Huskers rally past Sun Devils
OMAHA They'd shared this vision together all season long. That's why Nebraska's first-ever win at the College World Series a 5-3 come-from-behind effort against Arizona State in which the Huskers needed to collectively clutch up seemed so perfect to senior first baseman Curtis Ledbetter.
"We went about our regular business and played our game out there, and you know what, who's the hero today?" Ledbetter asked. "Nobody knows. We just won again.
"Joba (Chamberlain) came out there and threw well and Zach (Kroenke) came in and then (Brett) Jensen. Everybody in the lineup got a big hit some time, and that's the way we play. This tells a lot about how we've been winning all year long."
With a crowd of 24,904 rocking Rosenblatt Stadium's old iron rafters, the Huskers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 3-2 deficit en route to winning for the first time in five attempts in the College World Series. Photo gallery
Friday's result also pushed Nebraska into a second-round winners'-bracket contest against Florida, a 6-4 winner against Tennessee, at 6 p.m. Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to a bracket final at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
"I'm excited we got the first win of the tournament, not (for ending) the 0-4," said senior shortstop Joe Simokaitis.
While the right-handed sophomore Chamberlain gave his club a strong, seven-inning performance while allowing just five hits, Nebraska fell behind 3-2 in top of the sixth when Tuffy Gosewisch lined a two-run, bases-loaded double to right field. On the play, however, Husker second baseman Ryan Wehrle came through with a perfect relay throw to nail Colin Curtis trying to score from first, and it proved to be an omen for what would occur in the bottom half.
Facing senior right-handed reliever Zechry Zinicola for the second time, Andy Gerch got Nebraska going by pulling a 1-2 pitch to left for a single. Fellow freshman Ryan Bohanan followed with a walk before Daniel Bruce was hit by a 1-2 delivery after fouling off the previous pitch.
Arizona State then called on left-handed junior Brett Bordes to face Wehrle, and the freshman who grew up within eyesight of Rosenblatt's bright lights drove the first pitch back at Bordes through the box for a two-run single.
"I was put in a good situation bases loaded, no outs," Wehrle said, shrugging. "I looked for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it."
After Bruce was thrown out at third on a double-steal attempt, junior catcher Jeff Christy then guided a single the opposite way to right field to produce an insurance run.
The importance of Nebraska's sixth-inning production becomes glaring when one considers that Arizona State had won 38 of 43 games this season when it was tied or leading after six innings.
The Sun Devils were just 1-18 when behind at that point.
"It seems like all year we've been able to answer," Gerch said. "We knew it was going to be a big inning for us. We just needed to get a guy on and do something from there."
But first, they couldn't let Arizona State's runs in the top half create a dooming effect.
"I think maybe it was a thing where you're like Oh, crap.' And then you're like, Just clear the head, it's time to go out and play ball again,'" said Ledbetter, who drove in Nebraska's first run with a first-inning single. "I think maybe for a second we were kind of shell-shocked, but that's a point in the game where you've just got to drop it right there and move on. I think we did a good job of that."
Nebraska, which improved to 48-1 when leading after seven innings, nailed down its 11th straight victory with the right-handed junior Jensen picking up his 16th save. Jensen, who retired all four batters he faced, entered the game following Curtis' two-out double off Kroenke in the eighth, then struck out Gosewisch.
"We expected to win, and that's what you've got to do in order to win," said Bruce, one of five Huskers who played in the 2002 CWS. "But, yeah. It's definitely nice getting that first one out of the way. We just want to take this and keep rolling."
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
NU's recent NCAA history
1999
Regional (Columbus, Ohio)
Mississippi State L 18-14; Bowling Green W 10-5; Mississippi State L 13-7
2000
Regional (Minneapolis)
Butler W 2-1; Minnesota W 4-1; Wichita State W 8-1
Super regional (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Stanford W 7-3; Stanford L 7-1; Stanford L 5-3
2001
Regional (Lincoln)
Northern Iowa W 16-6; Rutgers W 5-4; Rutgers W 14-10
Super regional (Lincoln)
Rice W 7-0; Rice W 9-6
College World Series
Cal State Fullerton L 5-4; Tulane L 6-5
2002
Regional (Lincoln)
Wis.-Milwaukee W 7-2; Marist W 9-1; Southwest Missouri W 14-3
Super regional (Lincoln)
Richmond W 2-0; Richmond L 6-2; Richmond W 11-6
College World Series
Clemson L 11-10; South Carolina L 10-8
2003
Regional (Lincoln)
Eastern Michigan W 16-11; Southwest Missouri L 4-2; Eastern Michigan W 18-2
Southwest Missouri W 9-5; Southwest Missouri L 7-0
2005
Regional (Lincoln)
Illinois-Chicago W 8-6; Creighton W 10-8; Creighton W 10-2
Super regional (Lincoln)
Miami W 3-1; Miami W 6-3
College World Series
Arizona State W 5-3
"We went about our regular business and played our game out there, and you know what, who's the hero today?" Ledbetter asked. "Nobody knows. We just won again.
"Joba (Chamberlain) came out there and threw well and Zach (Kroenke) came in and then (Brett) Jensen. Everybody in the lineup got a big hit some time, and that's the way we play. This tells a lot about how we've been winning all year long."
With a crowd of 24,904 rocking Rosenblatt Stadium's old iron rafters, the Huskers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 3-2 deficit en route to winning for the first time in five attempts in the College World Series. Photo gallery
Friday's result also pushed Nebraska into a second-round winners'-bracket contest against Florida, a 6-4 winner against Tennessee, at 6 p.m. Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to a bracket final at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
"I'm excited we got the first win of the tournament, not (for ending) the 0-4," said senior shortstop Joe Simokaitis.
While the right-handed sophomore Chamberlain gave his club a strong, seven-inning performance while allowing just five hits, Nebraska fell behind 3-2 in top of the sixth when Tuffy Gosewisch lined a two-run, bases-loaded double to right field. On the play, however, Husker second baseman Ryan Wehrle came through with a perfect relay throw to nail Colin Curtis trying to score from first, and it proved to be an omen for what would occur in the bottom half.
Facing senior right-handed reliever Zechry Zinicola for the second time, Andy Gerch got Nebraska going by pulling a 1-2 pitch to left for a single. Fellow freshman Ryan Bohanan followed with a walk before Daniel Bruce was hit by a 1-2 delivery after fouling off the previous pitch.
Arizona State then called on left-handed junior Brett Bordes to face Wehrle, and the freshman who grew up within eyesight of Rosenblatt's bright lights drove the first pitch back at Bordes through the box for a two-run single.
"I was put in a good situation bases loaded, no outs," Wehrle said, shrugging. "I looked for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it."
After Bruce was thrown out at third on a double-steal attempt, junior catcher Jeff Christy then guided a single the opposite way to right field to produce an insurance run.
The importance of Nebraska's sixth-inning production becomes glaring when one considers that Arizona State had won 38 of 43 games this season when it was tied or leading after six innings.
The Sun Devils were just 1-18 when behind at that point.
"It seems like all year we've been able to answer," Gerch said. "We knew it was going to be a big inning for us. We just needed to get a guy on and do something from there."
But first, they couldn't let Arizona State's runs in the top half create a dooming effect.
"I think maybe it was a thing where you're like Oh, crap.' And then you're like, Just clear the head, it's time to go out and play ball again,'" said Ledbetter, who drove in Nebraska's first run with a first-inning single. "I think maybe for a second we were kind of shell-shocked, but that's a point in the game where you've just got to drop it right there and move on. I think we did a good job of that."
Nebraska, which improved to 48-1 when leading after seven innings, nailed down its 11th straight victory with the right-handed junior Jensen picking up his 16th save. Jensen, who retired all four batters he faced, entered the game following Curtis' two-out double off Kroenke in the eighth, then struck out Gosewisch.
"We expected to win, and that's what you've got to do in order to win," said Bruce, one of five Huskers who played in the 2002 CWS. "But, yeah. It's definitely nice getting that first one out of the way. We just want to take this and keep rolling."
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
NU's recent NCAA history
1999
Regional (Columbus, Ohio)
Mississippi State L 18-14; Bowling Green W 10-5; Mississippi State L 13-7
2000
Regional (Minneapolis)
Butler W 2-1; Minnesota W 4-1; Wichita State W 8-1
Super regional (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Stanford W 7-3; Stanford L 7-1; Stanford L 5-3
2001
Regional (Lincoln)
Northern Iowa W 16-6; Rutgers W 5-4; Rutgers W 14-10
Super regional (Lincoln)
Rice W 7-0; Rice W 9-6
College World Series
Cal State Fullerton L 5-4; Tulane L 6-5
2002
Regional (Lincoln)
Wis.-Milwaukee W 7-2; Marist W 9-1; Southwest Missouri W 14-3
Super regional (Lincoln)
Richmond W 2-0; Richmond L 6-2; Richmond W 11-6
College World Series
Clemson L 11-10; South Carolina L 10-8
2003
Regional (Lincoln)
Eastern Michigan W 16-11; Southwest Missouri L 4-2; Eastern Michigan W 18-2
Southwest Missouri W 9-5; Southwest Missouri L 7-0
2005
Regional (Lincoln)
Illinois-Chicago W 8-6; Creighton W 10-8; Creighton W 10-2
Super regional (Lincoln)
Miami W 3-1; Miami W 6-3
College World Series
Arizona State W 5-3
Copyright © 2002-2009 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.