Bruce�s hit sparked the Huskers (21-5, 5-1 Big 12) to a four-run seventh inning, as Nebraska overcame a 3-2 deficit en route to its sixth straight win. NU, which is off to its best 26-game start since 1998, has now won 14 of its last 15 contests.

A junior from Millard West, Bruce went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, as the Huskers scored seven runs in the final three innings. Curtis Ledbetter went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Alex Gordon added his 10th homer of the year.

After seeing its 43.1-scoreless inning streak snapped earlier in the game, five Husker relievers combined for the last 5.1 innings of work. Dustin Timm picked up his first win since March of 2002, with two innings of one-run relief, while Mike Sillman picked up his third save with two scoreless innings of work.

Braden Keith gave the Huskers a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single. Beau Sullivan coaxed a leadoff walk and moved to second on John Grose�s grounder before Keith singled between first and second. It was the fifth RBI that Keith, who went 2-for-4, has driven in his last three games.

The Wildcats finally scratched the scoreboard in the fourth, putting together three consecutive hits off Husker starter Justin Pekarek to take a 2-1 lead. Consecutive one-out hits by Josh Dent and Steve Murphy put runners on first and second before Chris Carlson ended the Huskers� shutout streak at 43.1 innings with a bases-clearing double past third. It was also KSU�s first run in the last four games, as the Wildcats had been shutout of 30 consecutive innings before Carlson�s two-run double.

The Huskers� streak, which dated back to last Sunday�s win over Kansas, broke the conference mark of 41 set by Texas two years ago.

Nebraska got the equalizer in the fifth, getting a two-out RBI single from Bruce, scoring Grose, who reached on a fielder�s choice and advance into scoring position on a wild pitch. Bruce, who had struck out his first two at-bats, blooped an 0-2 pitch into shallow left center, knotting the score at two.

The Wildcats chased Pekarek in the fifth, getting consecutive two-out hits off the Husker starter, who went the first 4.2 innings. Terry Blunt singled and moved to second on a balk before coming home on Jason Long�s RBI double off the wall in left center. The Huskers went to the bullpen, and after a walk to Dent, Jeremy Becker got Murphy to fly out to right to end the inning.

Pekarek, who had won his last three starts, including six innings of no-hit ball against UW-Milwaukee on Tuesday, struck out five, but allowed three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work in a no-decision.

Nebraska finally struck in the seventh, scoring four times to take a 6-3 lead on RBI singles by Colin Shockey and Bruce and a two-run single by Ledbetter. Grose drew a one-out walk before Keith�s single runners on the corners. Shockey then tied the score with a single to center and chased Ripley after 6.1 innings. Bruce then greeted B.J. Kissel with a single to left, scoring Keith with the go-ahead run. After Kissel intentionally walked Gordon, Matt Petersen struck out Jake Mullinax, but Ledbetter extended the lead to three runs with a two-run single to right.

The junior, who homered in each of NU�s first two games of the season, improved to 8-for-10 with 26 RBIs in bases loaded situations in his career.

Ripley took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings and matching his career high with 10 strikeouts. He allowed five runs to drop to 3-2 on the season.

KSU (19-10, 2-4 Big 12) pulled closer on an RBI double by Long in the seventh before John Heinrich�s RBI single put the Wildcats within 6-5. Nebraska came back with four consecutive hits off Petersen in the top of the ninth, including a solo homer by Gordon, his 10th of the season, an RBI double by Ledbetter and run-scoring single by Joe Simokaitis to take a 9-6 lead.

The Huskers return home tomorrow to begin a two-game series with New Mexico with the first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. The game will be carried on many of the Pinnacle Sports Network affiliates; including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, and on the Internet at Huskers.com.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.