Lincoln - All-American Shane Komine fired a complete-game five-hitter, as No. 11 Nebraska took the series opener from No. 23 Texas Tech with a 3-1 victory in front of a crowd of 2,502 at Hawks Field Friday afternoon.

A senior from Honolulu, Komine tied NU's career record with his 16th career complete-game while only Nick Blankenship's ninth-inning solo home run prevented the Husker right-hander from his first shutout of the season. Komine struck out nine and walked none to improve to 5-0 on the season and has now won 16 straight games against Big 12 opposition dating back to the 2000 season.

"I felt good out there and had control of all my pitches today," Komine, who has a 1.17 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 46 innings, said. "I had them off balance until the ninth. I just wish I had that pitch back."

The Huskers, who improved to 13-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big 12, struck early off Tech starter Nathan Fouts, scoring single runs in the first, second and four innings off the Red Raider starter, who dropped to 5-3 on the season. Texas Tech fell to 20-11 and 4-6 in conference play.

In the first, Matt Hopper put the Huskers on the board with a RBI sacrifice fly to center, scoring Jeff Leise. The Huskers center fielder reached on an error, moved to second on Drew Anderson's base hit before stealing third on a double steal.

Leise, who went 2-for-4 with a career-high three stolen bases, then gave the hosts a 2-0 advantage in the second with a two-out RBI single that scored Brandon Eymann from second. Eymann and Will Bolt drew consecutive walks off Fouts before Leise's delivered the RBI single to right two batters later.

Freshman Daniel Bruce stretched the Husker lead to 3-0, driving in Brandon Eymann with the Huskers' third run in the fourth. Eymann, who was 0-for-2 with two runs scored, walked to open the inning before moving into scoring position on Bolt's sacrifice bunt before Bruce, a freshman from Omaha, extended his hit streak to 10 games with the RBI single, ending the Red Raider starter's day.

Komine, who retired 14 of 15 in one stretch, improved to 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in three career appearances against Texas Tech, was two outs away from his first shutout before Blankenship's homer, his Big 12-leading 12th of the season, provided Tech its only run of the afternoon.

"I feel good about the way we pitched and played defense," Van Horn said. "We could have scored more if we had driven some people in, but that is the way it goes."

The Huskers and Red Raiders will play at twinbill Saturday afternoon at 11:30 a.m. at Hawks Field. Jamie Rodrigue (3-0, 1.01 ERA) will take the hill for the Huskers in the opener, while sophomore southpaw Aaron Marsden (1-0, 1.17 ERA) will start the nightcap.

Notes: Nebraska has now 18 straight Big 12 openers dating back to March of 2000...Komine, who is featured in this week's Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section, is now a perfect 18-0 at home