Janssen improved to 5-0 on the year with the win, fanning five and holding the Huskers scoreless through eight innings, as UCLA improved to 11-7 with the win. The Bruin right-hander retired 19 straight Huskers during one stretch before Nebraska, which dropped to 7-4 with the loss, nearly pulled out an improbable comeback in its last at-bat.

Janssen took a shutout into the ninth before consecutive one-out singles by Jesse Boyer, who had two of the Huskers� five hits, and Joe Simokaitis put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Alex Gordon drew a walk off the Bruin starter to load the bases, ending the day for Janssen. Pinch hitter Curtis Ledbetter, who is now 7-for-8 with 24 RBIs in bases-loaded situations, greeted reliever Brian Schroeder with a two-run single, drawing NU within 4-2. The Huskers eventually got the tying runner in scoring position, as Colin Shockey was hit by a pitch, but Chad Steele ended the rally with a ground out.

�Their pitcher did a very nice job but I thought we helped him by being too passive at the plate today,� Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. �I wasn�t pleased with our offensive effort.�

While the Huskers struggled at the plate, NU pitchers Quinton Robertson and Justin Pekarek kept the Huskers in the game, combining to hold UCLA to four runs on nine hits. Robertson (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing four runs - two earned - over six innings, as NU has managed just five runs in his last three starts. Pekarek allowed one hit in two shutout innings of relief.

�Quinton keeps pitching well and keeping us in games,� Anderson said. �Our pitchers have pitched well, but we have to be patient, as our hitters are going through a tough stretch right now.�

The Huskers dug themselves an early hole, committing a pair of errors in the second that led to a pair of Bruin runs. Matt Thayer reached on Gordon�s error to open the inning before Ryan McCarthy�s single put runners on first and second with no outs. Two batters later, Chris Denove�s RBI single to center put the Bruins up 1-0. McCarthy moved to third on a throwing error by Steele before Sean Carpenter�s sacrifice fly gave UCLA a two-run cushion.

It would be all that Janssen would need early on, as the Bruin starter held the Huskers to just two hits over the first eight innings, as one NU batter reached scoring position in the first eight innings.

The Bruins tacked on a pair of insurance runs off Robertson, as Thayer, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, opened the sixth with a single and came home on a McCarthy�s two-run homer, his third of the year, putting UCLA up 4-0.

McCarthy also went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored to pace the Bruin offense.

The Huskers conclude tournament play Sunday night when they take on the host Aztecs at 9 p.m. (CST).

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.