Huskers Rally to Tame Tigers, 15-8

Columbia, Mo. - Nebraska rallied from a 5-3 deficit after four innings to outscore Missouri, 12-3 over the final five innings to win its seventh consecutive game, fifth straight in Big 12 play.

The Huskers tied the game at 5-5 by scoring a pair of runs in the fifth inning and poured on six runs in the sixth to put the Tigers away. Twelve Huskers batted in the sixth inning with the first six crossing the plate. Matt Hopper led the inning off with a double off the left field wall. After a single by John Cole put runners at the corners, Brandt Vlieger singled up the middle to score Hopper and give the Huskers a 6-5 lead. Nebraska never trailed again and the Huskers went on to improve to 25-11 overall and 12-8 in the conference.

The Huskers got on the board early, as Strong led off the game with a single and scored on a single from Adam Stern to take a 1-0 lead. But Husker starter Scott Fries struggled on the mound, hitting the first batter in the second inning and giving up a single to Mike Rallo. Steve Hale came in to relieve Fries and allowed a single to Kurt Propst and a two-out, two-RBI single to Jayce Tinger before escaping the inning.

Nebraska's Dan Johnson tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth with a solo home run, his 10th of the year, but Missouri rallied to take the lead at 5-3 with four hits and two off Hale in the fourth. Sophomore R.D. Spiehs came in relief and gave up a walk before getting Landon Branders to line into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.

After NU's productive sixth inning that included a Missouri balk, passed ball and two base on balls, the Huskers talked on a run in the eighth with another RBI single from Vlieger. Strong and Stern walked to lead off the ninth to set up a three-run home run from senior catcher Justin Cowan, his fourth of the season.

Missouri tried to make a charge in the ninth by getting two aboard via a walk and a single with no outs. Ryan Stegall, the league's top hitter, hit an RBI double to score Tingler and Branders hit a sacrifice fly to account for MU's other run. But Brandon Penas retired three of the four batters he faced to close out the game.

Spiehs (3-1) earned the win for Nebraska after allowing just four hits and three runs in 4.2 innings. The Huskers got 18 hits for the second straight night as every Husker recorded a hit and scored a run in the contest. Strong paced the Huskers reaching base in all six appearances, going 4-for-4 with two walks.

By winning the first two games of the series against Missouri, Nebraska guaranteed itself its first winning series in Columbia since 1992. Nebraska entered the weekend losing six straight at Missouri, dating back to 1995.