for Friday's contest is at 7 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Source: University of Nebraska Sports Information