Huskers Come Up Short Against Gators

Huskers Fall to Gators
College World Series Game 6 -- Florida 7, Nebraska 4
Box Score | Notes | Quotes | Photos

Omaha --- Nebraska produced the hits, but too many came too late as the No. 3 national seed Cornhuskers fell to Florida, 7-4, Sunday night in the sixth game of the 2005 College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

With the loss, the Huskers saw their 11-game winning streak snapped and fell into the loser's bracket where they will have to win three straight games this week if they hope to reach the championship series. Nebraska (57-14) will be back in action again on Tuesday at 1 p.m. in a rematch with first-round opponent Arizona State, which earned a 4-2 win over Tennessee in an elimination game earlier Sunday.

Playing in front of 26,813 fans -- the second largest crowd in CWS history -- the Huskers connected on 12 hits off Gator pitchers, but 11 of them came with two outs, including each of the Huskers' last 11 hits on the night after Jesse Boyer's leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning. Nebraska plated three runs with two outs but could not complete enough rallies to overcome Florida's timely hitting.

Boyer scored Nebraska's first run on Alex Gordon's sacrifice fly in the first, but the Huskers still trailed at the time after Florida put a pair of runs on board before NU recorded the first out of the game. The Gators set the tone for the night with Jeff Corsaletti's leadoff double followed by an Adam Davis two-run homer for a quick 2-0 lead off NU starter Johnny Dorn.

The Gators added another run in the third as Corlasetti doubled with one out and moved to third on Davis' single to right. Matt LaPorta, the national co-leader in home runs with 25 this season, then lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track to score Corsaletti for a 3-1 Florida advantage.

Nebraska pulled to within 3-2 in the third inning when Daniel Bruce doubled to left to drive in Andy Gerch. But Florida answered with a decisive four-run fifth inning to chase Dorn and end his 12-game winning streak. Dorn, a freshman from Grand Island who was making his first CWS appearance, allowed four runs -- three earned -- on five hits while suffering his first loss since March 5. Dorn, one of two 10-game winners on the Husker pitching staff, slipped to 12-2 on the year. 

Justin Tordi opened the fifth by reaching on an error, the Huskers' first in 43.2 innings. Stephen Burton then singled and both came home on Corsaletti's third double of the game. Corsaletti tied the CWS single-game record with three doubles, a mark previously reached six times.

Corsaletti and LaPorta, who was intentionally walked, then scored on Brian Jeroloman's double just inside the left field line for a 7-2 Gator advantage.

Nebraska responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to pull within three. Ryan Bohanan started another two-out rally with a single and Bruce followed with a base hit before Ryan Wehrle drilled a two-RBI double to the gap in right center field.

The Huskers could get no closer as UF reliever Darren O'Day allowed just two hits over 4.1 innings to pick up the win. O'Day set down the last seven Huskers in order and did not allow a runner to reach second while improving his record to 8-3 on the year.

The bottom half of Nebraska's lineup recorded eight of Nebraska's hits, as the Nos. 6 through 9 hitters were a combined 8 for 18 with three runs and three RBIs against Florida. Bruce led the way by going 2 for 3 with a run and RBI, while Wehrle was 1 for 3 with two RBIs.