Huskers Snap Streak with 8-5 Win

Lincoln ? Jeff Tezak matched his season-high with four RBIs, lifting the Nebraska baseball team to an 8-5 victory over Iowa Tuesday night at Hawks Field.

Tezak went 3-for-4 on the night, as the Huskers (17-18-1) rapped out 11 hits on the evening. The senior switch hitter had an RBI single in the first inning before his two-run single helped stake the Huskers to a 5-0 lead in the third inning. He later drove in his fourth run on a RBI single in the seventh after Iowa pulled to within 5-4.

“He puts the ball in play and understands his role,” Nebraska Coach Mike Anderson said. “That’s one of the things that Tezak does better than anyone, early in the count, late in the count, he is going to get you something.  He is going to make something happen.”

Tezak was one of three Huskers to enjoy three-hit evenings to help snap a nine-game losing streak. Adam Bailey went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Cody Asche tied a season high with three hits and scored a career-high four times.

“I would say this is a good win,” Anderson said. “It’s a good win for us and our team needed to feel that again.  We needed to just have the feeling of winning.  I really like how our offense went out and got ourselves the lead.  I thought (Michael) Mariot was very good for what we needed. We’ve made some decisions to pick up the pace and tempo and rhythm of the game.”

While Nebraska enjoyed a balanced attack, the Huskers also received strong performances on the mound. Michael Mariot took a shutout into the fourth, while four relievers combined for 5.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run.

Erik Bird (1-1) got the win with 1.1 innings of relief, while Nate Kerkhoff (four strikeouts in 1.1 perfect innings), Erik Anderson (1.2 shutout frames) and Mike Nesseth didn’t allow run from the fifth until the ninth. Nesseth went the final 1.1 innings, fanning two for his second save of the season.

Nebraska struck early against Hawkeye starter Michael Jacobs (1-5), putting up a pair of runs in the first and three more in the bottom of the third.  In the first, consecutive singles by Boomer Collins and Asche put runners on first and second before Bailey put the Huskers on the scoreboard with a RBI single to center. Tezak then followed up with his first hit of the game, a run-scoring single, to right to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion.

In the third, consecutive walks to Asche and Tyler Farst started the rally before Bailey’s sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Tezak then made it a 4-0 game, sending Jacobs’ 2-2 pitch into center for a two-run single. Mort made it a 5-0 lead two batters later, lofting a sacrifice fly to left to plate Tezak

Iowa (11-21) came right back in the top of the fourth, scoring four times to make it a one-run game. The Hawkeyes loaded the bases with one out off Mariot before Bird tried to get NU out of trouble. Ryan Durant hit a fly ball that was dropped for an error to push one run home before and RBI single by Mike McQuillan and a two-run single by Kody McManis made it a 5-4 contest. Bird settled down and got the Huskers through the fourth, starting a string of solid outings by the Husker bullpen.

The game remained a one-run contest until the seventh, when the Huskers pushed across two runs on reliever Steve Turnbull. Two singles and an error loaded the bases with no outs before Tezak singled through the middle to make it 6-2. Turnbull retired the next two hitters, but hit DJ Belfonte to push across NU’s second run of the frame. One inning later, Asche singled, stole second and scored on Bailey’s RBI single.

The Hawkeyes made it interesting in the ninth, pushing across an unearned run and had the bases loaded with one out before Nesseth induced Wes Freie into a game-ending double play.

The Huskers return to action on Friday night as they begin a three-game series at No. 21 Texas A&M. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be carried on the IMG Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com.