Huskers Post Fourth Straight Shutout

Manhattan, Kan. ? Three pitchers combined for a five hitter, and Nebraska got home runs from Curtis Ledbetter and Alex Gordon, as the Huskers posted their fourth consecutive shutout with a 4-0 victory over Kansas State Saturday afternoon at Tointon Stadium.

The Huskers, who at 20-5 overall are off to their best start since 1988, blanked four consecutive opponents for the first time since a four-game stretch covering the final two games of the 1977 season and the first two games of 1978. It is the first time in school history that Husker pitchers have pitched four consecutive shutouts in one season. Nebraska hurlers have not allowed a run in their last 40.0 innings of work, dating back to last Sunday’s win against Kansas.

Phil Shirek improved to 5-0 with five-plus scoreless innings, but the bullpen duo of Jeremy Becker and Brett Jensen preserved the Huskers’ fifth straight win. Leading 3-0 and facing a bases loaded, no-out situation in the sixth, Becker struck out Steve Murphy and Zack Saunders before Jensen got Chris Carlson to ground into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.

KSU, which stranded nine runners in dropping to 19-9 overall and 2-3 in league play, loaded the bases against Jensen in the seventh, but could not capitalize, as the Husker sophomore got Josh Dent to ground out to end the threat. Jensen, who picked up his first save with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, then retired the final six Wildcats, lowering his ERA to 0.64 in nine appearances this season.

The Huskers (20-5, 4-1 Big 12) were held to seven hits, but used a two-run homer by Ledbetter and a solo shot by Gordon to take a 3-0 lead.

Ledbetter, who has had the game-winning hit in each of NU’s last three wins, gave the Huskers a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Mullinax, who had two hits and an RBI, singled to right before Ledbetter sent Carlos Torres’ 0-1 pitch over the fence in right for his second homer in as many days. Two innings later, Gordon extended the Husker cushion to three runs with his ninth round tripper of the year, a solo blast to right off the KSU starter.

Torres pitched well in defeat, going eight-plus innings, as he allowed four runs on seven hits to drop to 5-1 on the year. The right-hander had allowed two homers over his first 53.1 innings, but the Huskers doubled that total on Saturday despite a stiff breeze blowing in from left.

Nebraska added a run in the ninth, as consecutive singles by Bruce and Gordon put runners on the corners before Mullinax’s safety squeeze plated Bruce with Nebraska’s fourth run.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., as Justin Pekarek (4-0, 4.55 ERA) takes on KSU right-hander Jim Ripley (3-1, 3.75 ERA). The game will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network and available on Huskers.com.

                               Nebraska Baseball
                          #17 Nebraska at Kansas State
               Apr 03, 2004 at Manhattan, Kan. (Tointon Stadium)

Nebraska 4 (20-5,4-1 BIG 12)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Shockey, Colin cf........  4  0  0  0   0  2  2  0   1
Keith, Braden rf........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Bruce, Daniel rf/cf......  3  1  1  0   1  1  2  0   0
Gordon, Alex 3b..........  4  1  2  1   0  1  1  0   0
Mullinax, Jake 2b........  3  1  2  1   0  0  4  3   0
Ledbetter, Curtis dh.....  4  1  1  2   0  0  0  0   0
Simokaitis, Joe ss.......  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  4   1
Boyer, Jesse lf..........  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Sullivan, Beau 1b........  3  0  0  0   0  0  9  1   0
Steele, Chad c...........  3  0  1  0   0  1  6  1   0
Shirek, Phil p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Becker, Jeremy p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Jensen, Brett p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Totals................... 31  4  7  4   1  6 27 11   2

Kansas State 0 (19-9,2-3 BIG 12)

Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Blunt, Terry lf..........  3  0  2  0   1  0  2  0   0
Long, Jason 2b...........  0  0  0  0   2  0  1  6   0
Dent, Josh cf............  3  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   4
Murphy, Steve rf.........  4  0  0  0   0  2  3  0   0
Saunders, Zack 3b........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  1   2
Carlson, Chris 1b........  4  0  0  0   0  0 13  0   3
Patty Brian dh...........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Heinrich, Josh c.........  4  0  1  0   0  0  6  0   0
Saltzgaber, Ryan ss......  4  0  1  0   0  1  2  4   0
Torres, Carlos p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Huseman, Chris p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 30  0  5  0   3  5 27 14   9

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Nebraska............ 000 201 001 -  4  7  0
Kansas State........ 000 000 000 -  0  5  0
-------------------------------------------

DP - Wildcats 2. LOB - Huskers 2; Wildcats 9. HR - Gordon, A.(9); Ledbetter,
C(2). HBP - Long, Jason; Dent, Josh. SH - Mullinax, J.(11); Long, Jason(12).
CS - Blunt, Terry(4).

Nebraska               IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Shirek, Phil........  5.0  3  0  0  3  2 16 21  77
Becker, Jeremy......  0.2  0  0  0  0  2  2  2   7
Jensen, Brett.......  3.1  2  0  0  0  1 12 13  51

Kansas State           IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Torres, Carlos......  8.0  7  4  4  1  6 29 30 118
Huseman, Chris......  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  2  3  11

Win - Shirek, P. (5-0).  Loss - Torres, Carl (5-1).  Save - Jensen, B. (1).
WP - Shirek, P.(3). HBP - by Shirek, P. (Dent, Josh); by Jensen, B. (Long,
Jason). PB - Heinrich, Jo(8). Pitches/strikes: Shirek, P. 77/41; Becker, J. 7/6;
Jensen, B. 51/35; Torres, Carl 118/74; Huseman, Chr 11/5.
Umpires - HP: Wes Hamilton  1B: Ken McQueen  3B: Randy Wetzel
Start: 2:02pm   Time: 2:16   Attendance: 1602
Shirek, P. faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Torres, Carl faced 2 batters in the 9th.
Game: NU25