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OWH: Austin Darby delivers as Huskers take down Texas in 15 innings
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OWH: Austin Darby delivers as Huskers take down UT
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OWH: Austin Darby delivers as Huskers take down UT
LJS: Darby's glove, bat lead Huskers in 15 innings
First Austin Darby saved the game, then he won it.
Don't remember the first part?
You're forgiven.
His spectacular diving catch toward the right-field line came, oh, a few hours before the play that everyone will remember from Nebraska's baseball marathon with No. 16 Texas on Saturday afternoon.
Er, evening.
Darby delivered a one-out single to left field in the bottom of the 15th inning that allowed catcher Tanner Lubach to score from second base, and Nebraska outlasted Texas 1-0 in a 4-hour, 34-minute game before 5,852 fans at Haymarket Park.
Texas reliever Travis Duke - the Longhorns' seventh pitcher - had an 0-2 count on Darby in a lefty-lefty matchup after throwing two fastballs.
He threw a third, and Darby timed it right.
"To be completely honest, it was tough to see up there, with the shadows, the glare off the building," Darby said, pointing to Memorial Stadium looming far beyond center field.
"I figured I looked terrible on the first two fastballs, so he'd be like, 'OK, might as well throw him another one here.' So I just tried to get my timing on it, and it felt good. Put a good swing on it and got the sweet spot."
Lubach was headed to third and ready to pull up when left fielder Ben Johnson bobbled the ball just enough to allow Lubach to round third and come home easily.
The error prevented Darby from earning an RBI, but didn't stop Nebraska players from spilling onto the field to celebrate their second straight victory against their former Big 12 Conference rival.
Nebraska (20-7) squandered prime scoring opportunities in the eighth, 10th, 11th 12th and 13th innings.
"You typically don't win those games when breaks don't go your way, when you have opportunities to win and you don't get it done," Nebraska coach Darin Erstad said. "We didn't take advantage of those.
"It wasn't a lack of effort. It was probably too much effort, trying too hard, but, boy, I tell you what, just to continue to grind it out and give yourself a chance to win. "
Erstad was among those who didn't forget Darby's diving catch - his second highlight-reel catch in as many games - with a runner on second and one out in the second inning. It highlighted another error-free game for Nebraska.
"We took care of the baseball, and when you do that, you have an opportunity to stay in games like this and not beat yourself," Erstad said. "You just never know what the game's going to throw at you."
The Huskers' pitching was every bit as sound as their defense. Kyle Kubat pitched eight innings of three-hit ball while striking out a career high-tying nine with no walks. He battled Texas starter Kacy Clemens, who held Nebraska to two singles through seven innings.
Clemens departed in the eighth with an apparent hand injury.
Kubat, Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and winning pitcher Jeff Chesnut combined for 19 strikeouts - Nebraska's most since recording 22 in a 15-inning victory in 2009 against Louisiana-Lafayette - and three walks. They held a potent Texas lineup to four hits, and none from innings 5 through 13.
"We can't thank our pitching enough, because they were unbelievable," Darby said. "Every guy that went out there just sat all those guys down, and that's a great-hitting ball club. You've got to give our pitchers a lot of credit for getting us up to the plate time after time, and finally we got something going."
Nebraska had the bases loaded in the 11th and 13th, both times with No. 9 hitter Jake Placzek at the plate. Placzek took a third strike to end the 11th and grounded into a double play to end the 13th.
In the 12th, Ryan Boldt drew a lead-off walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Christian Cox and took third on a wild pitch, all against Texas reliever Ty Culbreth.
Boldt tried scoring - and did, actually - on a grounder back to the mound. But home plate umpire David Condon didn't see that Boldt's sliding foot hit the edge of the plate before catcher Michael Cantu came close to applying the tag.
That elicited a spirited but very short argument from Erstad, who said after the game he didn't get an explanation from Condon.
In the eighth, Placzek led off with a double to left, and Erstad had Boldt, one of the team's best hitters, put down a sacrifice bunt in a lefty-lefty matchup against reliever Kirby Bellow.
But pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado struck out looking on three pitches and Blake Headley flied to right to end the inning.
Erstad said he could've gone either way with his decision to bunt Boldt.
"You just trust your gut," he said. "One thing I know in baseball, you don't second-guess. You just trust your gut. Unfortunately your gut's not always right."
Nebraska will go for the series sweep Sunday. Erstad wasn't overly concerned about pitching after Saturday's marathon - his four pitchers threw a combined 210 pitches - noting Texas (seven pitchers, 228 pitches) was in the same boat.
"We've got guys who can throw strikes," Erstad said. "We have guys who can mix their pitches, and we have guys who like to compete. We'll mix and match and piece it together and see how it goes."
LJS: Darby's glove, bat lead Huskers in 15 innings
First Austin Darby saved the game, then he won it.
Don't remember the first part?
You're forgiven.
His spectacular diving catch toward the right-field line came, oh, a few hours before the play that everyone will remember from Nebraska's baseball marathon with No. 16 Texas on Saturday afternoon.
Er, evening.
Darby delivered a one-out single to left field in the bottom of the 15th inning that allowed catcher Tanner Lubach to score from second base, and Nebraska outlasted Texas 1-0 in a 4-hour, 34-minute game before 5,852 fans at Haymarket Park.
Texas reliever Travis Duke - the Longhorns' seventh pitcher - had an 0-2 count on Darby in a lefty-lefty matchup after throwing two fastballs.
He threw a third, and Darby timed it right.
"To be completely honest, it was tough to see up there, with the shadows, the glare off the building," Darby said, pointing to Memorial Stadium looming far beyond center field.
"I figured I looked terrible on the first two fastballs, so he'd be like, 'OK, might as well throw him another one here.' So I just tried to get my timing on it, and it felt good. Put a good swing on it and got the sweet spot."
Lubach was headed to third and ready to pull up when left fielder Ben Johnson bobbled the ball just enough to allow Lubach to round third and come home easily.
The error prevented Darby from earning an RBI, but didn't stop Nebraska players from spilling onto the field to celebrate their second straight victory against their former Big 12 Conference rival.
Nebraska (20-7) squandered prime scoring opportunities in the eighth, 10th, 11th 12th and 13th innings.
"You typically don't win those games when breaks don't go your way, when you have opportunities to win and you don't get it done," Nebraska coach Darin Erstad said. "We didn't take advantage of those.
"It wasn't a lack of effort. It was probably too much effort, trying too hard, but, boy, I tell you what, just to continue to grind it out and give yourself a chance to win. "
Erstad was among those who didn't forget Darby's diving catch - his second highlight-reel catch in as many games - with a runner on second and one out in the second inning. It highlighted another error-free game for Nebraska.
"We took care of the baseball, and when you do that, you have an opportunity to stay in games like this and not beat yourself," Erstad said. "You just never know what the game's going to throw at you."
The Huskers' pitching was every bit as sound as their defense. Kyle Kubat pitched eight innings of three-hit ball while striking out a career high-tying nine with no walks. He battled Texas starter Kacy Clemens, who held Nebraska to two singles through seven innings.
Clemens departed in the eighth with an apparent hand injury.
Kubat, Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and winning pitcher Jeff Chesnut combined for 19 strikeouts - Nebraska's most since recording 22 in a 15-inning victory in 2009 against Louisiana-Lafayette - and three walks. They held a potent Texas lineup to four hits, and none from innings 5 through 13.
"We can't thank our pitching enough, because they were unbelievable," Darby said. "Every guy that went out there just sat all those guys down, and that's a great-hitting ball club. You've got to give our pitchers a lot of credit for getting us up to the plate time after time, and finally we got something going."
Nebraska had the bases loaded in the 11th and 13th, both times with No. 9 hitter Jake Placzek at the plate. Placzek took a third strike to end the 11th and grounded into a double play to end the 13th.
In the 12th, Ryan Boldt drew a lead-off walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Christian Cox and took third on a wild pitch, all against Texas reliever Ty Culbreth.
Boldt tried scoring - and did, actually - on a grounder back to the mound. But home plate umpire David Condon didn't see that Boldt's sliding foot hit the edge of the plate before catcher Michael Cantu came close to applying the tag.
That elicited a spirited but very short argument from Erstad, who said after the game he didn't get an explanation from Condon.
In the eighth, Placzek led off with a double to left, and Erstad had Boldt, one of the team's best hitters, put down a sacrifice bunt in a lefty-lefty matchup against reliever Kirby Bellow.
But pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado struck out looking on three pitches and Blake Headley flied to right to end the inning.
Erstad said he could've gone either way with his decision to bunt Boldt.
"You just trust your gut," he said. "One thing I know in baseball, you don't second-guess. You just trust your gut. Unfortunately your gut's not always right."
Nebraska will go for the series sweep Sunday. Erstad wasn't overly concerned about pitching after Saturday's marathon - his four pitchers threw a combined 210 pitches - noting Texas (seven pitchers, 228 pitches) was in the same boat.
"We've got guys who can throw strikes," Erstad said. "We have guys who can mix their pitches, and we have guys who like to compete. We'll mix and match and piece it together and see how it goes."
LJS: Darby's glove, bat lead Huskers in 15 innings
LJS: Nebraska pitchers showing low ERA has substance
On this day, he was the lead singer for AC/DC, and the mound was his stage.
Nebraska right-handed reliever Jake Hohensee belted out lines to AC/DC's vintage "Back in Black" as he warmed up for the ninth inning Saturday after replacing starter Kyle Kubat.
Perfect. AC/DC is no-nonsense, gritty. Same goes for a band of Huskers - pitchers and everyone else - making serious noise with a grind-it-out style befitting head coach Darin Erstad.
Back in black, and baffling burnt orange. That will get some attention nationally.
"Singing is pretty much how I get focused on the mound," said Hohensee, a sophomore from Lincoln East who worked two innings of his team's remarkable 1-0, 15-inning triumph against 16th-ranked Texas. "I get completely locked-in on that song."
Nebraska's pitching staff is as locked-in as it's ever been. And we do mean "ever." The team ERA dropped to 2.38, well below the school record of 2.64 in 1961. You don't have to be Tommy Lasorda to notice the talent. It's there in the weekend starters. It's there in middle relief. It's there in the closers. In the veterans. The freshmen, too.
Ask Texas. The Longhorns (17-10) entered the weekend series at Haymarket Park leading the Big 12 Conference in triples (11), ranking second in doubles (51) and third in home runs (18). Through 24 innings against Nebraska, UT has six singles and a double.
Kubat, a senior left-hander from Waterloo, worked eight innings and allowed three hits and no walks. His ERA dipped to 1.33.
After Hohensee was done for the day, Colton Howell allowed no hits in 2 2/3 innings and Jeff Chesnut one hit in 2 1/3. Howell's stuff is particularly wicked. His fastball reaches 95 mph. His ERA is down to 1.06, Chesnut's 0.89.
This staff evokes memories of the 2005 bunch that featured Johnny Dorn, Zach Kroenke, Joba Chamberlain, Brian Duensing, Tony Watson and Brett Jensen. That's saying a mouthful, considering Kroenke, Chamberlain, Duensing and Watson made it to the majors.
And by the way, that 2005 Husker team was the program's last group to reach the College World Series. Nobody was talking in those terms Saturday - at least not that I heard - but the NU pitchers have a certain strut right now. And they should. Granted, a stiff breeze blew into the stadium Saturday. But holding Texas to seven hits in two games?
An ERA of 2.38 halfway through the season?
It's a sample size large enough to make you wonder how far this team's pitching and sterling defense can take it. The Huskers didn't look ready to win an NCAA Tournament regional last season after ending a five-year NCAA drought. The pitching is better. The defense is just as good. The hitting needs work.
Did I mention the pitchers' confidence?
"It's through the roof right now," Hohensee said. "Holding Texas to zero runs in 15 innings? Are you kidding me? That's absolutely crazy. I feel like we can't be touched. We're playing well as a ball club, and that helps us out as a pitching staff."
Nebraska (20-7) won for the 13th time in the last 14 games, all at Haymarket Park, and don't discount the relevance of toppling a team the caliber of Texas. Erstad has said the goal is to not only play in a regional, but to play host to one. The Huskers continued to help themselves in that regard while building steam as a program on the rise.
Yes, there is still plenty of work.
However, "It means a lot beating Texas," Hohensee said. "I always grew up wishing I'd play these guys and doing what we just did."
Kubat set the tone. He's a rhythm pitcher. Think Marvin Gaye. He had his groove on.
"Kyle was phenomenal," Hohensee said. "That's one of the best outings I've seen him pitch here. He was pounding strikes. His mentality was there. He actually gave me motivation, the way he threw, I just wanted to pitch as well as him. That gave me a little more strength.
Hohensee threw mostly fastballs and change-ups, mixing in an occasional slider. It was his third appearance since missing 20 games with an arm injury.
"I was a little too amped up (in his latest two appearances), so I didn't have my best stuff," he said. "This time, I told myself I needed to relax. It starts in the bullpen. I was relaxed there."
He was part of a band of pitchers that turned in a performance for the ages. No question, that paltry ERA looked very legitimate.
LJS: Nebraska pitchers showing low ERA
On this day, he was the lead singer for AC/DC, and the mound was his stage.
Nebraska right-handed reliever Jake Hohensee belted out lines to AC/DC's vintage "Back in Black" as he warmed up for the ninth inning Saturday after replacing starter Kyle Kubat.
Perfect. AC/DC is no-nonsense, gritty. Same goes for a band of Huskers - pitchers and everyone else - making serious noise with a grind-it-out style befitting head coach Darin Erstad.
Back in black, and baffling burnt orange. That will get some attention nationally.
"Singing is pretty much how I get focused on the mound," said Hohensee, a sophomore from Lincoln East who worked two innings of his team's remarkable 1-0, 15-inning triumph against 16th-ranked Texas. "I get completely locked-in on that song."
Nebraska's pitching staff is as locked-in as it's ever been. And we do mean "ever." The team ERA dropped to 2.38, well below the school record of 2.64 in 1961. You don't have to be Tommy Lasorda to notice the talent. It's there in the weekend starters. It's there in middle relief. It's there in the closers. In the veterans. The freshmen, too.
Ask Texas. The Longhorns (17-10) entered the weekend series at Haymarket Park leading the Big 12 Conference in triples (11), ranking second in doubles (51) and third in home runs (18). Through 24 innings against Nebraska, UT has six singles and a double.
Kubat, a senior left-hander from Waterloo, worked eight innings and allowed three hits and no walks. His ERA dipped to 1.33.
After Hohensee was done for the day, Colton Howell allowed no hits in 2 2/3 innings and Jeff Chesnut one hit in 2 1/3. Howell's stuff is particularly wicked. His fastball reaches 95 mph. His ERA is down to 1.06, Chesnut's 0.89.
This staff evokes memories of the 2005 bunch that featured Johnny Dorn, Zach Kroenke, Joba Chamberlain, Brian Duensing, Tony Watson and Brett Jensen. That's saying a mouthful, considering Kroenke, Chamberlain, Duensing and Watson made it to the majors.
And by the way, that 2005 Husker team was the program's last group to reach the College World Series. Nobody was talking in those terms Saturday - at least not that I heard - but the NU pitchers have a certain strut right now. And they should. Granted, a stiff breeze blew into the stadium Saturday. But holding Texas to seven hits in two games?
An ERA of 2.38 halfway through the season?
It's a sample size large enough to make you wonder how far this team's pitching and sterling defense can take it. The Huskers didn't look ready to win an NCAA Tournament regional last season after ending a five-year NCAA drought. The pitching is better. The defense is just as good. The hitting needs work.
Did I mention the pitchers' confidence?
"It's through the roof right now," Hohensee said. "Holding Texas to zero runs in 15 innings? Are you kidding me? That's absolutely crazy. I feel like we can't be touched. We're playing well as a ball club, and that helps us out as a pitching staff."
Nebraska (20-7) won for the 13th time in the last 14 games, all at Haymarket Park, and don't discount the relevance of toppling a team the caliber of Texas. Erstad has said the goal is to not only play in a regional, but to play host to one. The Huskers continued to help themselves in that regard while building steam as a program on the rise.
Yes, there is still plenty of work.
However, "It means a lot beating Texas," Hohensee said. "I always grew up wishing I'd play these guys and doing what we just did."
Kubat set the tone. He's a rhythm pitcher. Think Marvin Gaye. He had his groove on.
"Kyle was phenomenal," Hohensee said. "That's one of the best outings I've seen him pitch here. He was pounding strikes. His mentality was there. He actually gave me motivation, the way he threw, I just wanted to pitch as well as him. That gave me a little more strength.
Hohensee threw mostly fastballs and change-ups, mixing in an occasional slider. It was his third appearance since missing 20 games with an arm injury.
"I was a little too amped up (in his latest two appearances), so I didn't have my best stuff," he said. "This time, I told myself I needed to relax. It starts in the bullpen. I was relaxed there."
He was part of a band of pitchers that turned in a performance for the ages. No question, that paltry ERA looked very legitimate.
LJS: Nebraska pitchers showing low ERA
NU: Huskers Walk Off #16 Longhorns, 1-0, in 15 Innings
Lincoln - Deadlocked in a scoreless game in the bottom of the 15th inning, senior Austin Darby delivered a one-out base hit to left field and Texas' Ben Johnson booted the ball, allowing Tanner Lubach to score from second base for the game-winning run. The 1-0 victory clinched the series for the Huskers, who are now 20-7 on the year.
After Jeff Chesnut, who improved to 4-0 on the year in the win, retired UT's 4-5-6 hitters in order in the top of the 15th, Texas reliever Travis Duke hit Lubach in the back to start the bottom of the frame. Freshman Jake Meyers moved Lubach into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Darby. The senior right-fielder, who was 1-for-6 heading into the at-bat, got behind 0-2 in the count, but then lined an offering from Duke into left field where Johnson committed his third error of the season and Lubach easily scored the game winner in front of 5,852 fans at Hawks Field.
Starter Kyle Kubat, along with relievers Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and Jeff Chesnut limited the Longhorns to four hits and three walks on the day, while piling up 19 strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts by a Husker staff since 2009 when NU notched 22 punch outs in a 15 inning game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
After the Longhorns produced three hits through the first three innings, they then didn't record another hit until Johnson led off the 14th with a single. Texas totaled just seven base runners and had a runner in scoring position only twice all game.
Kubat went 8.0 innings in the start and for the second-straight game he struck out a career-high nine batters. Following a two-out single by Brooks Marlow in the fourth, Kubat retired the final 13 Longhorns he faced. It was the senior's third career outing of at least 8.0 innings and trailed only his 8.2-inning effort against Michigan at last season's Big Ten Tournament.
Hohensee tossed a pair of no-hit innings after Kubat, striking out three Longhorns and walking one. Howell then took over in the 11th and retired the first eight batters he faced, including a career-high tying five strikeouts, before giving up back-to-back walks with two outs in the 13th. Chesnut came in and struck out Taylor Stell to end UT's threat. After giving up a leadoff single to Johnson in the 14th, Chesnut sat down the final five UT batters he faced.
With NU's bullpen keeping UT's offense off the bases, NU's offense had multiple chances to score. The Huskers had the winning run in scoring position in 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th inning, before finally breaking through in the 15th. The Huskers loaded the bases in both the 11th and 13th innings, but each time the Longhorns' bullpen was able to get out of the jam.
Saturday's contest was the longest game at Hawks Field since 2013 when the Huskers beat Northwestern in 16 innings. It was also not the longest game in Nebraska-Texas history either, as NU won a 16-inning marathon in 2005.
The Huskers and Longhorns wrap up their series tomorrow at Hawks Field, with first pitched scheduled for 12:05 p.m. Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle will have the call on the Husker Sports Network and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
NU: Huskers Walk Off #16 Longhorns, 1-0, in 15
Lincoln - Deadlocked in a scoreless game in the bottom of the 15th inning, senior Austin Darby delivered a one-out base hit to left field and Texas' Ben Johnson booted the ball, allowing Tanner Lubach to score from second base for the game-winning run. The 1-0 victory clinched the series for the Huskers, who are now 20-7 on the year.
After Jeff Chesnut, who improved to 4-0 on the year in the win, retired UT's 4-5-6 hitters in order in the top of the 15th, Texas reliever Travis Duke hit Lubach in the back to start the bottom of the frame. Freshman Jake Meyers moved Lubach into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Darby. The senior right-fielder, who was 1-for-6 heading into the at-bat, got behind 0-2 in the count, but then lined an offering from Duke into left field where Johnson committed his third error of the season and Lubach easily scored the game winner in front of 5,852 fans at Hawks Field.
Starter Kyle Kubat, along with relievers Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and Jeff Chesnut limited the Longhorns to four hits and three walks on the day, while piling up 19 strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts by a Husker staff since 2009 when NU notched 22 punch outs in a 15 inning game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
After the Longhorns produced three hits through the first three innings, they then didn't record another hit until Johnson led off the 14th with a single. Texas totaled just seven base runners and had a runner in scoring position only twice all game.
Kubat went 8.0 innings in the start and for the second-straight game he struck out a career-high nine batters. Following a two-out single by Brooks Marlow in the fourth, Kubat retired the final 13 Longhorns he faced. It was the senior's third career outing of at least 8.0 innings and trailed only his 8.2-inning effort against Michigan at last season's Big Ten Tournament.
Hohensee tossed a pair of no-hit innings after Kubat, striking out three Longhorns and walking one. Howell then took over in the 11th and retired the first eight batters he faced, including a career-high tying five strikeouts, before giving up back-to-back walks with two outs in the 13th. Chesnut came in and struck out Taylor Stell to end UT's threat. After giving up a leadoff single to Johnson in the 14th, Chesnut sat down the final five UT batters he faced.
With NU's bullpen keeping UT's offense off the bases, NU's offense had multiple chances to score. The Huskers had the winning run in scoring position in 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th inning, before finally breaking through in the 15th. The Huskers loaded the bases in both the 11th and 13th innings, but each time the Longhorns' bullpen was able to get out of the jam.
Saturday's contest was the longest game at Hawks Field since 2013 when the Huskers beat Northwestern in 16 innings. It was also not the longest game in Nebraska-Texas history either, as NU won a 16-inning marathon in 2005.
The Huskers and Longhorns wrap up their series tomorrow at Hawks Field, with first pitched scheduled for 12:05 p.m. Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle will have the call on the Husker Sports Network and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
NU: Huskers Walk Off #16 Longhorns, 1-0, in 15
UT: No. 10 Baseball falls at Nebraska, 1-0, in 15 innings
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 10 Texas baseball team traded zeros with No. 30 Nebraska for 14 innings on Saturday afternoon, but the Cornhuskers struck for the only run of the game in the bottom of the 15th to hand the Longhorns a 1-0 defeat.
In the longest game for UT since 2011, the Longhorns (17-10) received a host of standout pitching performances but were countered by an identical showing from Nebraska (20-7). Six Texas pitchers combined to keep Nebraska off the scoreboard for the first 14 innings, while four Cornhuskers did the same for 15 frames.
Texas got a sterling outing from starting pitcher Kacy Clemens, who shut down the Cornhuskers in seven scoreless innings. The sophomore surrendered just two hits and a walk, keeping Nebraska hitless over his final five frames.
Clemens retired nine straight between a single in the second and a walk in the fifth, and allowed just one runner to reach scoring position (in the second inning). Over his last six appearances Clemens has found his groove, accumulating a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings pitched.
Nebraska starter Kyle Kubat was equally impressive, tossing eight scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. The lefty matched a career high with nine strikeouts, having also done that against Michigan last weekend.
The Longhorns had three hits in the first four innings but were shut down from there, as Kubat didn't surrender one the rest of his outing and three Nebraska relievers kept Texas hitless until a Ben Johnson single in the 14th.
The game turned in the 15th when reliever Travis Duke hit leadoff batter Tanner Lubach who was then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. Austin Darby followed by lacing a game-winning single to left field giving Nebraska its 13th win in the last 14 games.
Unable to get anything going offensively, the Longhorns had made big plays time and again with pitching and defense to stay in the game.
The Cornhuskers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th with two outs and reliever Connor Mayes on the mound, and on a full count Mayes froze Jake Placzek with a called third strike that ended the threat.
An inning later, a leadoff walk and a wild pitch gave Nebraska the winning run on third with one out. But relief pitcher Ty Culbreth fielded a comebacker and threw home, with catcher Michael Cantu making a beautiful block of home plate to keep the winning run from scoring.
Texas again faced trouble in the 13th as Nebraska loaded the bases with just one out. Jake McKenzie came on in the tough spot and on a full count, induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to keep the game going.
Duke dominantly struck out the side in the 14th before Texas finally surrendered the game-winning run an inning later. Duke took the loss to drop to 1-1 on the year. Nebraska reliever Jeff Chestnut (4-0) allowed just one hit in 2 1/3 innings to claim the win.
The Longhorns and Cornhuskers face off in the series finale Sunday at 12:05 p.m.
UT: No. 10 Baseball falls at Nebraska, 1-0, in 15
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 10 Texas baseball team traded zeros with No. 30 Nebraska for 14 innings on Saturday afternoon, but the Cornhuskers struck for the only run of the game in the bottom of the 15th to hand the Longhorns a 1-0 defeat.
In the longest game for UT since 2011, the Longhorns (17-10) received a host of standout pitching performances but were countered by an identical showing from Nebraska (20-7). Six Texas pitchers combined to keep Nebraska off the scoreboard for the first 14 innings, while four Cornhuskers did the same for 15 frames.
Texas got a sterling outing from starting pitcher Kacy Clemens, who shut down the Cornhuskers in seven scoreless innings. The sophomore surrendered just two hits and a walk, keeping Nebraska hitless over his final five frames.
Clemens retired nine straight between a single in the second and a walk in the fifth, and allowed just one runner to reach scoring position (in the second inning). Over his last six appearances Clemens has found his groove, accumulating a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings pitched.
Nebraska starter Kyle Kubat was equally impressive, tossing eight scoreless innings while allowing just three hits. The lefty matched a career high with nine strikeouts, having also done that against Michigan last weekend.
The Longhorns had three hits in the first four innings but were shut down from there, as Kubat didn't surrender one the rest of his outing and three Nebraska relievers kept Texas hitless until a Ben Johnson single in the 14th.
The game turned in the 15th when reliever Travis Duke hit leadoff batter Tanner Lubach who was then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. Austin Darby followed by lacing a game-winning single to left field giving Nebraska its 13th win in the last 14 games.
Unable to get anything going offensively, the Longhorns had made big plays time and again with pitching and defense to stay in the game.
The Cornhuskers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th with two outs and reliever Connor Mayes on the mound, and on a full count Mayes froze Jake Placzek with a called third strike that ended the threat.
An inning later, a leadoff walk and a wild pitch gave Nebraska the winning run on third with one out. But relief pitcher Ty Culbreth fielded a comebacker and threw home, with catcher Michael Cantu making a beautiful block of home plate to keep the winning run from scoring.
Texas again faced trouble in the 13th as Nebraska loaded the bases with just one out. Jake McKenzie came on in the tough spot and on a full count, induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to keep the game going.
Duke dominantly struck out the side in the 14th before Texas finally surrendered the game-winning run an inning later. Duke took the loss to drop to 1-1 on the year. Nebraska reliever Jeff Chestnut (4-0) allowed just one hit in 2 1/3 innings to claim the win.
The Longhorns and Cornhuskers face off in the series finale Sunday at 12:05 p.m.
UT: No. 10 Baseball falls at Nebraska, 1-0, in 15
BA - Saturday Roundup: Kubat, Huskers Outlast Longhorns
Although Nebraska's lineup has been showing signs of life over the last couple weeks, its pitching has been carrying the banner since day one, and it's the Huskers' pitching that's led the way to a marquee series win against 19th-ranked Texas.
It's hard to believe it's now been nearly four full years since the Huskers left the Big 12 for the Big Ten, with this weekend marking the Longhorns' first trip to Lincoln since 2011. Nebraska won the opener 3-1 on Friday behind senior Chance Sinclair, and the Huskers sent another senior to the hill Saturday in Kyle Kubat. Kubat doesn't have overwhelming stuff, but the lefthander knows how to mix velocities and pitch types. He beguiled the Longhorns over eight shutout innings on Saturday (8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), setting a career high for strikeouts.
Despite Kubat's efforts, the Huskers were unable to mount anything against Texas' Kacy Clemens (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K), who didn't allow a hit over his final five innings of work, and the game went to extras scoreless. Meanwhile, Texas went nine full innings between hits, from the fourth to the 13th, and four Nebraska pitchers combined on 19 strikeouts while allowing just four hits in 15 innings of work.
After leaving the bases loaded in the both the 11th and 13th, Nebraska finally broke the stalemate in the 15th. Huskers catcher Tanner Lubach led off the inning against Texas' Travis Duke by getting hit by a pitch. After a sac bunt moved Lubach into scoring position, senior Austin Darby poked a base hit to left field which was booted by Texas outfielder Ben Johnson, allowing Lubach to score uncontested and Nebraska to win 1-0.
The Huskers improved to 20-7 on the season, and they've won 13 of their last 14 games.
Top 25 Showdowns
(17) Houston at (6) Central Florida: The Cougars used homers from Ashford Fulmer and Chris Iriart, his second of the weekend, to knock off UCF 7-5 and level the series, setting up a rubber match Sunday in the biggest series of the year in the American. The Cougars got a fine effort from junior Kyle Dowdy (7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K), holding UCF's explosive offense in check while Houston opened up a 6-1 lead. The Knights rallied for four unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth, keyed by JoMarcos Woods' bases-loaded double, but Seth Romero was able to strand Woods, the tying run, at second base, and Fulmer then homered in the top of the ninth to give UH some insurance again.
Top 25 Upsets
Tennessee at (2) Vanderbilt
Three Tennessee relievers combined on 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Vols tied the series with the Commodores with a 9-5 win. The teams traded crooked numbers early, with Tennessee scoring five runs, all unearned, in the top of the third off Walker Buehler (5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K), while the Commodores scored three in the second and tied it 5-5 with two in the bottom of the third. The score then stayed 5-5 until the Vols broke through for four in the top of the eighth against Philip Pfeifer (3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER). The win snapped a six-game losing streak in SEC play for Tennessee and was its first in Nashville since 2009.
Missouri at (3) Texas A&M: The Tigers got a big game from talented freshman Tanner Houck (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and handed Texas A&M just its second loss of the season, and its first at home, 3-2. The Aggies got single runs in the second and third before Missouri answered with two in the fourth, and the game stayed deadlocked until Ryan Howard's RBI double in the top of the eighth. A&M outhit Missouri 12-7 for the game, but the Aggies stranded the tying run at third base in both the eighth and the ninth, with Missouri's Brecklin Williams (2 IP, 4 H, 0 R) picking up his seventh save.
Georgia at (12) South Carolina: In the completion of Friday's suspended game, Mike Bell's RBI single in the top of the 11th netted Georgia a 6-5 win. In the regularly scheduled game that followed, the Bulldogs clinched their first series win in Columbia since 1994 by beating the Gamecocks 4-3. The Gamecocks elected to use regular No. 2 starter Jack Wynkoop to finish the suspended game-he ended up throwing three innings-then called on Reed Scott (7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) to make his third start of the year in the second game. Georgia did all its scoring in the first two innings against Scott before holding off a late rally from the Gamecocks, who got three hits from Gene Cone and two apiece from Kyle Martin and Jordan Gore. The Gamecocks have lost six of their past seven games and fell to 4-4 in the SEC.
(22) Oregon at Arizona: Oregon is in an absolute tailspin. Not even blue-chip freshman David Peterson (4.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) was able to stop the bleeding in Saturday's 9-5 loss, which clinched the series for Arizona. The Ducks made five errors Friday, and their defense let them down again Saturday. Oregon made three more errors, all of them coming in Arizona's eight-run fifth inning. The Ducks have now lost all three of their Pac-12 series and eight of their past 12 games overall.
(24) Indiana at Iowa: Iowa's pitching has allowed only one run in two games after the Hawkeyes beat Indiana 5-1 Saturday, clinching the series. Big armed righthander Blake Hickman (8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) dominated for Iowa. The Hoosiers also got a solid effort from Jake Kelzer (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), but a four-run seventh against the IU bullpen put the game out of reach, highlighted by Jake Mangler's two-run double.
Other Top 25 Results
Kentucky at (1) Louisiana State: The Tigers bounced back from Friday's extra-innings loss with a closer-than-the-score-indicates 7-3 win. Freshman Alex Lange (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 13 K) was superb yet again for LSU, but the Tigers only led 2-1 when he was lifted. The Wildcats rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth against the LSU bullpen, relegating Lange to a no decision. But in the bottom half of the frame, LSU's Chris Chinea hit an inside-the-park three-run homer and Jared Foster followed later on with a conventional over-the-fence two-run homer to give LSU the win.
Alabama at (4) Florida: Buddy Reed's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth scored the go-ahead runs as Florida won a hard-fought rubber match with Alabama, 7-4. The Crimson Tide led 4-3 after six innings, but Jeremy Vasquez's solo homer in the bottom of the seventh tied it, and A.J. Puk (3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) responded to being pulled out of the weekend rotation with a strong showing out of the bullpen, picking up his fifth win.
Wichita State at (5) Texas Christian: By his lofty standards, it was a relatively pedestrian outing for Preston Morrison (6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) on Saturday, but it was still enough for him to improve to 6-0 as the Horned Frogs beat Wichita State 8-4, sealing the series. Freshman Connor Wanhanen (4-for-4) paced TCU's 13-hit attack, while Keaton Jones and Nolan Brown had two hits apiece.
Georgia Tech at (7) Louisville: The Yellow Jackets' rough week continued with an 8-3 loss in Louisville as the Cardinals clinched the series. Cardinals freshman Brendan McKay (7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) continued his strong work on the mound to improve to 4-0, while UofL scored six runs in the first two innings against a wild Cole Pitts (1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K) and never looked back. Sophomore outfielder Corey Ray did it all for the Louisville offense, going 3-for-5, driving in four runs and stealing four bases.
(8) Southern California at Washington
Nebraska-Texas wasn't even the longest scoreless game of the day. USC and Washington played to 0-0 draw through 15 innings before a wild 16th saw the Trojans emerge with a 3-2 win that tied the series. Starters Kyle Twomey (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 BB, 4 K) for USC and Tyler Davis (8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K) for Washington got the ball rolling, and the bullpens kept it 0-0 until the top of the 16th. RBI hits by Corey Dempster and Timmy Robinson put the Trojans up 3-0, but Braden Bishop hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning that pulled the Huskies back within 3-2. They got no closer though, Alex Chavarria striking out Levi Jordan to finally bring the game to an end after 4 hours and 41 minutes. It was the longest game by innings in USC's history.
(9) UCLA at Washington State: Luke Persico went 3-for-4, including a key two-run double in the sixth, as UCLA clinched the series with a 6-1 win. Bruins senior Grant Watson (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) picked up his fourth win of the year and 26th of his career, which moves him past former major leaguer Jim Parque to be the winningest lefthander in UCLA history.
Virginia Tech at (10) Florida State: The FSU offense erupted for 18 runs over its final three at-bats to lead the Seminoles to a 19-9 win that ties the series. Danny De La Calle and John Sansone led the way for FSU with three hits apiece, while the Seminoles, patient as always, drew 10 walks as a group. Most of the damage came in FSU's 11-run bottom of the eighth, during which the Noles had six hits and five walks to break open what was a one-run game.
Stanford at (11) Arizona State: After needing to rally late to beat Stanford on Friday, Saturday's 6-3 win as a little less stressful for the Sun Devils. ASU took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the second, and every Sun Devils starter reached base at least once. Ryan Kellogg (6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) ran his record to 5-0 with the victory.
(13) Miami at North Carolina: Zack Collins' solo homer in the top of the 11th was finally enough for Miami to subdue UNC in a back-and-forth 4-3 win, clinching the series for the Hurricanes. Miami had to overcome an ineffective outing from Andy Suarez (3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), while star UNC freshman J.B. Bukauskas (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) was outstanding. But the Canes managed to tie the game in the 7th and take leads in the 9th and 10th, only to see UNC rally to tie it each time against normally reliable closer Bryan Garcia. However, the Heels left 16 men on base, including the potential winning runs in scoring position in both the 9th and 10th, and they were unable to get off the mat a third time after Collins' jack.
Southern Mississippi at (14) Rice: Rice scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning, beating Southern Miss 11-4 to clinch the series. The Owls sent 14 men to the plate in the first, highlighted by junior Leon Byrd hitting two doubles in the inning and sophomore Charlie Warren hitting the first home run of his college career, a two-run shot. All those runs were plenty for Blake Fox (7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K), who breezed to his third win.
Illinois State at (15) Dallas Baptist: The Patriots clinched the series and improved to 21-3 overall with a dramatic 6-5 win. DBU fell into an early 4-0 hole as Cory Taylor (4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) struggled but rallied to tie the game in the seventh and again in the eighth, after ISU had taken a 5-4 lead. An error and a wild pitch set up Daniel Salters' walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, as the Patriots stayed perfect at home at 10-0.
Long Beach State at (16) UC Santa Barbara: Getting a second straight brilliant game from their starting pitcher, the Gauchos didn't waste it this time, scratching out enough offense to beat Long Beach State 3-1. A day after Dillon Tate allowed just three hits in a complete-game loss for UCSB, Justin Jacome (9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 K) was just as good Saturday, throwing a complete game of his own, the first of his career. Jacome allowed two hits in the top of the first but just two more the rest of the day, and his 12 strikeouts were a career high. UCSB was able to piece together a couple runs in the first and another in the eighth to give him support.
Kansas at (18) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders scored six runs over the first two innings and cruised to a 9-3 win, leveling the series. Eric Gutierrez, Tim Proudfoot and Orlando Garcia each had two RBIs for Tech, while Cameron Smith (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) improved to 3-2 on the mound.
(20) Virginia at Notre Dame: After frigid temperatures in South Bend pushed back the series opener, the Cavaliers swept a doubleheader Saturday, 9-1 and 4-2. The top four hitters in Virginia's order combined for nine hits in the first game, led by Daniel Pinero's 3-for-3 effort, providing plenty of support for Nathan Kirby (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K). Standout UVa. freshman Adam Haseley hit his first collegiate home run in that one. The second game was much tighter. Connor Jones (7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) gave Virginia a strong start, but the score was knotted 2-2 until the top of the ninth when the Cavs got back-to-back two-out RBI hits from Christian Lowry and Haseley.
(21) California at Utah: The Golden Bears are mashing their way through Salt Lake City, putting up double-digits for the second straight day in Saturday's 11-6 win. Star sophomore Lucas Erceg homered yet again, his eighth of the year, and he, Chris Paul and Brett Cumberland-Cal's Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters-combined for seven RBIs. Ryan Mason (5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) didn't dominate on the mound for Cal but managed to improve to 4-0.
Kansas State at (23) Oklahoma State: Another team that used a huge first inning to pave the way to a win, the Cowboys scored six in the first against K-State en route to a 12-3 win to draw even in the series. Conor Costello and Ryan Sluder each homered later on in the game, and OSU piled up 15 hits in all, while Tyler Buffett (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) picked up the win with strong work out of the bullpen.
(25) Illinois at Michigan State: Illinois got out to a 4-0 lead after three innings and went on to win 8-4 in the opener of this weather-delayed series, which will now run through Monday. Casey Fletcher and Matthew James each had two hits and two RBIs for the Illini, and Kevin Duchene (6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) picked up his fourth win. At 19-5-1 now, Illinois is off to its best 25-game start since 1989.
BA - Saturday Roundup: Kubat, Huskers Outlast UT
Although Nebraska's lineup has been showing signs of life over the last couple weeks, its pitching has been carrying the banner since day one, and it's the Huskers' pitching that's led the way to a marquee series win against 19th-ranked Texas.
It's hard to believe it's now been nearly four full years since the Huskers left the Big 12 for the Big Ten, with this weekend marking the Longhorns' first trip to Lincoln since 2011. Nebraska won the opener 3-1 on Friday behind senior Chance Sinclair, and the Huskers sent another senior to the hill Saturday in Kyle Kubat. Kubat doesn't have overwhelming stuff, but the lefthander knows how to mix velocities and pitch types. He beguiled the Longhorns over eight shutout innings on Saturday (8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), setting a career high for strikeouts.
Despite Kubat's efforts, the Huskers were unable to mount anything against Texas' Kacy Clemens (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K), who didn't allow a hit over his final five innings of work, and the game went to extras scoreless. Meanwhile, Texas went nine full innings between hits, from the fourth to the 13th, and four Nebraska pitchers combined on 19 strikeouts while allowing just four hits in 15 innings of work.
After leaving the bases loaded in the both the 11th and 13th, Nebraska finally broke the stalemate in the 15th. Huskers catcher Tanner Lubach led off the inning against Texas' Travis Duke by getting hit by a pitch. After a sac bunt moved Lubach into scoring position, senior Austin Darby poked a base hit to left field which was booted by Texas outfielder Ben Johnson, allowing Lubach to score uncontested and Nebraska to win 1-0.
The Huskers improved to 20-7 on the season, and they've won 13 of their last 14 games.
Top 25 Showdowns
(17) Houston at (6) Central Florida: The Cougars used homers from Ashford Fulmer and Chris Iriart, his second of the weekend, to knock off UCF 7-5 and level the series, setting up a rubber match Sunday in the biggest series of the year in the American. The Cougars got a fine effort from junior Kyle Dowdy (7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K), holding UCF's explosive offense in check while Houston opened up a 6-1 lead. The Knights rallied for four unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth, keyed by JoMarcos Woods' bases-loaded double, but Seth Romero was able to strand Woods, the tying run, at second base, and Fulmer then homered in the top of the ninth to give UH some insurance again.
Top 25 Upsets
Tennessee at (2) Vanderbilt
Three Tennessee relievers combined on 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Vols tied the series with the Commodores with a 9-5 win. The teams traded crooked numbers early, with Tennessee scoring five runs, all unearned, in the top of the third off Walker Buehler (5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K), while the Commodores scored three in the second and tied it 5-5 with two in the bottom of the third. The score then stayed 5-5 until the Vols broke through for four in the top of the eighth against Philip Pfeifer (3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER). The win snapped a six-game losing streak in SEC play for Tennessee and was its first in Nashville since 2009.
Missouri at (3) Texas A&M: The Tigers got a big game from talented freshman Tanner Houck (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and handed Texas A&M just its second loss of the season, and its first at home, 3-2. The Aggies got single runs in the second and third before Missouri answered with two in the fourth, and the game stayed deadlocked until Ryan Howard's RBI double in the top of the eighth. A&M outhit Missouri 12-7 for the game, but the Aggies stranded the tying run at third base in both the eighth and the ninth, with Missouri's Brecklin Williams (2 IP, 4 H, 0 R) picking up his seventh save.
Georgia at (12) South Carolina: In the completion of Friday's suspended game, Mike Bell's RBI single in the top of the 11th netted Georgia a 6-5 win. In the regularly scheduled game that followed, the Bulldogs clinched their first series win in Columbia since 1994 by beating the Gamecocks 4-3. The Gamecocks elected to use regular No. 2 starter Jack Wynkoop to finish the suspended game-he ended up throwing three innings-then called on Reed Scott (7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) to make his third start of the year in the second game. Georgia did all its scoring in the first two innings against Scott before holding off a late rally from the Gamecocks, who got three hits from Gene Cone and two apiece from Kyle Martin and Jordan Gore. The Gamecocks have lost six of their past seven games and fell to 4-4 in the SEC.
(22) Oregon at Arizona: Oregon is in an absolute tailspin. Not even blue-chip freshman David Peterson (4.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) was able to stop the bleeding in Saturday's 9-5 loss, which clinched the series for Arizona. The Ducks made five errors Friday, and their defense let them down again Saturday. Oregon made three more errors, all of them coming in Arizona's eight-run fifth inning. The Ducks have now lost all three of their Pac-12 series and eight of their past 12 games overall.
(24) Indiana at Iowa: Iowa's pitching has allowed only one run in two games after the Hawkeyes beat Indiana 5-1 Saturday, clinching the series. Big armed righthander Blake Hickman (8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) dominated for Iowa. The Hoosiers also got a solid effort from Jake Kelzer (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), but a four-run seventh against the IU bullpen put the game out of reach, highlighted by Jake Mangler's two-run double.
Other Top 25 Results
Kentucky at (1) Louisiana State: The Tigers bounced back from Friday's extra-innings loss with a closer-than-the-score-indicates 7-3 win. Freshman Alex Lange (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 13 K) was superb yet again for LSU, but the Tigers only led 2-1 when he was lifted. The Wildcats rallied to tie the game in the top of the eighth against the LSU bullpen, relegating Lange to a no decision. But in the bottom half of the frame, LSU's Chris Chinea hit an inside-the-park three-run homer and Jared Foster followed later on with a conventional over-the-fence two-run homer to give LSU the win.
Alabama at (4) Florida: Buddy Reed's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth scored the go-ahead runs as Florida won a hard-fought rubber match with Alabama, 7-4. The Crimson Tide led 4-3 after six innings, but Jeremy Vasquez's solo homer in the bottom of the seventh tied it, and A.J. Puk (3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) responded to being pulled out of the weekend rotation with a strong showing out of the bullpen, picking up his fifth win.
Wichita State at (5) Texas Christian: By his lofty standards, it was a relatively pedestrian outing for Preston Morrison (6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) on Saturday, but it was still enough for him to improve to 6-0 as the Horned Frogs beat Wichita State 8-4, sealing the series. Freshman Connor Wanhanen (4-for-4) paced TCU's 13-hit attack, while Keaton Jones and Nolan Brown had two hits apiece.
Georgia Tech at (7) Louisville: The Yellow Jackets' rough week continued with an 8-3 loss in Louisville as the Cardinals clinched the series. Cardinals freshman Brendan McKay (7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) continued his strong work on the mound to improve to 4-0, while UofL scored six runs in the first two innings against a wild Cole Pitts (1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K) and never looked back. Sophomore outfielder Corey Ray did it all for the Louisville offense, going 3-for-5, driving in four runs and stealing four bases.
(8) Southern California at Washington
Nebraska-Texas wasn't even the longest scoreless game of the day. USC and Washington played to 0-0 draw through 15 innings before a wild 16th saw the Trojans emerge with a 3-2 win that tied the series. Starters Kyle Twomey (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 BB, 4 K) for USC and Tyler Davis (8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K) for Washington got the ball rolling, and the bullpens kept it 0-0 until the top of the 16th. RBI hits by Corey Dempster and Timmy Robinson put the Trojans up 3-0, but Braden Bishop hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning that pulled the Huskies back within 3-2. They got no closer though, Alex Chavarria striking out Levi Jordan to finally bring the game to an end after 4 hours and 41 minutes. It was the longest game by innings in USC's history.
(9) UCLA at Washington State: Luke Persico went 3-for-4, including a key two-run double in the sixth, as UCLA clinched the series with a 6-1 win. Bruins senior Grant Watson (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) picked up his fourth win of the year and 26th of his career, which moves him past former major leaguer Jim Parque to be the winningest lefthander in UCLA history.
Virginia Tech at (10) Florida State: The FSU offense erupted for 18 runs over its final three at-bats to lead the Seminoles to a 19-9 win that ties the series. Danny De La Calle and John Sansone led the way for FSU with three hits apiece, while the Seminoles, patient as always, drew 10 walks as a group. Most of the damage came in FSU's 11-run bottom of the eighth, during which the Noles had six hits and five walks to break open what was a one-run game.
Stanford at (11) Arizona State: After needing to rally late to beat Stanford on Friday, Saturday's 6-3 win as a little less stressful for the Sun Devils. ASU took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the second, and every Sun Devils starter reached base at least once. Ryan Kellogg (6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) ran his record to 5-0 with the victory.
(13) Miami at North Carolina: Zack Collins' solo homer in the top of the 11th was finally enough for Miami to subdue UNC in a back-and-forth 4-3 win, clinching the series for the Hurricanes. Miami had to overcome an ineffective outing from Andy Suarez (3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), while star UNC freshman J.B. Bukauskas (7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) was outstanding. But the Canes managed to tie the game in the 7th and take leads in the 9th and 10th, only to see UNC rally to tie it each time against normally reliable closer Bryan Garcia. However, the Heels left 16 men on base, including the potential winning runs in scoring position in both the 9th and 10th, and they were unable to get off the mat a third time after Collins' jack.
Southern Mississippi at (14) Rice: Rice scored 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning, beating Southern Miss 11-4 to clinch the series. The Owls sent 14 men to the plate in the first, highlighted by junior Leon Byrd hitting two doubles in the inning and sophomore Charlie Warren hitting the first home run of his college career, a two-run shot. All those runs were plenty for Blake Fox (7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K), who breezed to his third win.
Illinois State at (15) Dallas Baptist: The Patriots clinched the series and improved to 21-3 overall with a dramatic 6-5 win. DBU fell into an early 4-0 hole as Cory Taylor (4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) struggled but rallied to tie the game in the seventh and again in the eighth, after ISU had taken a 5-4 lead. An error and a wild pitch set up Daniel Salters' walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth, as the Patriots stayed perfect at home at 10-0.
Long Beach State at (16) UC Santa Barbara: Getting a second straight brilliant game from their starting pitcher, the Gauchos didn't waste it this time, scratching out enough offense to beat Long Beach State 3-1. A day after Dillon Tate allowed just three hits in a complete-game loss for UCSB, Justin Jacome (9 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 12 K) was just as good Saturday, throwing a complete game of his own, the first of his career. Jacome allowed two hits in the top of the first but just two more the rest of the day, and his 12 strikeouts were a career high. UCSB was able to piece together a couple runs in the first and another in the eighth to give him support.
Kansas at (18) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders scored six runs over the first two innings and cruised to a 9-3 win, leveling the series. Eric Gutierrez, Tim Proudfoot and Orlando Garcia each had two RBIs for Tech, while Cameron Smith (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) improved to 3-2 on the mound.
(20) Virginia at Notre Dame: After frigid temperatures in South Bend pushed back the series opener, the Cavaliers swept a doubleheader Saturday, 9-1 and 4-2. The top four hitters in Virginia's order combined for nine hits in the first game, led by Daniel Pinero's 3-for-3 effort, providing plenty of support for Nathan Kirby (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K). Standout UVa. freshman Adam Haseley hit his first collegiate home run in that one. The second game was much tighter. Connor Jones (7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) gave Virginia a strong start, but the score was knotted 2-2 until the top of the ninth when the Cavs got back-to-back two-out RBI hits from Christian Lowry and Haseley.
(21) California at Utah: The Golden Bears are mashing their way through Salt Lake City, putting up double-digits for the second straight day in Saturday's 11-6 win. Star sophomore Lucas Erceg homered yet again, his eighth of the year, and he, Chris Paul and Brett Cumberland-Cal's Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters-combined for seven RBIs. Ryan Mason (5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) didn't dominate on the mound for Cal but managed to improve to 4-0.
Kansas State at (23) Oklahoma State: Another team that used a huge first inning to pave the way to a win, the Cowboys scored six in the first against K-State en route to a 12-3 win to draw even in the series. Conor Costello and Ryan Sluder each homered later on in the game, and OSU piled up 15 hits in all, while Tyler Buffett (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) picked up the win with strong work out of the bullpen.
(25) Illinois at Michigan State: Illinois got out to a 4-0 lead after three innings and went on to win 8-4 in the opener of this weather-delayed series, which will now run through Monday. Casey Fletcher and Matthew James each had two hits and two RBIs for the Illini, and Kevin Duchene (6 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) picked up his fourth win. At 19-5-1 now, Illinois is off to its best 25-game start since 1989.
BA - Saturday Roundup: Kubat, Huskers Outlast UT
CBI: Around the Bases (3/28)
Nebraska scores in 15th to edge Texas
USC nips Washington in 16, Houston wins at UCF, Missouri tops Texas A&M
Nebraska 1, No. 13 Texas 0 (15)
In Lincoln, Neb., Tanner Lubach was hit by a pitch to lead off the 15th and scored on a error as Nebraska clinched a series win over Texas. Four hurlers combined on a four-hit shutout with 19 strikeouts for the Huskers (20-7): Kyle Kubat (8 IP, 3 H, 9 K), Jake Hohensee (2 IP, BB, 3 K), Colton Howell (2.2 IP, 2 BB, 5 K) and Jeff Chesnut (4-0, 2.1 IP, H, 2 K). Ben Johnson had two hits for the Longhorns (17-10).
No. 12 USC 3, Washington 2 (16)
In Seattle, Corey Dempster had an RBI single in the top of the 16th to snap a scoreless tie and Timmy Robinson added a two-run single later in the frame as USC edged Washington to even their Pac-12 series. Braden Bishop (2 for 6) had a two-run homer in the bottom of the 16th for the Huskies (2-6, 15-11). Bobby Stahel had three hits and a run for the Trojans (3-2, 21-6). Marc Huberman (4-1, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K) earned the win, while Alex Chavarria fanned the final batter of the game for his first save.
No. 17 Houston 7, No 8 UCF 5
In Orlando, Fla., Chris Iriart hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to snap a 1-1 tie and propel Houston over UCF to even their American series. Connor Wong (2 for 4) had a two-run single to cap a three-run eighth for the Cougars (1-1, 19-8). Iriart had two hits, while Josh Vidales went 3 for 5 with two runs for UH. Kyle Dowdy (3-0, 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) picked up the win, while Seth Romero fanned seven over the final two innings to record his fourth save. JoMarcos Woods had a three-run double in a four-run eighth for the Knights (1-1, 21-7).
Missouri 3, No. 2 Texas A&M 2
In College Station, Texas, Tanner Houck allowed two earned runs in seven innings, and Ryan Howard doubled in the deciding run in the eighth inning as Missouri evened its SEC series with Texas A&M and ended the Aggies' 21-game winning streak. Breckin Williams picked up his seventh save with two scoreless innings for the Tigers (6-2, 20-8), who scored the game's final three runs. Mizzou improved to 8-1 in one-run games. Logan Taylor had three hits, and Blake Allemand added two hits and an RBI for the Aggies (6-2, 26-2).
Tennessee 9, No. 3 Vanderbilt 5
In Nashville, Tenn., Jordan Rodgers snapped a 5-5 tie with a run-scoring fielder's choice in the top of the eighth and Vincent Jackson capped the four-run frame with a two-run single as Tennessee evened its SEC series at Vanderbilt. Andrew Lee went 3 for 4 and drove in two for the Volunteers (2-6, 11-12). Kyle Serrano (2-3, 1.2 IP, 3 K) earned the win in relief. Will Toffey (2 for 4) had a three-run homer in the second for the Commodores (6-2, 21-6).
No. 1 LSU 7, Kentucky 3
In Baton Rouge, La., Chris Chinea broke a 2-2 deadlock with a three-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the eighth as LSU evened its SEC series with Kentucky. Jared Foster belted a two-run dinger later in the frame for the Tigers (5-3, 23-4). Chinea finished with two hits and four RBI. Zac Person (1-0, 1 IP, 3 H, R) won in relief of Alex Lange (7 IP, 6 H, UE, 5 BB, 13 K). Kyle Barrett and Marcus Carson both had three hits for the Wildcats (3-5, 17-10).
No. 4 TCU 8, Wichita State 4
In Fort Worth, Preston Morrison allowed four runs (two earned) in 6.1 innings in improving to 6-0 and Connor Wanhanen went 4 for 4 with a run as TCU beat Wichita State for the second straight day. Cody Jones had two hits, three runs and a run, and Keaton Jones added two hits and two RBI for the Horned Frogs (20-4). Sam Hilliard homered and drove in four for the Shockers (11-15).
No. 5 Florida 7, Alabama 4
In Gainesville, Fla., Buddy Reed's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth broke a 4-4 tie as Florida won the rubber game of its SEC series with Alabama. Ryan Larson added two RBI, and Jeremy Vasquez tied the game at 4 with a solo homer in the seventh for the Gators (5-4, 23-6). Richie Martin also homered and scored twice for Florida, which got 3.1 scoreless innings from A.J. Puk (5-2). Will Haynie homered and drove in two for the Crimson Tide (4-5, 14-12).
No. 6 UCLA 6, Washington State 1
In Pullman, Wash., Luke Persico went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI, and Grant Watson allowed one run in six innings as UCLA topped Washington State for the second straight day. Watson (4-2) earned his 26th career win to pass Jim Parque as the winningest lefty pitcher in Bruins history. Kevin Kramer added two RBI for the Bruins (7-1, 20-5). The Cougars (1-7, 12-13) managed only three hits on the day.
No. 7 Louisville 8, Georgia Tech 3
In Louisville, Ky., Corey Ray went 3 for 5 with four RBI and four steals as Louisville clinched an ACC series win over Georgia Tech. The Cardinals (10-1, 20-7) scored three in each of the first two innings to take control. Ray had an RBI single in the first, a two-run base hit in second and an RBI single in the seventh. Brendan McKay (4-0, 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) earned the victory. A.J. Murray had two doubles and a run for the Yellow Jackets (5-6, 17-9).
No. 9 Florida State 19, Virginia Tech 9
In Tallahassee, Fla., Hank Truluck and Taylor Walls both had two-run singles to highlight an 11-run eighth as Florida State outscored Virginia Tech to even their ACC series. Truluck finished with two hits and three RBI, while John Sansone went 2 for 3 with three runs for the Seminoles (8-3, 21-7). Brendon Hayden had three hits, including a double, and three runs for the Hokies (6-5, 15-13).
Georgia 6-4, No. 10 South Carolina 5-3 (Game 1 - 11 innings)
In Columbia, S.C., Mike Bell had an RBI single in the top of the 11th in the completion of Friday's suspended game and Sean McLaughlin fanned five over the final 4.1 innings of the second game as Georgia grabbed a pair of victories at South Carolina. Zack Bowers had two hits, including a double, and two RBI in the first game for the Bulldogs (5-3, 18-10). Ma Schrock and Kyle Martin both drove in two for the Gamecocks (4-4, 18-9). Jared Cheek (2-1, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K) earned the victory for Georgia. In the second game, the Bulldogs scored two in each of the first two innings to take control. McLaughlin (3-1) scattered four hits and two walks in recording the win. Kyle Martin (2 for 4) had a two-run homer in the ninth for South Carolina.
No. 11 Arizona State 6, Stanford 3
In Phoenix, Ariz., Colby Woodmansee drove in a pair as Arizona State secured a Pac-12 series win over Stanford. Woodmansee had a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI double in a three-run fifth for the Sun Devils (6-2, 17-7). Ryan Kellogg (5-0, 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K) took the victory, while Ryan Burr retired the final five batters in order to record his ninth save. Burr fanned two in the eighth with a pair of runners in scoring position. Tommy Edman went 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI for the Cardinal (0-5, 10-13).
No. 14 Miami 4, North Carolina 3 (11)
In Chapel Hill, N.C., Zack Collins hit a two-out homer in the top of the 11th to help Miami clinch an ACC series victory over North Carolina. Both teams scored single runs in the ninth and 10th to force the extra frames. Cooper Hammond fanned the final two batters of the game with the tying and winning runs on base to secure the win for the Hurricanes (8-3, 20-8). Landon Lassiter went 4 for 5 with a double and one RBI for the Tar Heels (5-6, 15-11).
No. 15 Rice 11, Southern Miss 4
In Houston, Charlie Warren had two-run homer to highlight a 10-run first as Rice rolled past Southern Miss to clinch a Conference USA series victory. Leon Byrd had a pair of RBI doubles and Ford Stainback had a two-run single in the first-inning outburst for the Owls (9-2, 19-10). John Clay Reeves finished with three hits, including a homer, and three RBI for Rice. Taylor Braley had two hits and two RBI for the Golden Eagles (3-4, 14-10-1).
No. 16 Virginia 9-4, Notre Dame 1-2
In Notre Dame, Ind., Nathan Kirby fanned eight in six scoreless innings in the opener as Virginia swept an ACC doubleheader at Notre Dame. Kirby (4-1) allowed five hits and two walks. Kevin Doherty (3 IP, H, R, 2 BB, K) earned his second save. Daniel Pinero went 3 for 3 with two walks and four runs, while Matt Thaiss had two hits and three RBI for the Cavaliers (5-6, 17-8). Lane Richards and Robert Youngdahl both had two hits for the Irish (3-8, 16-9). In Game 2, Christian Lowry had an RBI single with two away in the top of the ninth to snap a 2-2 deadlock and scored an insurance run on Adam Haseley's double as UVa completed the doubleheader sweep. Tommy Doyle (1-0) recorded the final out in the eighth to pick up the win, while Josh Sborz allowed one hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. Ryan Bull went 2 for 4 with a double and a run for Notre Dame.
No. 18 UC Santa Barbara 3, Long Beach State 1
In Santa Barbara, Calif., Justin Jacome pitched a complete-game four-hitter with 12 strikeouts as UC Santa Barbara leveled its Big West series with Long Beach State. Jacome (4-1) allowed one earned run and walked two. The Gauchos (1-1, 18-7) scored two in the first and one in the eighth. Peter Maris went 2 for 3 with two runs for UCSB. Zack Rivera went 3 for 3 with one RBI for the Dirtbags (1-1, 13-9).
CBI: Around the Bases (3/28)
Nebraska scores in 15th to edge Texas
USC nips Washington in 16, Houston wins at UCF, Missouri tops Texas A&M
Nebraska 1, No. 13 Texas 0 (15)
In Lincoln, Neb., Tanner Lubach was hit by a pitch to lead off the 15th and scored on a error as Nebraska clinched a series win over Texas. Four hurlers combined on a four-hit shutout with 19 strikeouts for the Huskers (20-7): Kyle Kubat (8 IP, 3 H, 9 K), Jake Hohensee (2 IP, BB, 3 K), Colton Howell (2.2 IP, 2 BB, 5 K) and Jeff Chesnut (4-0, 2.1 IP, H, 2 K). Ben Johnson had two hits for the Longhorns (17-10).
No. 12 USC 3, Washington 2 (16)
In Seattle, Corey Dempster had an RBI single in the top of the 16th to snap a scoreless tie and Timmy Robinson added a two-run single later in the frame as USC edged Washington to even their Pac-12 series. Braden Bishop (2 for 6) had a two-run homer in the bottom of the 16th for the Huskies (2-6, 15-11). Bobby Stahel had three hits and a run for the Trojans (3-2, 21-6). Marc Huberman (4-1, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K) earned the win, while Alex Chavarria fanned the final batter of the game for his first save.
No. 17 Houston 7, No 8 UCF 5
In Orlando, Fla., Chris Iriart hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to snap a 1-1 tie and propel Houston over UCF to even their American series. Connor Wong (2 for 4) had a two-run single to cap a three-run eighth for the Cougars (1-1, 19-8). Iriart had two hits, while Josh Vidales went 3 for 5 with two runs for UH. Kyle Dowdy (3-0, 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) picked up the win, while Seth Romero fanned seven over the final two innings to record his fourth save. JoMarcos Woods had a three-run double in a four-run eighth for the Knights (1-1, 21-7).
Missouri 3, No. 2 Texas A&M 2
In College Station, Texas, Tanner Houck allowed two earned runs in seven innings, and Ryan Howard doubled in the deciding run in the eighth inning as Missouri evened its SEC series with Texas A&M and ended the Aggies' 21-game winning streak. Breckin Williams picked up his seventh save with two scoreless innings for the Tigers (6-2, 20-8), who scored the game's final three runs. Mizzou improved to 8-1 in one-run games. Logan Taylor had three hits, and Blake Allemand added two hits and an RBI for the Aggies (6-2, 26-2).
Tennessee 9, No. 3 Vanderbilt 5
In Nashville, Tenn., Jordan Rodgers snapped a 5-5 tie with a run-scoring fielder's choice in the top of the eighth and Vincent Jackson capped the four-run frame with a two-run single as Tennessee evened its SEC series at Vanderbilt. Andrew Lee went 3 for 4 and drove in two for the Volunteers (2-6, 11-12). Kyle Serrano (2-3, 1.2 IP, 3 K) earned the win in relief. Will Toffey (2 for 4) had a three-run homer in the second for the Commodores (6-2, 21-6).
No. 1 LSU 7, Kentucky 3
In Baton Rouge, La., Chris Chinea broke a 2-2 deadlock with a three-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the eighth as LSU evened its SEC series with Kentucky. Jared Foster belted a two-run dinger later in the frame for the Tigers (5-3, 23-4). Chinea finished with two hits and four RBI. Zac Person (1-0, 1 IP, 3 H, R) won in relief of Alex Lange (7 IP, 6 H, UE, 5 BB, 13 K). Kyle Barrett and Marcus Carson both had three hits for the Wildcats (3-5, 17-10).
No. 4 TCU 8, Wichita State 4
In Fort Worth, Preston Morrison allowed four runs (two earned) in 6.1 innings in improving to 6-0 and Connor Wanhanen went 4 for 4 with a run as TCU beat Wichita State for the second straight day. Cody Jones had two hits, three runs and a run, and Keaton Jones added two hits and two RBI for the Horned Frogs (20-4). Sam Hilliard homered and drove in four for the Shockers (11-15).
No. 5 Florida 7, Alabama 4
In Gainesville, Fla., Buddy Reed's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth broke a 4-4 tie as Florida won the rubber game of its SEC series with Alabama. Ryan Larson added two RBI, and Jeremy Vasquez tied the game at 4 with a solo homer in the seventh for the Gators (5-4, 23-6). Richie Martin also homered and scored twice for Florida, which got 3.1 scoreless innings from A.J. Puk (5-2). Will Haynie homered and drove in two for the Crimson Tide (4-5, 14-12).
No. 6 UCLA 6, Washington State 1
In Pullman, Wash., Luke Persico went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI, and Grant Watson allowed one run in six innings as UCLA topped Washington State for the second straight day. Watson (4-2) earned his 26th career win to pass Jim Parque as the winningest lefty pitcher in Bruins history. Kevin Kramer added two RBI for the Bruins (7-1, 20-5). The Cougars (1-7, 12-13) managed only three hits on the day.
No. 7 Louisville 8, Georgia Tech 3
In Louisville, Ky., Corey Ray went 3 for 5 with four RBI and four steals as Louisville clinched an ACC series win over Georgia Tech. The Cardinals (10-1, 20-7) scored three in each of the first two innings to take control. Ray had an RBI single in the first, a two-run base hit in second and an RBI single in the seventh. Brendan McKay (4-0, 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) earned the victory. A.J. Murray had two doubles and a run for the Yellow Jackets (5-6, 17-9).
No. 9 Florida State 19, Virginia Tech 9
In Tallahassee, Fla., Hank Truluck and Taylor Walls both had two-run singles to highlight an 11-run eighth as Florida State outscored Virginia Tech to even their ACC series. Truluck finished with two hits and three RBI, while John Sansone went 2 for 3 with three runs for the Seminoles (8-3, 21-7). Brendon Hayden had three hits, including a double, and three runs for the Hokies (6-5, 15-13).
Georgia 6-4, No. 10 South Carolina 5-3 (Game 1 - 11 innings)
In Columbia, S.C., Mike Bell had an RBI single in the top of the 11th in the completion of Friday's suspended game and Sean McLaughlin fanned five over the final 4.1 innings of the second game as Georgia grabbed a pair of victories at South Carolina. Zack Bowers had two hits, including a double, and two RBI in the first game for the Bulldogs (5-3, 18-10). Ma Schrock and Kyle Martin both drove in two for the Gamecocks (4-4, 18-9). Jared Cheek (2-1, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K) earned the victory for Georgia. In the second game, the Bulldogs scored two in each of the first two innings to take control. McLaughlin (3-1) scattered four hits and two walks in recording the win. Kyle Martin (2 for 4) had a two-run homer in the ninth for South Carolina.
No. 11 Arizona State 6, Stanford 3
In Phoenix, Ariz., Colby Woodmansee drove in a pair as Arizona State secured a Pac-12 series win over Stanford. Woodmansee had a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI double in a three-run fifth for the Sun Devils (6-2, 17-7). Ryan Kellogg (5-0, 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K) took the victory, while Ryan Burr retired the final five batters in order to record his ninth save. Burr fanned two in the eighth with a pair of runners in scoring position. Tommy Edman went 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI for the Cardinal (0-5, 10-13).
No. 14 Miami 4, North Carolina 3 (11)
In Chapel Hill, N.C., Zack Collins hit a two-out homer in the top of the 11th to help Miami clinch an ACC series victory over North Carolina. Both teams scored single runs in the ninth and 10th to force the extra frames. Cooper Hammond fanned the final two batters of the game with the tying and winning runs on base to secure the win for the Hurricanes (8-3, 20-8). Landon Lassiter went 4 for 5 with a double and one RBI for the Tar Heels (5-6, 15-11).
No. 15 Rice 11, Southern Miss 4
In Houston, Charlie Warren had two-run homer to highlight a 10-run first as Rice rolled past Southern Miss to clinch a Conference USA series victory. Leon Byrd had a pair of RBI doubles and Ford Stainback had a two-run single in the first-inning outburst for the Owls (9-2, 19-10). John Clay Reeves finished with three hits, including a homer, and three RBI for Rice. Taylor Braley had two hits and two RBI for the Golden Eagles (3-4, 14-10-1).
No. 16 Virginia 9-4, Notre Dame 1-2
In Notre Dame, Ind., Nathan Kirby fanned eight in six scoreless innings in the opener as Virginia swept an ACC doubleheader at Notre Dame. Kirby (4-1) allowed five hits and two walks. Kevin Doherty (3 IP, H, R, 2 BB, K) earned his second save. Daniel Pinero went 3 for 3 with two walks and four runs, while Matt Thaiss had two hits and three RBI for the Cavaliers (5-6, 17-8). Lane Richards and Robert Youngdahl both had two hits for the Irish (3-8, 16-9). In Game 2, Christian Lowry had an RBI single with two away in the top of the ninth to snap a 2-2 deadlock and scored an insurance run on Adam Haseley's double as UVa completed the doubleheader sweep. Tommy Doyle (1-0) recorded the final out in the eighth to pick up the win, while Josh Sborz allowed one hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his sixth save. Ryan Bull went 2 for 4 with a double and a run for Notre Dame.
No. 18 UC Santa Barbara 3, Long Beach State 1
In Santa Barbara, Calif., Justin Jacome pitched a complete-game four-hitter with 12 strikeouts as UC Santa Barbara leveled its Big West series with Long Beach State. Jacome (4-1) allowed one earned run and walked two. The Gauchos (1-1, 18-7) scored two in the first and one in the eighth. Peter Maris went 2 for 3 with two runs for UCSB. Zack Rivera went 3 for 3 with one RBI for the Dirtbags (1-1, 13-9).
CBI: Around the Bases (3/28)
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