The Huskers, who improved to 22-6 with their 11th straight win, pounded out 18 hits, as eight different NU players had at least two hits. With the victory, NU remained in first place in the Big 12 standings with an 8-2 record heading into Saturday�s doubleheader, scheduled for Noon (CST).

Jeff Leise, Matt Hopper, John Grose and Daniel Bruce all homered in the win, as the Huskers, whose 23-6 mark matches their best start since 1988, scored in seven consecutive innings to overcome an early deficit.

"We needed to go out and score some runs and do some things offensively," Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. "There was a lot intensity in the first two or three innings for both teams, and then we settled down."

Nebraska took the lead for good in the fourth, scoring four runs off of KU starter Kevin Wheeler (4-2), who allowed eight runs on 11 hits to take the loss.

Trailing 5-4, NU had runners on first and second before Joe Simokaitis, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, roped a two-run double to left, giving the Huskers the lead for good. One batter later, Hopper gave the Huskers a three-run cushion with a two-run homer to left center, his Big 12-leading 11th of the season. The two-run shot also gave Hopper, who went 3-for-4 with four runs scored, 232 RBIs in his career, tying Josh Bard�s Big 12 mark set between 1997 and 1999.

Freshman Tim Schoeninger was the beneficiary of the Husker offensive outburst, earning the win in relief of NU starter Aaron Marsden, who left in the second with tightness in his left arm. Schoeninger improved to 2-1 win the win, scattering seven hits in a career-high 6.2 innings of work.

"Our four runs in the fourth were big, but Tim putting up a zero in the bottom was just as important," Anderson said. "Early on, it was a see-saw battle, and when Tim threw a scoreless fourth, it stopped the trend. He threw a lot of strikes and got a lot of ground balls."

Kansas (23-12, 1-5 Big 12) scored five runs in the first three innings, but scored just twice after the third innings.

The Huskers continued to extend the lead, increasing the lead to 10-5 in the fifth on a two-run homer by Leise, who had three hits and scored three times. Alex Gordon added an RBI single in the sixth before Grose�s three-run homer highlighted a four-run seventh to put the game out of reach.

Because of inclement weather slated for Sunday, the Huskers and Jayhawks will conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Noon.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.