March 14, 2006
Box Score
LINCOLN, Neb. -
Going into the sixth inning with a 6-5 lead, the Illinois State Redbirds were looking to upset the No. 3 Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, the Huskers rallied in the last three innings of the game to defeat the `Birds 10-7 Tuesday in front of 1,738 spectators at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. ISU falls to 2-10 on the season, while Nebraska improves to 12-2 overall.
Freshman Dan Sorce (0-2) suffered the loss in relief of ISU starter Dan Frega. Sorce gave up three earned runs on two hits one third of an inning of work. Luke Wertz (1-0) earned the win for the Huskers, while Brett Jensen closed out the game for his third save of the season.
The Huskers wasted no time jumping out to an early lead, as they scored four runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. Brandon Buckman's two RBI single scored Ryan Wehrle and Luke Gorsett for the first two runs of the day and a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, catcher Jeff Lanning singled in Andy Gerch and Jake Opitz to extend the Husker lead to 4-0 after one inning of play.
However, the `Birds would fight back and score two runs of their own in the top of the second inning. Kyle O'Brien led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a balk by Nebraska starter Matt Foust. Kevin Dubler's groundout to second base advanced O'Brien to third and O'Brien scored on pitch in the dirt on ball four to Mike Tokarski to cut the lead to 4-1. After Kris Jenkins walked and Matt Bolt was hit by a pitch, Tokarski scored on bases loaded walk to Mike Staloway to make the score 4-2.
ISU would add its third run in the top of the next inning when Jay Molina scored on a throwing error by Wehrle while attempting to throw out Dubler at first base to cut the score to 4-3.
The `Birds would then take the lead against the Huskers in the top of the fifth with three runs on three hits and one costly error. Ryan Anetsberger led off the inning for ISU and advanced to second base on a dropped fly ball by Nebraska right fielder Nick Sullivan. After a Jay Molina single and sacrifice bunt by O'Brien, the `Birds had runners on second and third with one out. Jesse Griswold was up next and laced a single in to left field to score Anetsberger and Molina and put ISU up 5-4. A double to deep center field by Kevin Dubler then scored Griswold from first base to extend the lead to 6-4 in favor of the ISU.
A Brandon Buckman home run to right center field in the bottom of the fifth inning cut into the ISU lead and brought Nebraska closer at 6-5. Wehrle then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning off Frega to tie the score at 6-6 for the Huskers going into the seventh inning. Buckman led off the seventh inning with his second home run of the day and RBI singles by Bryce Nimmo and pinch-hitter Nick Jaros put the Huskers up 9-6 going into the eighth inning.
The Redbirds threatened to tie the score in the top of the eighth inning after loading the bases with no outs, but could not convert and the score remained 9-6. In the bottom half of the inning, Andy Gerch scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Christy to give the Huskers a four-run advantage at 10-6.
ISU tacked on a late run to no avail on a Chris Frank sacrifice bunt that scored Griswold in the ninth inning to bring the score to its final at 10-7.
Griswold paced the Redbirds with two runs scored, two hits and two RBI on the afternoon. Bolt, Molina and Dubler each chipped in for two hits for ISU also. Buckman's two home runs and four RBI led the Husker offense, while Wehrle and Gerch each had two hits on the day.
The two teams will finish the mid-week series tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. at Haymarket Park.
