No. 17 Baylor Edges Nebraska, 4-2

Waco, Texas - Senior pitcher Chad Hawkins shut down the Husker offense Friday night, holding the Huskers to just three hits as No. 17 Baylor scratched its way to a 4-2 win over the Huskers in front of 2,861 fans at the Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas.

The win broke up a tie between the two teams for third place in the Big 12 Conference as Nebraska (18-9, 7-6) fell after sophomore pitcher Shane Komine (4-3) suffered through his shortest outing of the season. Komine who had struck out double-digit batters in his last three contests, recorded just one strikeout, allowed five hits and three earned runs through 4.2 innings.

Freshman Steve Hale (Yukon, Okla.) carried the Huskers for 2.2 innings allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four.

Baylor jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when first baseman Mike Huggins hit a two-out double to give the Bears their first baserunner of the game. Preseason All-American Matt Williams answered with a single to left center field to score Huggins and give the Bears the early advantage.

The Huskers missed out on an opportunity to score in the fourth after John Cole hit into a controversial double play to end the inning. But Nebraska managed to tie the game in the fifth after sophomore Adam Stern led off the inning with a single to break up Hawkins's no-hitter. After stealing second and third base, Stern scored on a suicide squeeze bunt from senior Brant Vlieger.

But Baylor answered in the fifth with a pair of runs to retake the lead, 3-2. Huggins led off the inning with a single. Komine hit Williams and then gave up a double to Preston Underdown, which scored Huggins. The Huskers then intentionally walked Jaime Bubela, who entered the game hitting .419 on the year, but Tim Hartshorn's sacrifice fly deep to centerfield scored Williams.

Nebraska added its only other run in the sixth to pull within one when Adam Shabala drew his second walk of the game to lead off the inning. Shabala stole second and advanced to third when a throw from catcher Kelly Shoppach went into centerfield. Dan Johnson scored Shabala on a sacrifice fly to left field.

It looked as if the Huskers might tie the game in the eighth when Jamal Strong singled and Shabala walked with one out. But another double play ended the Huskers' hope when Justin Cowan struck out and Shabala was caught stealing at second base. Cowan's 19-game hitting streak, seventh longest in school history, ended as the Tumwater, Wash., native went 0-for-3.

Baylor sealed the game in the eighth, adding an insurance run off a double from Ross Bennett and an RBI single from Williams, who finished the game with two RBI and a run scored.