NU combines for one-hitter
You've just thrown six innings of no-hit ball and your pitching coach tells you good job, now go ice up.
Sure, Nebraska senior Justin Pekarek tried to plead his case to stay in Tuesday's game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"I said, 'I've never thrown a no-hitter,'" Pekarek pointed out to Rob Childress in between innings. "He said, 'Well, that's 67 pitches, get ready for Sunday.'
"I looked at him kind of upset. At the same time, Iwant to do what's best for the team."
That was the only battle Pekarek lost at Haymarket Park, as the 17th-ranked Huskers settled for a combined one-hitter in their 10-0 victory.
Having begged for 26 passes for family and friends, the fifth-year left-handed pitcher from Staplehurst paid back his teammates with a performance that sealed his return to the weekend rotation.
The only batter to reach base against Pekarek, who will start at Kansas State on Sunday, was Matt Alexander. He got on with two outs in the first on an error by first baseman Beau Sullivan.
Pekarek's outing started with a backhanded defensive gem by third baseman Alex Gordon, who also came a triple away from hitting for the cycle. In the fourth inning, Pekarek made a stinging stab of a line drive hit by
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Alexander, and in the sixth, second baseman Jake Mullinax came up with a highlight catch in shallow center while colliding with shortstop Tyler Vaughn.
"I'm just excited," Pekarek said. "I'm throwing a lot of strikes right now. That makes or breaks my outings."
In his last three starts, Pekarek, who had major elbow surgery two years ago, is 3-0 with a 1.56 earned run average. He's struck out 17, walked two and allowed seven hits.
Watching Pekarek warm up made the hair on the back of Childress' neck stand up.
"The ball was getting small in a hurry," he said.
Even though he was tempted to let Pekarek try to become the first Husker in 40 years to throw a solo nine-inning no-hitter, Childress stuck with his plan to keep him to a lower-than-normal pitch count because he wanted him fresh for Sunday.
"It would've been nice to see, but our goal is to win conference games," coach Mike Anderson said. "I think he proved something today. Hopefully, he feels great about himself.
"In terms of rhythm and pace and attack, just the competitive part of it, I've seen it twice in a row now, and I love it."
Trailing 8-0, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a .332-hitting club, ended the only remaining drama with two outs in the seventh when Ben Stanczyk singled to shallow right off Tim Schoeninger. The Panthers also got a runner on when Robert Michalkiewicz took a pitch from Brad Furnish off the helmet with two outs in the ninth.
Tuesday's result, NU's 10th win in 11 games, marked the first one-hitter for the Huskers since Aaron Marsden's eight-inning performance against Texas A&M on March 17, 2002.
Nebraska (17-5) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (7-9)meet again today at 1:35 p.m.
Sure, Nebraska senior Justin Pekarek tried to plead his case to stay in Tuesday's game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"I said, 'I've never thrown a no-hitter,'" Pekarek pointed out to Rob Childress in between innings. "He said, 'Well, that's 67 pitches, get ready for Sunday.'
"I looked at him kind of upset. At the same time, Iwant to do what's best for the team."
That was the only battle Pekarek lost at Haymarket Park, as the 17th-ranked Huskers settled for a combined one-hitter in their 10-0 victory.
Having begged for 26 passes for family and friends, the fifth-year left-handed pitcher from Staplehurst paid back his teammates with a performance that sealed his return to the weekend rotation.
The only batter to reach base against Pekarek, who will start at Kansas State on Sunday, was Matt Alexander. He got on with two outs in the first on an error by first baseman Beau Sullivan.
Pekarek's outing started with a backhanded defensive gem by third baseman Alex Gordon, who also came a triple away from hitting for the cycle. In the fourth inning, Pekarek made a stinging stab of a line drive hit by
See BASEBALL, Page 5C
Alexander, and in the sixth, second baseman Jake Mullinax came up with a highlight catch in shallow center while colliding with shortstop Tyler Vaughn.
"I'm just excited," Pekarek said. "I'm throwing a lot of strikes right now. That makes or breaks my outings."
In his last three starts, Pekarek, who had major elbow surgery two years ago, is 3-0 with a 1.56 earned run average. He's struck out 17, walked two and allowed seven hits.
Watching Pekarek warm up made the hair on the back of Childress' neck stand up.
"The ball was getting small in a hurry," he said.
Even though he was tempted to let Pekarek try to become the first Husker in 40 years to throw a solo nine-inning no-hitter, Childress stuck with his plan to keep him to a lower-than-normal pitch count because he wanted him fresh for Sunday.
"It would've been nice to see, but our goal is to win conference games," coach Mike Anderson said. "I think he proved something today. Hopefully, he feels great about himself.
"In terms of rhythm and pace and attack, just the competitive part of it, I've seen it twice in a row now, and I love it."
Trailing 8-0, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a .332-hitting club, ended the only remaining drama with two outs in the seventh when Ben Stanczyk singled to shallow right off Tim Schoeninger. The Panthers also got a runner on when Robert Michalkiewicz took a pitch from Brad Furnish off the helmet with two outs in the ninth.
Tuesday's result, NU's 10th win in 11 games, marked the first one-hitter for the Huskers since Aaron Marsden's eight-inning performance against Texas A&M on March 17, 2002.
Nebraska (17-5) and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (7-9)meet again today at 1:35 p.m.
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