Grose's grand slam helps NU turn back New Mexico

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BY CURT McKEEVER

Sensing his Nebraska baseball team could use a break from his post-game talks, Mike Anderson let senior catcher and co-captain John Grose put a wrap on the Huskers' 7-3 victory against New Mexico on Monday night.

Not one who's usually short on words, Grose spent about as much time evaluating NU's performance as he did watching his third-inning grand slam leave Haymarket Park.

"He just said it wasn't a pretty win, let's get after them tomorrow," senior second baseman Jake Mullinax said.

And with that, the Huskers scattered.

Playing for the fourth straight day, 12th-ranked Nebraska scored all of its runs in the first three innings, then relied on Quinton Robertson and Brad Furnish to keep the Lobos quiet while improving to 22-5.

The right-handed Robertson earned his second straight win by scattering nine hits over 52/3 innings. He allowed one earned run, struck out seven and walked none.

"That's the job of a starting pitcher - you come out and battle," Grose said. "To give up only three runs into the sixth, it's huge for the team."

Furnish was even more impressive. On the heels of Sunday's one-pitch performance at Kansas State, when he hit a batter who eventually scored, the left-handed freshman threw no-hit ball and struck out seven over the final 31/3 innings to earn his first save.

The only baserunner he allowed reached on a third-strike wild pitch.

"He sometimes struggles with the fastball up in the zone, but tonight it was down at the kneecaps and on both sides of the plate," Grose said. "What really did it for him was his curveball. It was one of the best I've caught recently."

Grose, who is struggling with a .179 batting average, came through with one of his biggest hits of the season.

With Nebraska leading 3-2, he hooked a 1-2 hanging slider from right-hander Karsten Gaarder around the left-field foul pole for his first grand slam. Grose had fouled off a 1-2 delivery before hitting the Huskers' first grand slam of the season.

"It's a big key for us to get him going," Mullinax said.

Mullinax, who went 3-for-3 and was on base five times, had started the inning by singling to right. After designated hitter Curtis Ledbetter was hit by a pitch, freshman Al Smith laid a two-strike bunt down the third-base line that drew no throw and left the bases full.

Grose, who drove in a first-inning run, had a chance to double his season RBI total of seven when he came up with runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth. But he popped up to end the inning.

"I wish I could've gotten a couple more hits," he said. "But (the grand slam) made the difference today, so you can't complain."

Nebraska erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring three runs without getting a hit in the bottom of the first.

New Mexico starter Darren Coltrinari, who entered the game having walked 16 and plunking six batters in 13 innings of work, walked Colin Shockey, hit Daniel Bruce, walked Alex Gordon and hit Mullinax to force in a run. Ledbetter lifted a sacrifice fly to left to put the Huskers in front for good.

Nebraska made its first error in 46 innings with two outs in the second, when Mullinax threw wild to first trying to get Garrick Haymore, who had hit a ball that deflected off the glove of the first baseman Smith. That allowed Matt Young, who had doubled with two outs, to score.

n Gordon's hitting streak came to an end at 11 games. The sophomore went 0-for-3 with two walks. He was given an intentional pass with a runner on third and two outs in the eighth.

n The teams meet again today at 1:35 p.m. It will be the Huskers' ninth game in 10 days.