Huskers Move to Within One Win of College World Series

Stanford, Calif. - Nebraska moved to within one win of the College World Series and in the process, accomplished a feat no other team has performed this season, defeating Stanford ace Jason Young, in a 7-3 win in front of a crowd of 3,660 at Sunken Diamond Friday evening.

With the win, Nebraska improved to 51-15 on the season and is one victory away from a berth in the CWS. Stanford, which falls to 45-15 on the year, needs to defeat the Huskers on both Saturday and Sunday to make a return trip to Omaha.

The Huskers relied on a gutsy effort by reliever R.D. Spiehs and several uncharacteristic Stanford defensive mistakes to down the Cardinal for the first time in three meetings.

Spiehs relieved starter Trevor Bullock in the bottom of the third and held Stanford in check, holding the Cardinal to a pair of solo homers, as he scattered six hits in 6 2/3 innings to improve to 8-2 on the year. Seeing his first work since May 20, the Grand Island, Neb., native struck out three and walked two to earn the win.

Young allowed seven runs, four earned, in 7 1/3 innings of work, scattering just five hits in a 130-pitch performance before being relived in the eighth. Young lost for the first time since April 16, 1999, a span of 14 decisions, to fall to 8-1 on the year. The 1999 All-American struck out seven, but walked four and hit two batters in taking the loss.

The Cardinal, which sports the fourth-best fielding percentage in the nation, were hurt by numerous defensive lapses, committing four errors, accounting directly to NU's first two runs, and throwing three wild pitches in the losing effort.

Leading 3-2 after seven innings, the Huskers broke open the game, scoring four runs on only one hit in the top of the eighth. After Matt Hopper led off the inning with a walk, Brandt Vlieger was hit by a Young pitch, putting runners on first and second before Will Bolt's sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Adam Shabala was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Freshman Jeff Leise, who came in to pinch run for Hopper, scored on Young's wild pitch to make the score 4-2. Josh Hesse loaded the bases again as he was hit by another Young pitch, knocking the Cardinal starter out of the game. With two outs, Adam Stern delivered the knockout blow, a two-run single up the middle off Stanford reliever Ryan McCally, giving NU an insurmountable 6-2 lead. Strong added an insurance run, scoring on a passed ball by catcher Damien Alvarado, giving the Huskers a 7-2 advantage.

Stern led the Husker attack, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base, while Strong went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and his 34th stolen base of the year.

Stanford closed to within 7-3 on Alverado's sixth homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth, but Spiehs retired the last three batters to close out Nebraska's ninth straight win, the second-longest streak of the season.

Pitching on just four days rest after a complete-game win over Minnesota last Sunday, Bullock was shaky early on, lasting just 2 1/3 innings, his shortest start since a 1 1/3 inning effort against Texas A&M on April 22.

The Cardinal capitalized on a Husker fielding miscue to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Craig Thompson led off the frame with a single to center. With one out, Edmund Muth hit a slow roller back to Bullock, who overthrew NU first baseman Dan Johnson, sending runners to second and third. After John Gall was walked intentionally to load the bases, Joe Borchard's sacrifice fly scored Thomson for Stanford's first run. Bullock hit Chris O' Riordan to load the bases again, but got out of trouble when Andy Topham flew out to Adam Shabala to end the inning.

Stanford, which only committed 60 errors during the first 59 games, had four errors through three innings, one off a season high.

In the top of the third, Nebraska took its first lead of the game, scoring two runs on three hits, capitalizing on a trio of Cardinal errors. Strong singled to short and moved to second on an errant throw by shortstop Eric Bruntlett. Adam Stern lined a single to right, but the ball went between Borchard's legs, scoring Strong for the tying run, as Stern went to third with no outs. Justin Cowan hit a sharp grounder to third, which Gall threw home to beat Stern, but Alvarado, the Cardinal catcher, dropped the throw, allowing Stern to score with the Huskers' second run.

The Huskers increased their lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh as Shabala opened with a double to left, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Hesse before Strong's single up the middle for a two-run Husker advantage. NU continued to threaten with two down, as Cowan was intentionally walked to get to Dan Johnson. With a 2-2 count, Johnson laced a flare down the line, but Topham made a diving catch, preventing at least one run.

Stanford wasted little time trimming the Husker lead to 3-2 as Thompson led off the bottom of the seventh with his 10th homer of the season off Spiehs, who had allowed just three hits since replacing Bullock in the third.

NU threatened in each of the first two innings, putting runners in scoring position, but was unable to plate a run against Young, who struck out seven Huskers in the first three innings. In the first, Jamal Strong reached on an error and advanced to second to a stolen base before Johnson drew a two-out walk off Young, who struck out Hopper to end the Husker threat. In the second, Bolt walked and stole second, but NU was unable to drive him home.

Nebraska Postgame Notes
*- Nebraska's 51 wins is a continuing school record, while its nine straight victories is the second-longest win streak of the year.

*- Nebraska is now 9-8 all time in NCAA postseason contests, while Head Coach Dave Van Horn is now 5-2 in the NCAA Tournament.

*- NU is now 1-2 all-time against Stanford

*- With his stolen base in the first inning, Jamal Strong moved into a tie for eighth place on NU's single season stolen base chart with 34.

*- Bullock's 2 1/3 inning outing is his shortest since a 1 1/3 inning outing since April 22 against Texas A&M and his second shortest outing of the season. He has now allowed just one earned run in 23 2/3 innings dating back to May 14.

*- Spiehs' win in relief was his seventh of the season, while his 6 2/3 innings was his longest relief outing of the season

*- Jeff Leise saw his first action since May 20h as a pinch runner in the top of the eighth, scoring the Huskers' fourth run.