[Husker] Huskers split last two of the series

[Skylar Dodds]

Hello Husker Fans,

  The Huskers finished the Rice Invitational with a split with #6 Rice
  and #27 Florida Atlantic.

  Sat. Rice 9 - NU 5
  ==================

  On Saturday, the Huskers flat out gave one away. Everything seemed
  to be going the Huskers way early. The Huskers drove in 4 runs in
  the first inning all with 2 outs from Brown, Gerch and a 2 run
  triple from Nick Sullivan.

  After a bases loaded 2 out walk to Opitz to make it 5-0, the Huskers
  looked like they were in control.  Shirek shut them down in the first
  three frames and looked great.

  Then, the 4th happened...

  Rice scored it's first run on the last of three straight hits to
  open the inning.  With a runner on third, Lanning let a pass ball by
  to make it 5-2.  Shirek then walked the next batter for runners on
  the corners.  An error by throwing error from Brown at first on what
  looked like a sure double play gave Rice yet another run and again,
  runners on the corners and still nobody out.

  The wheels just kept coming off when Tezak took a grounder home to
  catch the lead runner, but he scrambled back to the bag and everyone
  was safe. After another wild pitch brought Rice to within 1 (5-4),
  another costly walk from Shirek loaded up the bases again, now with
  2 outs. Shirek got 2 strikes on Brian Friday before plucking him in
  the arm to score the tying run. Dan Jennings came in allowed another
  run on a wild pitch, but then finally got the Huskers out of the
  inning.

  All said, 6 runs on 3 hits (all to open the frame) 2 wild pitches, 1
  passed ball, 1 error and 1 hit by pitch (not to mention the
  fielder's choice mental error by Tezak).

  The Owls added 2 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th, but by that time the
  wind was out of the Huskers sails. The boys managed just 3 base
  runners from there on out and never really threatened.

  Pitching:
  The loss goes to Shirek for 3.2 innings, 6 runs (only 2 earned) 2
  walks and 1 strikeout.  Jennings allowed 2 runs in .1 innings of
  work and Matt Foust worked a solid final 4 innings giving up just 1
  earned run.

  Offense:
  Belfonte snapped his 'getting on base' streak at 5 games.  Tezak,
  Wehrle, and Opitz all had 2 hits a piece and Sullivan's only hit was
  a 2 RBI triple.  Opitz also drew a walk, getting on base all 4 times
  he was up.

  Sat. NU 8 - Florida Atlantic 7
  ==============================

  NU bats came to play and the bullpen really came through when we
  needed it.

  Dorn had a very rough start, but the bullpen came up huge for the
  final 3 innings to seal the victory.

  The Owls (yes, same as Rice) matched the Huskers score in every
  inning but the 5th in a back and forth battle, but the Huskers came
  out on top.

  The Huskers got on top early with some small ball.  Nimmo reached on
  an infield single and moved up to third on a bad pickoff attempt and
  Wehrle brought him in with a dribbler up the middle.

  It didn't talk long for FAU to answer with a solo home run in the
  bottom of the first off Dorn for a 1-1 tie.

  In the third, NU again used clutch 2 out hitting with back to back
  doubles from Opitz and Brown and then an RBI single from Gerch to go
  up 3-1.

  Again, the Owls matched the Huskers in the bottom frame when FAU's
  Widansky hit his second homer of the day with 1 on for a 3-3 tie.

  In the fourth, the Huskers again put pressure on FAU by scoring 3.
  Nimmo drove one in with an infield error with runners on the
  corners.  After Belfonte was thrown out at third on the double
  steal, Wehrle belted his 2nd homer of the season for a 6-3 lead.

  Again, FAU was up to the challenge.  In the bottom of the fourth
  Dorn walked two and then gave up a two out two run double to bring
  the Owls within 1.  The Owls tied it up on the next batter when
  Gerch mishandled a fly ball to left allowing the runner to score.

  Brown led off the 5th with a double and Gerch a single to put
  runners on the corners.  The Huskers finally got a cushion when
  pinch hitter Jake Mort hit a sac-fly to right to score Brown.

  Craig Corriston added to the lead in the 7th with a solo homer, his
  first of the year.  The Owls would get within one on a solo homer in
  the bottom of the 7th to chase Dorn, but the bullpen stepped up.

  The highlight was definitely Steve Edlefsen, who moved to full time
  pitcher this year after playing some at third base last year.  He
  had a rough first start where the wheels came off a bit, but he came
  in a pitched 2.1 solid innings to slow down the Owls.

  FAU managed to get a runner in scoring position in the ninth, but
  Erik Bird came in to close the deal, shutting the Owls down for
  good.

  Pitching:
  Dorn had a rough day, 6 innings and 6 earned runs.  Even though the
  Huskers had 3 errors on the day, only one of them was costly.  He
  did strike out 5, but walked 3 and gave up 6 hits.

  Edlefsen was huge when he came in a shut things down.  He gave up 1
  hit and 1 walk, but held the Owls in check for 2.1 of the final 3
  innings.   Zach Herr and Erik Bird came in and did there thing in
  the 9th for a Husker victory.

  Hitting:
  Andrew Brown and Andy Gerch both had 3 hits and an RBI.  Ryan Wehrle
  added 3 RBIs with his homer on a 2 for 4 day.  Craig Corriston was
  2 for 3 with a solo homer as well.

  =============
  WEEKEND RECAP
  =============
  
  On the weekend, the Huskers played OK.  Friday's game was fantastic,
  couldn't have gone much better.  The pitching was very solid and the
  hitting really came alive in the 9-1 win.   On Saturday, the wheels
  totally came off on the Huskers and they gave it away.  They really
  should have walked away with the win but couldn't get the mental
  mistakes out their system.  As Anderson put it, even though there
  was only 1 error in the 4th, we really gave them 7 outs with walks,
  hit batters, errors, fielder's choices and passed balls.

  On Sunday, the game was a bit sloppy again, but the sticks were
  really there and the bullpen was fantastic.  The FAU Owls are known
  for being a great hitting team (hitting something like .370 as a
  team coming into it) so that makes it even better.

  Overall, it's still really early and the Huskers still have barely
  been outside when a lot of teams they're playing have been outside
  for a month.  It's a disadvantage to play in the North, but it seems
  like most years we've been able to get outside a little more than
  this.

  Oh well, on Friday, the Huskers take on Iowa at Noon in Deland
  Florida.  Saturday they play a double header against Notre Dame and
  Stetson (Stetson's probably the best team they play next weekend).

  The good news is pretty much every game through the rest of the year
  will at least be on the radio.  FYI, the Husker also play their
  first home game on March 6th against UNK!
  
-- 
Go Skers,
 Skylar                            mailto:Sklarbodds at cox.net