Strong Lifts Huskers Over No. 21 Fresno State, 3-2

Lincoln -- Senior center fielder Jamal Strong hit a one-run single to right field to score Josh Hesse in the bottom of the eighth inning and reliever Thom Ott retired the ninth in order to give No. 10 Nebraska a 3-2 victory over No. 21 Fresno State at Buck Beltzer Stadium Friday night.

Ott picked up his third consecutive save, his fourth of the season, and Shane Komine notched his 10th win of the season in front of 2,709 fans, one of the largest crowds in school history.

"It was just nice to get that hit," Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I would have hated for this game to go 15 or 16 innings. That's no what we're looking to do when we've got a big game on Wednesday."

Nebraska, which faces Fresno State on Saturday and Sunday before playing the Big 12 Tournament, stranded 11 runners in the game, leaving the bases loaded in the first and second innings.

Nebraska scored the first run of the game in the second inning, capitalizing on Shawn Hannah's lack of control, after he hit one batter and walked three, including a bases loaded free pass to Matt Hopper, which scored Will Bolt.

Fresno State answered in the fourth getting two doubles and a single off Komine. Anthony Acevedo led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Acevedo advanced to third on a shallow single to centerfield by Nick Garcia. Mike Gowlin then delivered a one-out double down the left field line to score Acevedo and advance Garcia to third. Garcia gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead, scoring on a sacrifice fly from shortstop Josh Labandeira.

Dan Johnson tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a one-out home run on a first pitch delivery from Hahhah, Johnson's 20th home run of the season. His homer tied him for fifth on the single-season home run chart and moved him within three of Ken Harvey's 1999 record of 23.

Komie worked out of a jam in the sixth after giving up a leadoff walk to Acevedo, who reached third on a one-out single from Garcia. But Komine struck out Bowlin and got Labandeira to fly out to right field to escape the inning.

Nebraska chased Hannah from the game in the seventh after he walked Adam Stern and Matt Hopper with one out. Mike Hernandez worked out of the inning to strand Stern and Hopper.

Strong's single in the ninth was set up after Josh Hesse reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a single from freshman catcher Aaron Gozart. Strong then delivered his single to score the go-ahead run.

The win improved Nebraska to 41-13 overall and was the Huskers' 23rd win in 25 games. Fresno State, which is second in the Western Athletic Conference, fell to 38-16.