Nebraska nips Kansas State
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BY BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Mike Anderson likes to tell his Nebraska baseball team that when you get to Big 12 play, winning and losing is often decided by who flinches first.
Take Friday, for example. Under a gray blanket of clouds before just 821 fans at Tointon Stadium, Nebraska found itself in a real grind with Kansas State.
Who would flinch? Not Johnny Dorn.
The Husker senior had the right stuff again, his strong pitching through seven innings allowing NU the chance to pull out a 2-1 conference-opening win in the ninth.
Zach Herr, who pitched 11/3 innings in relief of Dorn and ultimately picked up the win, was equally as good. The Husker pitchers gave up just four hits.
“How about those guys?” Anderson said. “It’s probably the first time (Dorn’s) ever pitched on a Friday, first (league) series, and like I told the kids, ‘He didn’t flinch.’ That’s what we want out of Johnny Dorn, for sure.”
That’s 11 straight wins for Nebraska (12-2), with the game winner coming in the ninth inning when a sacrifice fly by Craig Corriston brought home Mitch Abeita.
The Huskers didn’t close the deal without some drama. Erik Anderson came in for the save attempt with one out in the ninth. He walked the first batter. Drew Biery then took second on a wild pitch and Anderson walked Rob Vaughn with two outs, putting the winning run on base.
But K-State pinch hitter Tyler Ruch flew out just shy of the warning track in right field to end the game, which was moved up 2½ hours from its originally scheduled start time because of weather concerns.
Right after the final out, the rain came down.
“Fight for everything, that’s how it’s going to be,” Corriston said.
Dorn gave up four hits in seven innings, not surrendering his first hit until the fifth. He hit three batters, but also struck out five, finally yielding a run in the seventh when Vaughn lined a two-out RBI single to right-center to tie the game.
“When you come out on Friday, you got to keep it to three (runs) or under,” said Dorn, who came in with a 2-0 record and a 1.35 ERA.
Dorn especially had to have it going, considering K-State was starting Brad Hutt, a senior who attended Papillion-La Vista High School. This is Hutt’s third season starting on Fridays for K-State. He had nine wins last year.
Hutt went seven innings, giving up just five hits. Nebraska finally scratched a run off of him in the top of the seventh when freshman David Stewart pinch hit and delivered a sacrifice fly to score Bryce Nimmo, who had led off with an infield single.
It was the kind of scratch-and-claw game the Nebraska coach had predicted before it started.
“I said we’re probably going to play a 3-2 ball game with Hutt and Dorn going,” Anderson said. “Obviously, I think you could tell from the first inning we were going to do anything we could to score two or three runs.”
The Huskers didn’t get another hit after Hutt left , but got the winning run aboard in the ninth when Abeita drew a leadoff walk.
He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then to third on a wild pitch.
Going against K-State reliever Daniel Edwards with the winning run just 90 feet away, Corriston said the goal was simple: “Drive it to the outfield.”
Mission accomplished. His drive to center was plenty deep enough to let Abeita scoot home without a play at the plate.
The Huskers will try to keep the win streak alive Saturday, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. Nebraska is expected to send Thad Weber (2-1) to the mound. Kansas State will likely start Chase Bayuk (0-1).
Corriston just hopes the Huskers bring a little more offense for the rest of the series.
“I don’t think it’s going to be like this every time,” he said. “So hopefully we put up a few more runs.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.
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