NUfinally finds successagainst Eagles' standout

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BY CURT McKEEVER

Come May, Saturday's 3-2 win against Boston College might seem trivial to the Nebraska baseball team. But make no mistake, the come-from-behind victory at Haymarket Park will be hard to top.

Handcuffed on three hits through eight innings by the Eagles' Chris Lambert, who Baseball America projects as the nation's 11th-best junior and a first-round draft pick, the 21st-ranked Huskers tied the game in the ninth, then won it in the 10th on Beau Sullivan's RBI single.

"We knew we had to hang in there, scratch and fight. That's what good teams do," Sullivan said. "He threw a great game; we just finally got him at the end."

Lambert cruised into the ninth with his fastball still hitting 93 mph. But Chad Steele caught up with a 3-2 pitch to line a double to center to start Nebraska's ninth. Braden Keith followed with a bunt single down the third-base line, and after Joe Simokaitis drilled a 2-2 delivery up the middle for an RBI single, Lambert was pulled after having thrown 149 pitches.

Reliever Mike Gauthier bailed him out by making a nice play on a bunt by Colin Shockey to get Keith at third, and after Simokaitis got thrown out at third on a double steal, Daniel Bruce flew out to left.

But in the 10th, Gauthier walked Alex Gordon with one out and gave up a dink single to Curtis Ledbetter before Sullivan lined an 0-1 pitch to center for the game-winner.

Steele said Lambert "was the best pitcher I have seen." But "there was never really a sense that we were dominated. There was a feeling we will get to him, eventually."

Boston College wasted little time teeing off on the Huskers' All-Big 12 pitcher Quinton Robertson, who gave up six hits and two runs before being pulled after yielding an RBI double to Eric Wright that made it 2-1 with one out in the fourth.

With runners at second and third, sophomore reliever Tim Schoeninger entered and struck out Joe Martinez before getting Marco Albano to ground out to short.

Schoeninger scattered four hits and struck out four during his 62/3 innings of scoreless relief that netted him his second win of the season.

"If you go seven or eight innings, or just one batter, you've just got to shine and take advantage of it," Schoeninger said. "My job was to match (Lambert). It was one of my better days."

Before the Eagles took their 2-1 lead, Nebraska had pulled even in the third on Gordon's bases-loaded walk. Lambert escaped further trouble by striking out Ledbetter.

Boston College had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of inning on Ryan Morgan's RBI double that glanced off the glove of the center fielder Shockey.

"We're very fortunate to win that game," NU head coach Mike Anderson said. "When it got tough, (Lambert) got even more competitive. ... I love that our kids came back. It's just a great win."

Yes, even in March such things exist.

"Wins in May and June are a little bigger," Steele said, "but this one's nice."

n Nebraska, which beat Boston College 10-1 on Friday, goes for a sweep of the series at 1:05 p.m. today.

n NU left fielder and leadoff hitter Jesse Boyer missed his second straight game because of a sore groin muscle. He could return to action as soon as today.

n Left-handed pitcher Brian Duensing is back in Lincoln after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow in Alabama on Tuesday. Anderson said the procedure went well. Duensing hopes to be ready to pitch next season.

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.