Huskers break up pitchers' duel in 11th

Starting pitcher Phil Shirek had every right to be frustrated. Maybe even downright angry.

Knowing the Nebraska baseball team needed a lift Saturday, Shirek offered his absolute best. A gutsy, reach-in-and-give-it-all-you-got performance.

And his reward for throwing nine innings of shutout ball?

A heartwarming, standing ovation when he walked off the mound in the 10th inning - of a scoreless game.

"Those guys coming in, you could tell they were frustrated," Shirek said of Nebraska's batters. "You know they're trying their hardest to do something."

That was pretty hard against Oklahoma starter Mike Roberts, who shut out the Huskers on two hits through nine innings himself.

"I'm not hitting, so I can't fault them," Shirek said. "I just go up and throw zeroes for as long as I can."

But not earning a victory for that?

"Nah, whatever," Shirek said. "I'd rather see someone else get the win than to come away with a loss."

That someone else was reliever Mike Sillman, who was equally effective in Nebraska's 1-0, 11-inning victory over Oklahoma before 4,504 fans at Haymarket Park.

The Huskers won on a bases-loaded single by Joe Simokaitis. It made a winner of Sillman, who retired all six batters he faced, striking out three of them.

"Phil pitched unbelievable. Sillman, for that matter," Simokaitis said. "When they're pitching that great, you want to do what you can for them and scratch one across."

Simokaitis, whoâ€'s 13-for-26 in his career with the bases loaded, hit a bouncing ball into left field past a drawn-in infield. The Huskers had loaded the bases with no outs on three singles off reliever Jarod McAuliff.

Daniel Bruce, who scored the winning run, led off with a ground ball that Oklahoma shortstop Ryan Rohlinger fielded cleanly but then bobbled. He didn't attempt a throw, and Bruce was credited with a hit. Chad Steele followed with a single to right field, and Jesse Boyer beat out a bunt single to load the bases for Simokaitis.

"We always talk about it, let the other team crack first under the pressure," Nebraska associate coach Rob Childress said. "It's easier to talk about it than it is to go out there and do it. For us to do it, in the situation we're in and the season we've had and the point we're at in the season, especially after yesterday ... man, it's a tribute to Phil and his competitive nature and our team."

The victory gives Nebraska (35-20, 11-15 Big 12 Conference) a chance today to snap its streak of six straight Big 12 series losses. No. 18 Oklahoma (35-20, 18-8) won Friday night's opener 6-4.

Nebraska evened the series thanks to Shirek, who scattered six hits and struck out four while working around base runners throughout the day. Oklahoma had at least one base runner in each of the first seven innings.

Three times in the first five innings, Shirek struck out a Sooner for the final out with a runner in scoring position. In the seventh, he benefitted from a spectacular, diving catch from Bruce in right field for the final out with a runner at second base.

"I was just throwing the right pitch at the right time," said Shirek, who entered the game with a 5-1 record and 3.36 ERA. "Igot a lot of not bad swings, but a lot of pop-ups and a lot of ground balls. That kind of helped me out."

The best outing of his career?

"As far as like stuff-wise, no, definitely not," Shirek said. "But as far as competing, and getting after it, making them beat me and instead of letting me beat myself, yeah."

Shirek was most effective with his fastball, working inside and out while keeping the ball low.

"He got ahead on the count, and he did a good job when he got behind on a few counts of fighting back," Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said. "That's something Phil kind of let go .. he'd get down 2-0, 2-1 and give up on a kid, and today he fought back."

He had no choice, considering the stiff competition from his counterpart.

Roberts, who last season carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a start against Nebraska in Norman, Okla., surrendered a single to Boyer to start the game. He walked Alex Gordon intentionally with two outs, then struck out Curtis Ledbetter - the first of 13 straight Huskers he'd retire.

"He kept the ball down," Oklahoma coach Larry Cochell said. "When he keeps the ball down, he's very, very tough to hit."

Nebraska couldn't do anything with leadoff walks in the sixth and eighth innings, then wasted another scoring chance when Steele led off the ninth with the Huskers' second hit off Roberts.

Steele's single was misplayed by left fielder Ryan Mottern, allowing Steele to advance to second with no outs. But Roberts recorded three outs - a groundout, a strike out and another groundout - to send the game into extra innings.

"It would've been easy to say, 'OK, it's done, it's over, it's not our series, it's not for the sixth week in a row,' " Childress said. "But the guys fought like hell today."

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@;journalstar.com.