Bowman, Huskers Top Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Houston, Texas ? Left-hander Drew Bowman made the most of his first career start for No. 7 Nebraska, allowing one run over six innings, as the Husker baseball team posted a 9-1 victory over Texas A&M Corpus Christi Friday afternoon at the Rice Invitational.

Bowman, who did not learn he was making the start until Thursday afternoon, was sharp against the Islanders, scattering seven hits and striking out three without a walk. After allowing a leadoff single to open the game, the left-hander retired 14 of the next 15 hitters he faced and took a shutout into the fifth en route to collecting his first collegiate win after spending his first two years at Arizona State.

Bowman (1-0) combined with relievers Steve Edlefsen and Thad Weber to allow eight hits to an Islander team that was hitting over .370 heading into Friday’s game. In all, Husker pitchers combined for seven shutouts and issued one walk.

“I am extremely pleased with our staff,” Anderson said. “Drew didn’t give up a walk and was in command the whole game. He seized the opportunity and did a great job today. Drew kept a great rhythm out there and we are able to get some runs for him early.

“The two biggest things about our effort were that we had pitchers make the most of their opportunities and a defense that was great behind them,” Anderson said. “That is the type of effort we want every time we take the field.”

The Huskers raced out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and pounded out 12 hits, including a 3-for-4 effort from Jake Opitz. Thad Weber drove in two runs while also fanning three in two shutout innings of relief, while Ryan Wehrle had two hits and scored twice.

“The offense did a great job of scoring early and often and the coaches kept calling fastballs,” Bowman said. “Jeff (Lanning), and I got in a good rhythm going the whole game.”

The Huskers used the return of Andrew Brown to provide an early spark, as his first inning homer off of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi starter Gil Norman spotted NU a 2-0 lead. Wehrle started the rally with a two-out single before Brown’s opposite field shot to right put the Huskers on the scoreboard.

Nebraska kept the pressure on in the second, using RBI singles by Weber and Craig Corriston as part of a three-run inning to push the lead to 5-0. After a leadoff double by Opitz and a walk to Jeff Lanning, Weber ripped a 1-1 pitch into center for a run scoring single to give NU a 3-0 lead and place runners on the corners. One batter later, DJ Belfonte’s squeeze plated Lanning with NU’s fourth run before Corriston’s RBI single two batters later ended the three run outburst.

“We put pressure on them in most of the innings and that is our style of baseball,” Anderson said. “Everything that happened today was our style of baseball and we were very pleased.”

Opitz triggered the Huskers again in the fourth, opening the inning with single and moving into scoring position after a wild pitch. Weber then lofted a fly ball to right that moved Opitz to right before the relay throw was misplayed, allowing him to score on the plate. Belfonte then doubled to left center and scored one batter later on Bryce Nimmo’s RBI single.

The Islanders (9-2) averted the shutout in the fifth on Martin Parra’s RBI double to right, but would get no closer as Nebraska tacked on single runs in both the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Opitz doubled and scored on Weber’s RBI double, while Jeff Lanning plated NU’s final run with a fielder’s choice that plated Wehrle, who began the seventh with a single and moved into scoring position after a walk.

Norman (2-1) took the loss, allowing nine runs on 12 hits over six-plus innings of work.

The Huskers will take on No. 6 Rice Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Fans will be able to watch the game exclusively on HuskersNside.

2007 Nebraska Baseball TAMU-Corpus Christi vs #7 Nebraska Feb 23, 2007 at Houston, TX (Reckling Park)

TAMU-Corpus Christi 1 (9-2)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Williams, Trae 2b........ 4 0 3 1 0 1 4 2 0 Wheaton, Chase lf........ 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 Gerondale, Bryan ss...... 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 Graham, Jason 1b......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 7 2 1 Saville, Paul pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Widner, Chris dh......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Aguayo, Randy ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Williams, Chase rf....... 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 Kourie, Jon cf........... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Plumaj, Josh c........... 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 Parra, Martin 3b......... 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 Norman, Will p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Wall, Chris p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Maldonado, Trey p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 34 1 8 1 1 7 24 11 7

Nebraska 9 (4-1)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Nimmo, Bryce cf.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 0 Tezak, Jeff ph/3b....... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Corriston, Craig 3b...... 4 0 1 1 0 1 0 5 3 Sullivan, Nick ph/rf.... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wehrle, Ryan ss.......... 4 2 2 0 0 0 1 6 0 Brown, Andrew 1b......... 3 1 1 2 1 0 14 0 0 Gerch, Andy lf/cf........ 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Opitz, Jake 2b........... 4 3 3 0 0 1 1 3 0 Lanning, Jeff c.......... 3 1 0 1 1 0 6 2 0 Weber, Thad dh/p......... 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 Belfonte, DJ rf.......... 2 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 Lee, John ph/lf......... 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Bowman, Drew p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edlefsen, Steve p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 34 9 12 8 3 3 27 16 5

Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- TAMU-Corpus Christi. 000 010 000 - 1 8 1 Nebraska............ 230 201 10X - 9 12 0 -------------------------------------------

E - Williams, C.(1). DP - Huskers 1. LOB - Islanders 7; Huskers 5. 2B - Williams, T.(3); Widner, C.(3); Opitz, J.(2); Weber, T.(2); Belfonte, D.(1). HR - Brown, A.. SH - Belfonte, D.(2). SB - Williams, T.(9); Nimmo, B.(3); Belfonte, D.(2). CS - Corriston, C(1).

TAMU-Corpus Christi IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Norman, Will........ 6.0 12 9 9 1 1 28 30 103 Wall, Chris......... 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 3 5 22 Maldonado, Trey..... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 -

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Bowman, Drew........ 6.0 7 1 1 0 3 24 24 88 Edlefsen, Steve..... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 7 Weber, Thad......... 2.0 1 0 0 1 3 7 8 29

Win - Bowman, D. (1-0). Loss - Norman, W. (2-1). Save - None. WP - Norman, W.(1). Inherited runners/scored: Wall, C. 1/1. Pitches/strikes: Norman, W. 103/62; Wall, C. 22/12; Bowman, D. 88/59; Edlefsen, S. 7/6; Weber, T. 29/16. Umpires - HP: Jesse Moreno 1B: Mike Fagan 3B: Danny Mascarro Start: 1p.m. Time: 2:25 Attendance: Norman, W. faced 1 batter in the 7th. Game: NU5