| Stats & coverage |
April 9, 2004
Gordon's slam helps Huskers top Lobos, 14-7
Lincoln — Zach Kroenke allowed one run over eight innings, while Curtis Ledbetter and Jake Mullinax hit back-to-back homers in the second inning, as No. 12 Nebraska downed Texas Tech, 3-1, for their ninth straight win at a soggy Hawks Field Friday evening.
Kroenke improved to 6-0 on the season, fanning nine Red Raiders and holding Texas Tech scoreless after Dallas Braden�s first-inning RBI single. The Omaha native allowed seven hits and didn�t allow a runner in scoring position after the third inning in lowering his ERA to 1.94.
The Huskers (24-5, 5-1 Big 12) were held to a season-low four hits, but used back-to-back round trippers by Mullinax and Ledbetter off Texas Tech starter Steven Thomas to open the second and erase a 1-0 deficit. It was the fifth homer of the year for Mullinax, who lofted an opposite field homer to right center, and the third for Ledbetter, who now has a team-high eight game-winning RBIs after his blast into left.
"I thought it was an extremely unusual ballgame for us," Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "We didn�t put a lot of pressure on them. We had a couple of home runs and they had an error and that was it. We�re pretty fortunate to win the game tonight. Zach battled back from an adverse first and second inning."
Kroenke, who allowed four of Texas Tech�s seven hits in the first two frames, settled down and allowed just four baserunners including one who reached after striking out on a wild pitch after the second inning.
Nebraska added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jake Mullliax that scored Daniel Bruce, who reached on a two-base error, to give NU a two-run cushion.
Kroenke and reliever Mike Sillman combined to retire the last 13 Red Raiders in order to preserve the lead. Sillman pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save for NU, which is off to its best start since 1983 and has won 17 of its last 18 games.
Thomas (2-4) pitched well in defeat, going the distance and allowing three runs two earned on four hits, as no Red Raider had more than one hit, as Texas Tech fell to 18-12 overall and 1-5 in league play.
The Huskers and Red Raiders continue the series Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. The game will be shown state-wide on Nebraska ETV and tape-delayed (4:30 p.m.) on College Sports Television.
Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.