Dark clouds hover over NU
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BY CURT McKEEVER
AUSTIN, Texas - What the Nebraska baseball team could use now is a 48-hour rain shower.
On Friday, top-ranked Texas drenched the 16th-ranked, in-a-tailspin Huskers with an 8-2 downpour to take a big step in winning its first series against them in six seasons.
Considering how NU looked while losing for the sixth time in eight games, it's probably a good thing that the weather forecast the rest of the weekend calls for dark, precipitation-filled clouds.
"Momentum of one game shouldn't carry over to the next," said coach Mike Anderson, searching for some sunshine he hopes will break on his club if the teams are able to resume their three-game set today and/or Sunday. "They did (look like the No. 1 team) tonight - that doesn't stop us from coming out and beating them tomorrow."
To illustrate how gloomy things have become for Nebraska (26-10, 7-6 Big 12 Conference), we take you to the top of the second inning Friday at Disch-Falk Field, where most of the 5,813 fans took delight in the action.
Trailing 1-0 and having had three of their first four batters fanned by left-handed junior J.P. Howell, the Huskers loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and a hit batter.
Shortstop Joe Simokaitis then hit a sharp grounder in the hole between first and second base, a ball that 99 times out of 100 would have produced a two-run single. Instead, it ricocheted off baserunner Jesse Boyer for an automatic and inning-ending out.
"No matter how fast I ran, it just kept following me," Boyer said. "It was a nice piece of hitting by Joe - but whenever something like that happens it takes the wind out of your sails."
Anderson agreed.
"It changed the complexion of the game, and to be blunt, it shouldn't have," he said. "I think they said to themselves, 'Here we go again.' And I think that drug on for three or four innings."
It was the early cut that Nebraska couldn't stop - even with its ace, Zach Kroenke, on the mound.
The left-handed sophomore, who entered with a 6-0 record this season and a 12-2 career mark, was 9-0 in his last 13 starts dating to last year's outing against Texas. That time, he lasted just two innings in a 10-4 loss.
On Friday, he surrendered a career-high six runs - four more than he had allowed in his last six starts - in just 21/3 innings. Texas scored the first five with two outs in an inning.
"I didn't have anything today," said Kroenke, who allowed nine hits, walked two and threw two wild pitches. "After the first few pitches in the first, I started feeling it. Nothing felt good."
Beyond his two appearances against Texas, the only other time Kroenke has been the losing pitcher came last season at top-ranked Rice.
Meanwhile, Howell, who faced the Owls three times this year to help the Longhorns go 4-0 against the defending national champions, gave up just four hits over seven innings while earning his eighth straight win. By fanning 10 Huskers, he became the first Texas hurler to notch back-to-back 100 strikeout seasons.
"Tonight, I almost felt too good. I had a lot on my fastball," he said. "Nebraska hits mistakes, so I was just trying to keep the ball down."
Howell was effective enough to keep first baseman Curtis Ledbetter hitless for the first time in 15 games and second baseman Jake Mullinax for the first time in 13.
Texas, 26-1 when taking the initial lead, scored in six of the first seven innings while rapping out 18 hits and gave Howell (9-1) all the support he'd need by scoring three times in the third to go up 5-0.
Catcher Taylor Teagarden started the decisive frame with a leadoff ground-rule double. After J.D. Reininger struck out, Teagarden was at third and the Longhorns were down to their last out of the inning. That's when designated hitter Will Crouch, who hadn't had a Big 12 at-bat before Friday, dumped an RBI single into left field.
Chance Wheeless drew a walk before Michael Hollimon produced his second hit of the game, a two-run double past third base that rolled to the left-field wall.
"They did a good job of adjusting to two strikes," Kroenke said. "I didn't change anything; they just fought real hard."
Down 6-0, the Huskers got on the board when Daniel Bruce hit a towering home run on a 3-2 delivery from Howell with one out in the sixth to break up the shutout. On the next pitch, Gordon hammered a shot beyond the right-field wall to make it 6-2.
"Back-to-back home runs, it doesn't even put a dent in what they did to me," Kroenke said.
The Longhorns (40-5, 12-4) are making it a habit.
And now, weather permitting, they'll send Sam LeCure and Justin Simmons to the mound for the final two games of the series. That pair and Howell have combined to go 17-0 over the past nine weekends.
"You let your head get down," Boyer said, "especially when you're in Austin against the No. 1 team."
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@;journalstar.com.
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