Husker Bats Erupt in 16-1 Victory over Missouri

Lincoln ? Jeff Tezak drove in six runs as part of Nebraska’s 12-run sixth inning, as the No. 26 Husker baseball team posted a 16-1 victory over Missouri Sunday afternoon.

Tezak, who went 3-for-5 and scored twice, broke open a 4-1 game with a grand slam to left off reliever Brant Combs before driving in two more runs later in the inning with an RBI double, as Nebraska (13-9, 2-4 Big 12) had 10 hits off four Missouri pitchers and sent 16 hitters to the plate. The 12-run inning was NU’s highest single-inning total since 1999.

Tezak’s homer was one of three round-trippers by NU in the frame, as Andrew Brown followed with a solo homer, while Craig Corriston added his second homer of the season two batters later, capping a 12-pitch sequence that turned a three-run game into 11-1 cushion.

Brown finished with a career high four hits, including a school-record three doubles, while Tezak, Ryan Wehrle and Bryce Nimmo all had two hits apiece in the sixth inning. Nimmo was 3-for-3 and scored three times on the afternoon, while Corriston had two hits and drove in three runs.

“I was pleased with how we were able to get the offense going,” Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson after NU posted a season-best 17 hits. “We took off from there.  It was good to see some of those guys who were struggling getting hits.  We need to get those guys going.”

The run support was more than enough for junior right-hander Johnny Dorn, who went the distance for the second complete game of his career. Dorn (4-2) struck out a season-high nine hitters and scattered five his en route to his fourth straight win, snapping the Tigers’ 14-game win streak.

“I felt good about Johnny on the mound,” Anderson said. “I didn’t feel Missouri had their rhythm against Johnny, so I left him in there (in the top of the sixth).”

Dorn, who upped his career record to 25-7 and moved into a sole possession of third place on NU’s career wins list, took a shutout into the sixth before Trevor Coleman’s two-out RBI single pulled MU within 4-1. The Tigers eventually loaded the bases, but Dorn got out of trouble by getting Jacob Priday to ground out to end MU’s best offensive threat of the afternoon.

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the inning, as the first eight Huskers scored in the frame. NU loaded the bases on singles by Nimmo and Wehrle and a walk to Belfonte before Tezak’s first career grand slam pushed the Husker lead to 8-1. Brown then followed with his fifth homer, a solo shot to left, before Corriston made it an 10-run lead two batters later with his second homer of the year. NU continued to pile on, as Tezak delivered a two-run double in his second at-bat of the inning, while Opitz capped the eruption with a two-run single to make it a 16-1.

The Huskers struck early against Missouri starter Greg Folgia, scoring once in the second and two more in the fourth, taking advantage of a pair of fourth-inning miscues. In the second, the Huskers loaded the bases with no outs before Wehrle plated NU’s first run with a double play. In the fourth, NU had runners on second and third with one down before Wehrle’s grounder was misplayed for a throwing error, allowing both runners to score

Nebraska chased the Tiger starter in the fifth, extending their lead to 4-0. With one out, Brown doubled and scored on Corriston’s RBI double two batters later. Folgia allowed four runs on five hits over 4.1 innings of work to drop to 3-2 on the year.

The Huskers wrap up the homestand on Tuesday evening, as they begin a two-game series with Northern Colorado. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Hawks Field and the game will be carried on the Husker Sports Network and on the Internet at Huskers.com.