Cyclones End Huskers' Six-Game Winning Streak

Ames, Iowa - Jake Brown went 3-for-4 with four RBI, including a three-run homer, as Iowa State clinched a berth in the Big 12 Tournament for the first time in school history, defeating top-ranked Nebraska, 8-5, in front of 1,120 at Cap Timm Field Saturday afternoon.

The win guarantees Iowa State, 22-27-1 overall and 10-15 in the league, eighth place in the conference standings and another week for its program's history, as the school announced last month that it is dropping baseball following this season. Iowa State will meet the Huskers, who fell to 41-13 overall and 20-7 in the conference, on Wednesday evening in the first round of the conference tournament in Oklahoma City.

Brown's three-run homer to left center, his first of the season, off Nebraska starter Brian Rodaway erased a 4-2 Husker lead, as the Cyclones scored three times in the fourth and added three runs over the next two innings to put the game away.

Rodaway took the loss for the Huskers, allowing six runs on nine hits in four innings to fall to 3-2 on the season. The loss to ISU also ended the Huskers' six-game winning streak.

While the Cyclones plated all the runs they would need in the first six innings, scoring five times with two outs, Iowa State starter Alan Bomer weathered the Husker offensive storm, pitching out of jams in his 5.2 innings of work, as Nebraska left 13 runners on the bases paths in the loss.

"It is difficult to win a game when you leave 13 runners on base," Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn said. "Their pitcher did a good job with runners on base. Yesterday, we were able to get the key hit and score runs, but we didn't get it done today."

Bomer improved to 6-4 on the season, allowing four runs on nine hits in 5.2 innings. He also walked six and struck out a pair in the win, ISU's first over NU since the 1999 season.

"I thought we played hard today, but we didn't get the big hit," Bolt said. "We need to come back tomorrow and regain some momentum heading into the conference tournament."

The Huskers scored single runs in the first, on a Dan Johnson fielders' choice, and the third, on Matt Hopper's RBI single, but the Cyclones matched the Huskers run for run, tying the score at two in the third on Rob Conway's two-out RBI single.

The Huskers regained the lead at 4-2, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth off Bomer, who threw nearly 150 pitches in less than six innings. Brandon Eymann, who went 2-for-4, led off the inning with a single and Rivera, who also had two hits, walked to put runners on first and second. Jeff Leise's sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position before a walk to Will Bolt loaded the bases. Bomer got Johnson to ground into a fielder's choice, scoring Eymann from third, but Brown's throw was high, as Rivera crossed the plate for NU's second run of the inning, taking the lead at 4-2.

ISU came right back in the bottom half of the inning, as McNertney and Wilcox both singled to right with two outs before Brown's first career homer gave ISU the lead for good at 5-4. The Cyclones increased the margin to 6-4 in the fifth on T.J. Bohn's eighth homer, a solo shot, which chased Rodaway.

In the sixth, the Cyclones took advantage of two John Cole errors, extending their lead to 8-4 on an RBI single by Brown and a run scoring double by Adam Christ off NU reliever R.D. Spiehs, who allowed three hits and stuck out three over the final four frames.

NU would tally a solo run in the seventh, on Jeff Leise's RBI triple, but ISU closer Alex Donnelly pitched a scoreless 2.1 innings of relief to pick up his fifth save of the year.

John Cole, who extended his hit streak to a team-best 19 games, Leise, Rivera and Eymann all had two hits apiece for Nebraska in a losing effort.

The Huskers will conclude the regular season on Sunday, as the Huskers and Cyclones will conclude the three-game series beginning at 1p.m.