Huskers Hold Off UW-Milwaukee, Win 8-7

Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team held off a late comeback bid by Wisconsin-Milwaukee to hang on to an 8-7 win in front of 301 fans at Buck Beltzer Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskers (6-5) were in control entering the ninth inning with an 8-3 lead before UW-Milwaukee (0-3) scored four run following two singles and back-to-back home runs by Chad Sadowski and Jason Crawford. Leading 8-7, senior Jay Sirianni walked pinch hitter Todd Grafenhauer and then struck out Mike Oiler. But Paul Archambault followed with a double that NU center fielder Adam Shabala lost in the sun.

Senior Jarod Bearinger came on to relieve Sirianni and intentionally walked UWM center fielder Darin Haugom. With the bases loaded and one out, Bearinger got Steve Tylke to ground into a double play to end the game.

"At the end, our guys had problems getting the job done," NU Coach Dave Van Horn said. "But our defense won the game for us. Our middle infielders had a great game."

The outcome almost spoiled a tremendous pitching performance by freshman Steve Hale. Hale (2-2) threw 7.2 innings and struck out a career-high 10 while walking only one. Hale left the game with the Huskers ahead 7-2.

"I thought Steve Hale did an outstanding job," Van Horn said. "We hated to take him out, but he had been getting knocked around pretty good by the top of the order. He had great command today. He threw his fastball and curve ball everywhere he wanted and we stayed really composed."

Bearinger picked up his first save of the season and his first save since 1996. For the Panthers, Andy Neary dropped to 0-2 on the year after pitching seven innings and allowing six earned runs.

Nebraska jumped out in front scoring in the third inning when Ken Harvey singled home Justin Cowan.

In the top of the fifth, UW-Milwaukee to the lead on a two-run home run by Oiler, one of four Panther home runs on the afternoon.

The Huskers turned up the offense in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Danny Kimura hit a solo home run and Brandt Vlieger and Jamal Strong each scored to put Nebraska in front 4-2. In the seventh, catcher Brian Johnson belted a three-run home run to extend the lead 7-2.

The Panthers added a run in the eighth on a solo home run by Haugom.

In the bottom half of the inning, Nebraska executed a double steal to score their eighth run. Cowan stole second base and when the throw went down to second, Shabala stole home.

The Huskers and Panthers play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. Scott Fries and Shane Komine will be the two starting pitchers for Nebraska.