Huskers pitchers notchfourth straight shutout
MANHATTAN, Kan. - It was like a hanging curveball Curtis Ledbetter saw 60 feet from the plate.
"Our pitching?" the Nebraska designated hitter inquired after the topic surfaced following the 17th-ranked Huskers' 4-0 victory against Kansas State here Saturday. "It kind of speaks for itself. Everybody on the staff is throwing extremely well."
Like never before, actually.
Saturday's shutout was the fourth straight by NU hurlers, a feat never before accomplished in the same Husker season. The last time the Huskers produced four straight shutout performances came during the final three games of 1977 and the 1978 season opener.
"We've been pitching awfully great," said Jeremy Becker, who got the Huskers out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to help preserve the shutout and extend the scoreless innings streak to 40.
It's not often that teams get out of bases-loaded, no-out situations unscathed, but that's exactly what Nebraska did while guarding a 3-0 lead in the sixth.
K-State had a prime scoring opportunity after a single, a walk and a hit batter led to NU starter Phil Shirek's departure. Enter the left-handed junior Becker, who when last called on against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday, walked the bases loaded.
Seven pitches later, Becker had struck out Nos. 4 and 5 hitters Steve Murphy and Zack Saunders. Right-handed sophomore Brett Jensen came on and retired Chris Carlson on a bouncer to shortstop Joe Simokaitis.
"I'm not really thinking about giving up any runs. I'm not really thinking about striking anybody out, either," Becker said.
But when you've got the kind of karma Nebraska has right now, things work for the best.
One inning later, Kansas State had runners at first and second after consecutive one-out singles. NUright fielder Daniel Bruce then made a shoestring catch of a liner hit by Terry Blount in right-center. After Jensen hit Jason Long with a pitch, he got Josh Dent to ground out to second baseman Jake Mullinax.
Jensen worked the final 31/3 innings to become the fifth NU hurler this season to earn a save.
Meanwhile, it was Ledbetter who broke a scoreless tie for the second straight day by hitting a home run.
Friday, he hit his first of the season, a solo shot with two outs in the seventh to kick-start an 8-0 win. Saturday, he smacked a two-run blast the opposite way to right with two outs in the fourth.
"Another day, another homer. I think we can keep this up," Ledbetter said, smiling. "All you try and do is hit a ball hard. It wasn't a thing where I was trying to hit a ball out. The only way I thought that'd be possible in this wind was if a left-hander pulled it down the line."
At least he was right about that one, as in the sixth, Alex Gordon got a green light on a 3-0 count and deposited Carlos Torres' next pitch halfway up the roof of a green metal building that stands behind right field. NU coach Mike Anderson said it was only the second time he'd given a hitter the OK to swing on 3-0, and Gordon ended up rocketing it more than 400 feet.
"I actually think I did (get all of it)," Gordon said. "I wasn't going to let it go without taking a good swing at it."
Nebraska, off to a 20-5 start and leading the Big 12 Conference at 4-1 (and also 14-1 when hitting at least one home run), got its final run in the ninth. Bruce singled to left, moved to third on Gordon's single to right, and after Chris Huseman came in for Torres, Mullinax laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Bruce.
"He threw great," Ledbetter said of Torres, who suffered his first loss in six decisions, "but we took advantage of two mistakes, and that was it."
Before Friday's game, Kansas State was 13-0 when its starting pitcher had lasted into the seventh. Now, the Wildcats are 13-2 in those situations.
And here's another ominous fact for K-State. Today, the Cats will try to end their offensive struggles by facing Justin Pekarek, who tossed six no-hit innings Tuesday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Anyone think the Huskers' shutout streak can last another day?
"It is amazing," pitching coach Rob Childress said. "But if it comes to an end, and we'd win 10-1 giving up a run in the first inning, I'd take that.
Not Becker.
"It's something we're really proud of," he said, "and want to keep going."
n NU leadoff hitter Curtis Shockey is questionable for today's game after fouling a pitch off his right shin late in Saturday's contest.
n Nebraska's 20-5 start is its best 25 games into a season since the 1988 Huskers also were 20-5.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
NEBRASKA4, Kansas State 0
Nebraska ab r h bi Kansas State ab r h bi
Shockey cf 4 0 0 0 Blunt lf 3 0 2 0
Keith rf 0 0 0 0 Long 2b 0 0 0 0
Bruce rf 3 1 1 0 Dent cf 3 0 1 0
Gordon 3b 4 1 2 1 Murphy rf 4 0 0 0
Mullinax 2b 3 1 2 1 Saunders 3b 4 0 0 0
Ledbetter dh 4 1 1 2 Carlson 1b 4 0 0 0
Simokaitis ss 4 0 0 0 Patty dh 4 0 0 0
Boyer lf 3 0 0 0 Heinrich c 4 0 1 0
Sullivan 1b 3 0 0 0 Saltzgaber ss 4 0 1 0
Steele c 3 0 1 0
Totals 31 4 7 4 Totals 30 0 5 0
Nebraska 000 201 001 - 4 7 0
Kansas State 000 000 000 - 0 5 0
DP-Kansas State 2. LOB-Nebraska 2, Kansas State 9. HR-Gordon, Ledbetter. S-Mullinax, Long. CS-Blunt.
Nebraska ip h r er bb so
Shirek W 5 3 0 0 3 2
Becker 2/3 0 0 0 0 2
Jensen S 31/3 2 0 0 0 1
Kansas State ip h r er bb so
Torres L 8 7 4 4 1 6
Huseman 1 0 0 0 0 0
W-Shirek (5-0). L-Torres (5-1). HBP-by Shirek(Dent), by Jensen (Long). PB-Heinrich. T-2:19. A-1,602.
"Our pitching?" the Nebraska designated hitter inquired after the topic surfaced following the 17th-ranked Huskers' 4-0 victory against Kansas State here Saturday. "It kind of speaks for itself. Everybody on the staff is throwing extremely well."
Like never before, actually.
Saturday's shutout was the fourth straight by NU hurlers, a feat never before accomplished in the same Husker season. The last time the Huskers produced four straight shutout performances came during the final three games of 1977 and the 1978 season opener.
"We've been pitching awfully great," said Jeremy Becker, who got the Huskers out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to help preserve the shutout and extend the scoreless innings streak to 40.
It's not often that teams get out of bases-loaded, no-out situations unscathed, but that's exactly what Nebraska did while guarding a 3-0 lead in the sixth.
K-State had a prime scoring opportunity after a single, a walk and a hit batter led to NU starter Phil Shirek's departure. Enter the left-handed junior Becker, who when last called on against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday, walked the bases loaded.
Seven pitches later, Becker had struck out Nos. 4 and 5 hitters Steve Murphy and Zack Saunders. Right-handed sophomore Brett Jensen came on and retired Chris Carlson on a bouncer to shortstop Joe Simokaitis.
"I'm not really thinking about giving up any runs. I'm not really thinking about striking anybody out, either," Becker said.
But when you've got the kind of karma Nebraska has right now, things work for the best.
One inning later, Kansas State had runners at first and second after consecutive one-out singles. NUright fielder Daniel Bruce then made a shoestring catch of a liner hit by Terry Blount in right-center. After Jensen hit Jason Long with a pitch, he got Josh Dent to ground out to second baseman Jake Mullinax.
Jensen worked the final 31/3 innings to become the fifth NU hurler this season to earn a save.
Meanwhile, it was Ledbetter who broke a scoreless tie for the second straight day by hitting a home run.
Friday, he hit his first of the season, a solo shot with two outs in the seventh to kick-start an 8-0 win. Saturday, he smacked a two-run blast the opposite way to right with two outs in the fourth.
"Another day, another homer. I think we can keep this up," Ledbetter said, smiling. "All you try and do is hit a ball hard. It wasn't a thing where I was trying to hit a ball out. The only way I thought that'd be possible in this wind was if a left-hander pulled it down the line."
At least he was right about that one, as in the sixth, Alex Gordon got a green light on a 3-0 count and deposited Carlos Torres' next pitch halfway up the roof of a green metal building that stands behind right field. NU coach Mike Anderson said it was only the second time he'd given a hitter the OK to swing on 3-0, and Gordon ended up rocketing it more than 400 feet.
"I actually think I did (get all of it)," Gordon said. "I wasn't going to let it go without taking a good swing at it."
Nebraska, off to a 20-5 start and leading the Big 12 Conference at 4-1 (and also 14-1 when hitting at least one home run), got its final run in the ninth. Bruce singled to left, moved to third on Gordon's single to right, and after Chris Huseman came in for Torres, Mullinax laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Bruce.
"He threw great," Ledbetter said of Torres, who suffered his first loss in six decisions, "but we took advantage of two mistakes, and that was it."
Before Friday's game, Kansas State was 13-0 when its starting pitcher had lasted into the seventh. Now, the Wildcats are 13-2 in those situations.
And here's another ominous fact for K-State. Today, the Cats will try to end their offensive struggles by facing Justin Pekarek, who tossed six no-hit innings Tuesday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Anyone think the Huskers' shutout streak can last another day?
"It is amazing," pitching coach Rob Childress said. "But if it comes to an end, and we'd win 10-1 giving up a run in the first inning, I'd take that.
Not Becker.
"It's something we're really proud of," he said, "and want to keep going."
n NU leadoff hitter Curtis Shockey is questionable for today's game after fouling a pitch off his right shin late in Saturday's contest.
n Nebraska's 20-5 start is its best 25 games into a season since the 1988 Huskers also were 20-5.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
NEBRASKA4, Kansas State 0
Nebraska ab r h bi Kansas State ab r h bi
Shockey cf 4 0 0 0 Blunt lf 3 0 2 0
Keith rf 0 0 0 0 Long 2b 0 0 0 0
Bruce rf 3 1 1 0 Dent cf 3 0 1 0
Gordon 3b 4 1 2 1 Murphy rf 4 0 0 0
Mullinax 2b 3 1 2 1 Saunders 3b 4 0 0 0
Ledbetter dh 4 1 1 2 Carlson 1b 4 0 0 0
Simokaitis ss 4 0 0 0 Patty dh 4 0 0 0
Boyer lf 3 0 0 0 Heinrich c 4 0 1 0
Sullivan 1b 3 0 0 0 Saltzgaber ss 4 0 1 0
Steele c 3 0 1 0
Totals 31 4 7 4 Totals 30 0 5 0
Nebraska 000 201 001 - 4 7 0
Kansas State 000 000 000 - 0 5 0
DP-Kansas State 2. LOB-Nebraska 2, Kansas State 9. HR-Gordon, Ledbetter. S-Mullinax, Long. CS-Blunt.
Nebraska ip h r er bb so
Shirek W 5 3 0 0 3 2
Becker 2/3 0 0 0 0 2
Jensen S 31/3 2 0 0 0 1
Kansas State ip h r er bb so
Torres L 8 7 4 4 1 6
Huseman 1 0 0 0 0 0
W-Shirek (5-0). L-Torres (5-1). HBP-by Shirek(Dent), by Jensen (Long). PB-Heinrich. T-2:19. A-1,602.
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