Rodrigue Shuts Out Iowa State

Lincoln -- Freshman Jamie Rodrigue scattered five hits to notch his fourth complete game shutout of the season, as Nebraska run-ruled Iowa State, 12-0 in seven innings, to give the 17th-ranked Huskers their 12th straight Big 12 victory. The game started 2 hours and 19 minutes late because of a rain delay. Nebraska moved ahead of Texas into second place in the Big 12 Conference after the Longhorns fell to Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The Huskers trail first-place Baylor by just one game in the league standings.

Rodrigue's fourth shutout broke the single-season record of three shutouts held by Gary Neibauer (1966) and Stan Bahnsen (1965) and tied the record for career shutouts held by Ryan Kurosaki (1971-73). Rodrigue improved to 7-2 on the season, while Nebraska swept its fourth straight Big 12 series to improve to 36-12 and 19-8 in the Big 12. The Huskers have shattered the Big 12 record of nine consecutive league wins, formerly held by Baylor.

Junior Dan Johnson hit two home runs, his 16th and 17th of the seasons, and Adam Stern added four hits to pace the Huskers offensively, who scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.

Freshman Matt Hopper put the Huskers on the board in the first inning with a one-run double to score Stern. Johnson made it 3-0 in the third with his first home run, an estimated 450-foot shot to right field, to score Adam Shabala who singled.

In the fourth, Josh Hesse hit a one-out single and scored two batters later on a Stern single up the middle. Hesse then added a one-run triple in the sixth and scored on another Stern single to give the Huskers a 6-0 lead.

Johnson led off NU's six-run seventh inning with his league-leading 17th home run, a shot to right centerfield. Hopper followed with a single to chase starter Brian Curtin from the game. But reliever Darin Nelson managed to get just one out, a sacrifice bunt from Brandt Vlieger, and gave up two singles and a walk, before he was replaced by Dave Rossman. Nebraska finished the game with Stern's third RBI single and a two-run single from senior Justin Cowan to close the game.

Rodrigue struck out three batters in the game, two coming in the first after giving up a leadoff single. Iowa State had back to back hits to start the second but Ben Van Iderstine grounded into a double play and the Cyclones stranded a Aaron Runk at third base to end the inning.

Iowa State also stranded a runner at third in the sixth, after Joe Ferin led off the inning by reaching on an error.

The win wrapped up an 11-game homestand for the Huskers, who head to Austin, Texas, May 6-8, for a showdown with the sixth-ranked Longhorns.