After both teams rallied in the ninth, the game ended 8-8 as time ran out.
KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, March 22, 2008 7:00 pm
Hartley Burr Alexander would have had no problem with Nebraska’s sweep leaving crumbs all over the floor.
The early 20th century Nebraska philosophy professor would have no problem with a tie baseball game. Alexander is the man who wrote the famous words on Memorial Stadium:
“Not the victory but the action. Not the goal but the game.”
But the message was lost on almost everybody who left Haymarket Park with the empty feeling of unfulfilled ambiguity after Nebraska and Oklahoma agreed to a 8-8 tie after 10 innings Sunday afternoon.
“Fans should probably get their money back,” Nebraska coach Mike Anderson.
Oklahoma coach Sonny Galloway countered, “Fans got their money’s worth.”
That’s a tie, too.
Big 12 travel rules led to a pregame agreement to start no inning after 4:30 p.m.
The result left the Huskers with a record of technically 5.5-0.5 (the tie counts as half a win and half a loss in the Big 12 standings) and 17-3-1 overall.
Nebraska had Oklahoma in its spell throughout the weekend.
A walk-off home run gave NU the victory on Friday. Three double plays, a couple of key hits and impressive clutch pitching with Sooners all over the bases led to a 4-3 victory for Nebraska on Saturday.
Sunday, the Huskers seemed like they’d simply put away the game and there’d be no such drama.
Mitch Abeita singled in two runs in the three-run fifth and singled in another run in the two-run sixth to give Nebraska a 6-3 lead.
With one out in the ninth, Husker reliever Erik Anderson had a runner on and no outs when he coaxed a ground ball from OU leadoff batter Jamie Johnson.
The seemingly game-ending double play vanished when Husker freshman shortstop Ben Kline failed to handle the toss to second.
Anderson got the next two batters but was tagged for a two-run single by Spencer Selby.
Sooner Aaron Baker hit his first home run of the year off NU closer Mike Nesseth to tie the game.
“It was a mistake,” said Nesseth. “I missed my spot by about 3 feet. It was supposed to be an outside fastball.”
Abeita led off the Husker ninth with a solo home run. Nick Sullivan, walked, advanced on a sacrifice and a single, and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Dan Johnston.
Neither team scored in the 10th and sisters were kissed.
“I haven’t been in a tie game since Little League,” said Abeita. “I feel … I wish we could play some more and finish this. Nobody wins but it feels like a loss.”
Anderson agreed.
“It feels like a loss. Thankfully it’s different on paper,” he said. “We had an opportunity to sweep and an opportunity to finish them off. We’ve done a lot of good things and I’m encouraged by that. We’ve been working on the seventh, eighth and ninth and finishing people off, and we’ve done that. When you struggle a little with that, you need to take a peek and work on that.”
Husker starter Aaron Pribanic had a solid performance. He allowed 10 hits and three runs over 72/3 innings.
The Huskers will host Northern Colorado at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday and 1:35 p.m. Wednesday before a three-game series at Texas next weekend. Nebraska has already beaten Northern Colorado four times in Lincoln this season.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.