The Huskers (12-6), who had scored a total of eight runs over the previous four games, broke out of their offensive doldrums, belting out 17 hits, including four by John Grose (Henderson, Nev.) and three by Jeff Leise (Omaha, Neb.) to even its Big 12 record at 2-2.

"We were disciplined in certain situations today," Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. "I was pleased with what they did early in counts, which we hadn�t been doing recently, and late in counts."

Aaron Marsden (Grand Forks, N.D.) fired a complete-game six hitter for his fourth win in as many decisions. The junior left-hander struck out eight and scattered three hits en route to his fourth complete game of his career. The win upped his Marsden�s career mark to 12-1, as he avenged his only loss at NU, a 3-2 setback to KSU in Manhattan last March.

"He was great," Anderson said of the Husker starter. "He set the tone over the first three innings and that was what we needed."

NU gave the junior left-hander more than enough offensive support, as the Huskers plated two runs in six different innings of three Kansas State pitchers. The Huskers jumped to a 6-0 lead after four innings off Wildcat starter Jim Ripley, who dropped to 2-1 with the loss. In the first, Leise opened the game with a double to right before Joe Simokaitis� (St. Louis, Mo.) RBI single gave NU a 1-0 lead. Brandon Fusilier (Coppell, Texas) drove in the Huskers� second run of the inning with a fielder�s choice that plated Simokaitis, giving the host a two-run cushion.

Both Fusilier and Simokaitis drove in three runs apiece, helping NU reach double figures for the fifth time this season.

The Huskers used the long ball, as junior Bubbs Merrill (Omaha, Neb.) and Fusilier belted two-run homers in the second and fourth inning, respectively, off Ripley, who allowed six runs on eight hits in just 3.2 innings.

The Wildcats, who hit two homers of their own, cut the Husker margin in the fifth on a two-run homer by Ryan Baldwin, but NU responded, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning on Simokaitis� two-run single and adding two more in the sixth on the first of two Ledbetter homers, a two-run shot to center.

The reserve first baseman, who drove in a career-high four runs, finished NU�s scoring with a two-run blast to left in the eighth. Tim Dody�s solo homer in the ninth off Marsden accounted for the final run.

The series continues Saturday afternoon, with the first pitch set for 2:05 p.m. Because of continuing war coverage on KFAB, the game will be carried on KRQC (93.3 FM) in Omaha

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.