Bruce and Gordon hit back-to-back homers off Texas starter J.P. Howell in the sixth, only the third and fourth homers that the Longhorn ace had allowed all season, provided most of the offensive highlights for Nebraska (26-11, 7-6 Big 12).

Bruce broke the shutout with his sixth round tripper of the season before Gordon launched his team-high 14th of the year on the next pitch, marking the third time that NU hit back-to-back homers this season. It was the only mistakes Howell (9-1) made all night, as he fanned 10 Huskers while scattering four hits in seven innings to earn the win.

Texas (40-5, 12-3 Big 12) staked Howell to an early lead, jumping to a 6-0 lead after four innings, as the Longhorns scored their first five runs with two outs. In the first, Carson Kainer�s single scored Curtis Thigpen, who started the rally with a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kainer went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to lead Texas� 18-hit attack.

Nebraska ran into some bad luck in the top of the second. With two outs, the Huskers used a pair of walks and a hit batter to load the bases off Howell, but could not score as Joe Simokaitis� single between first and second hit Jesse Boyer on the leg, forcing the runner out to end the threat.

Drew Stubbs, who also had three hits, gave the Longhorns a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single to right that scored Chance Wheeless from third after a pair of singles and a wild pitch put runners on second and third.

The Longhorns, who had dropped their last five series to the Huskers dating back to 1999, added three more runs in the third on a two-out single by Will Crouch and a two-run double by Michael Holliman to push the lead to five runs.

UT chased Kroenke in the fourth, as Thigpen doubled and came home on Kainer�s RBI double to left off reliever Tim Schoeninger.

Kroenke, who had allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts, lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing a career-high six runs on nine hits in suffering his first loss since April 20, 2003. The loss was only the third of his two-year career and his first in 14 starts.

The Huskers broke the shutout in the sixth on Bruce and Gordon�s homers, but Texas regained their five-run lead in the bottom of the frame on Taylor Teagarden�s sacrifice fly, the only run that Schoeninger allowed in 2.1 inning of relief. Robby Hudson added a homer in the seventh for UT�s final run.

The two teams continue the series Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. as Phil Shirek (5-0, 2.95 ERA) takes on Sam LeCure (6-0, 2.22 ERA). The game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Net.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.