With the victory, SMS (37-23) advanced to Sunday�s regional championship game to face the winner of tonight�s elimination game between the Huskers (45-17) and No. 4 seed Eastern Michigan (33-27).

Ziegler (11-1) won the pitching dual with Nebraska�s Aaron Marsden by allowing just two runs on five hits in six innings. Ziegler, who surrendered just one earned run, struck out five and walked just one Husker. SMS closer Shaun Marcum came on in relief of Ziegler in the seventh and allowed just one hit and two walks with one strikeout in the final three innings for his 13th save of the season and second in NCAA Regional play.

Marsden suffered the complete-game loss to fall to 8-3 on the season. The left-hander allowed a career-high 11 hits to the Bears, surrendering four earned runs with two walks and six strikeouts in a 137-pitch performance.

Marsden and the Huskers jumped to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an unearned run off Ziegler, which came on Alex Gordon�s routine fly ball to center that was dropped by SMS�s Dant�e Brinkley. The error allowed Matt Hopper to score from first base, after he reached on a two-out walk.

The Bears answered quickly in the bottom of the first, as Brooks Colvin singled with one out, before moving to third on Clay Wheeler�s two-out single. After a walk to Tony Piazza loaded the bases, Marcum drove in SMS�s first run of the day with an infield single to third base.

Marsden and Ziegler silenced both offenses in the second, third and fourth innings, before the Bears struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth off Marsden. Brinkley laced a one-out double down the left field line, before Colvin followed with an RBI double to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. Wheeler added a two-out, RBI single to center to score Colvin and give SMS a 3-1 edge.

The Huskers responded in the top of the sixth inning with a one-out single by Hopper, who moved to second on a Ziegler balk and scored on Curtis Ledbetter�s two-out, RBI single to center.

After Marsden set the Bears down quietly in the sixth, Brandon Fusilier brought the 6,581 fans at Hawks Field to their feet with a leadoff double to left field to chase Ziegler. Marcum entered the game and wild pitched Fusilier to third before walking John Grose to give the Huskers runners at the corners with nobody out. But Bubbs Merrill and Jeff Leise both popped out in the infield, before Grose was thrown out by Piazza at first trying to get back to the bag.

Marsden retired the Bears in order in the seventh, and the Huskers tried to rally again in the eighth, putting runners on first and second with two outs, before Daniel Bruce flied out to left field to end the NU threat.

SMS added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out double by Rick Wilson, who then stole third base and scored on a wild pitch to produce the 4-2 margin.

GAME NOTES

• The 11 hits allowed by Aaron Marsden were the most by an opponent in his career. It was Marsden�s fifth complete game of the season and eighth of his career. His 115 innings pitched this season are the third-most in school history.

• The loss by Nebraska snapped the Huskers� 10-game NCAA regional winning streak dating back to the 2000 season.

• NU�s loss was also its first in Lincoln during NCAA regional play in three seasons.

• SMS advanced to the final day of NCAA Regional competition for the fifth consecutive time (1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003).

• Dant�e Brinkley extended his hitting streak to 16 games with his one-out double in the fifth inning. He is 27-of-65 (.415) in those 16 games.

• Shaun Marcum has 13 saves in 14 opportunities this season. The 13 saves is a continuing SMS single-season record, and his 18 career saves also represent an SMS career record.

• Brad Ziegler�s 11th win marks an SMS single-season school record.

POSTGAME QUOTES

Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson
Opening Statement
�We set out today to take a disciplined approach, to get ahead in the count and get some runs early. We wanted to put pressure on them and to have a good two-strike approach. We didn�t accomplish our goals offensively. I was very disappointed with our offensive production today, and I let the guys know that. I thought that Aaron pitched well enough to win the game, he did a great job containing them. We had our opportunities, we had a lot of opportunities but we didn�t get it done. We focus on each game and here we go.�

On taking it one game at a time
�We said it twice today, you have to take it one game at a time. If you don�t, you give yourself no opportunity. We�d love to be getting ready to play at 1 o�clock tomorrow, but there is only one way to do that and that is to win tonight.�

Nebraska Pitcher Aaron Marsden
On his performance
�I got outpitched today, you have to give them credit. When I made a mistake they hit it, and a couple times I made a good pitch, they hit that, too. I thought that I had my good stuff, but it took a while to settle in. I put too much pressure on our offense to score.�

Jeff Leise
On NU�s offensive production
�There were times when we had first and third with no outs. That�s a situation that you want to be in, but we failed to get the job done. We have to forget about our last game and regroup and take care of business.�

Southwest Missouri State Coach Keith Guttin
�I thought it was a very well-played game. Brad (Ziegler) kept us right there, and Shaun finished it off. We had some clutch hits, we made some big plays, and I was very pleased with our effort and execution.�

On the pickoff play in seventh inning
�It was big. We were able to keep some momentum at that time. It was a very large play.�

On the pitching performance of Ziegler and Marcum
�Shaun was ready. Our intent was to let Brad go another inning, but as he said he was starting to stiffen up and his pitches were starting to get up in the zone. We thought it was the right time, and Shaun was able to go down and warm up the previous inning, so he was ready.�

Shortstop/reliever Shaun Marcum
�This win helps a lot. We can save our pitching for tomorrow. We don�t have to go out and use two, three, four pitchers tonight just to get to tomorrow. We can relax, it is one less game we have to play right now, and we can just come out tomorrow and focus on that.

On getting out of the seventh-inning jam
�I just wanted to throw strikes and let the defense play. I threw two good pitches and luckily, they didn�t capitalize on it. I just wanted to throw strikes, stay after it and stay aggressive.�

Starting pitcher Brad Ziegler
On getting hit by the line drive
�I got hit right next to my knee, but it was mostly muscle so it shouldn�t be a big problem. As the game went on it got a little stiffer, and toward the end I was having trouble bending my leg. When I was leaning, I was leaning kind of stiff-legged and consequently I was leaving the ball up a little more. Their hitters did a good job of capitalizing on it when I made a mistake and it gave them a chance to score.�

�For me to be successful I have to use my defense. We were tremendous today behind me and that makes it a lot easier when you have faith in the defense to make all the plays. You just throw strikes and hopefully they�ll hit the ball on the ground. Our defense made plays all day, especially in the late innings when Shaun was on the mound.�

Outfielder Dant�e Brinkley
On having the driver�s seat in regional
�We don�t want to be too comfortable. In a situation like that, you don�t want to be so comfortable that you really don�t focus on the first game. So we are going to take the approach that we are going to come out with the same intensity, play hard and leave it on the field in the first game and worry about the second game if we need to after the first game.�

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.