Huskers Share Big 12 Title; Defeat Kansas State, 3-1

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Lincoln- The Nebraska Cornhuskers relied on a complete game three hitter by junior Zach Kroenke to wrap-up the series sweep over the Wildcats with a 3-1 victory.

Kroenke's gem, combined with a 10-4 victory by Missouri over Baylor, gave the Huskers a share of the Big 12 Championship and the number one seed in the Big 12 Tournament beginning Wednesday.

Kroenke improved his record to 6-2 on the year, striking out eight and allowing only one run in his third complete game of the conference season. Kroenke, who retired 17 consecutive batters after allowing a first inning single, did not issue a walk in 95-pitch gem.

"Zach got ahead in the count today and was just outstanding," Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "Kansas State has been a good hitting team all year long. He shut down a very good offense today and did a good job."

Nebraska (46-12, 19-8 Big 12), honoring its eight seniors on Senior Day at Hawks Field, relied on senior leadership offensively to take the lead early. The Huskers struck right away in the bottom of the first inning, as seniors Jesse Boyer and Joe Simokaitis opened the game with back-to-back singles, and senior Curtis Ledbetter's grounder drove Boyer in two batters later to give the Huskers a 1-0 lead.

The Huskers again showed life in the fourth inning, as junior Alex Gordon opened the inning with a leadoff double. Following a Ledbetter groundout, Gordon was called out at home on senior Brandon Fusilier's fielder's choice to the shortstop. Following a two-out walk by junior Brandon Buckman, Daniel Bruce drove in Fusilier with a two-out RBI double, putting the Huskers up 2-0.

Gordon, who finished the game with two hits, led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle and stole second before coming home on Buckman’s RBI single to make it 3-0. 

"These guys definitely get a feel for what a clutch hit means, and they understand it," Anderson said. "Buckman did a good job today, and everybody on our team has had a clutch hit."

Kansas State (30-25, 8-19 Big 12) narrowed the margin to 3-1 in the eighth inning on junior Joe Roundy's solo home run to right field, but would never get any closer, as Kroenke closed out his third complete game of the year.

The top-seeded Huskers will meet the eighth-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Big 12 Tournament Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. or 45 minutes after the completion of the 5 p.m. game.