Komine Shines in 9-4 Husker Win

Lake Charles, La. - After a 30-minute power delay at the start of the game, two-time All-America Shane Komine turned the lights off on McNeese State, leading No. 11 Nebraska to a 9-4 victory over McNeese State in front of a crowd of 1,184 at Cowboy Diamond Friday evening.

The 5-10, 175-pounder from Honolulu was dominant, striking out 14 Cowboys and allowing one hit in eight innings, facing one batter over the minimum. Only Jesse Cassard's leadoff double in the top of the third prevented the Husker right-hander from throwing a perfect game through eight frames.

Komine, who recorded his 19th double-figure strikeout performance, retired the last 15 hitters he faced and threw just 92 pitches to move to 1-0 on the year, as NU (2-2) snapped its two-game losing streak.

"I was in the zone out there," Komine said. "My job was to throw strikes and let them hit the ball. Our defense did a great job and they deserve a lot of credit. They made every play and that kept us in the game and put them out of it later."

"I have seen Shane when he is very good, but he was outstanding tonight," Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn said. "Tonight, he kept them off balance. He had great stuff and its fun to watch as a coach. He gave us a chance to feel like we were in the game even though we didn't swing the bats well early."

The Huskers needed Komine, who struck out eight of the first 10 hitters he faced, to be sharp early on, as McNeese State starter Laine McKeller matched the NU All-American through the first five frames. The Huskers loaded the bases in the first on a Jeff Leise single and two hit by pitches, but the Cowboy ace got out of the jam unscathed and did not allow another hit for five innings.

The teams traded zeros until the top of the sixth when Leise hit his first homer of the season, NU's first base hit since Leise's leadoff single in the first, to put NU ahead 1-0. The homer snapped a string of 20.1 scoreless innings for McKeller, who pitched into the seventh before he was victimized by poor defense.

Leise went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lace the nine-hit attack.

"It was big," Van Horn said on Leise's first home run of the season. "It was not only the homer, but the ball was a no-doubter from the moment it left the bat. With the way that Shane was pitching, we felt that one run may be enough to win."

The Huskers capitalized on a trio of McNeese State errors en route to a five-run seventh. Justin Seely walked to open the frame before McKeller misplayed Matt Hopper's sacrifice bunt. Drew Anderson's bunt single loaded the bases. Will Bolt provided the big hit, driving an RBI single through the drawn in infield, opening the floodgates for the Huskers, who scored four unearned runs later in the inning.

McKeller pitched well in defeat for McNeese State (5-3), allowing two earned runs in 6.1 innings and striking out nine to fall to 2-1 on the season.

The Huskers added three more runs in the top of the ninth, highlighted by Daniel Bruce's two run single. The Cowboys averted the shutout by scoring four times off NU reliever Jeff Blaesing in the ninth, capped by Tommy Eubank's grand slam.

In the tournament opener, Southern Miss improved to 5-0 on the season with a 7-4 win over Louisiana Monroe. Nebraska continues play in the Bank One Area Classic Saturday afternoon, when the Huskers take on Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m. (CST).