|
For Immediate Release: April 23,
2002 NEBRASKA
DEFEATS BRONCS
LINCOLN,
NE –It wasn’t The University of Texas-Pan American’s night in the
first game of their two-game baseball series against Nebraska at Hawks
Field Tuesday night. The
16th-ranked Cornhuskers broke the game open by scoring nine
runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and went on to an 18-1 victory
over the Broncs. Catcher
Jed Morris’ first-inning RBI single gave Nebraska a 1-0 lead entering
the bottom of the fifth. Morris ignited the Huskers’ nine-run inning
with a three-run homer. Third baseman Brandon Eymann contributed a
run-scoring double, shortstop Joe Simokaitis added a run-scoring single,
center fielder Jeff Leise drove in two more runs with a triple, a run
scored on a balk by senior relief pitcher Mike Calvert (Grapevine,
TX/Grapevine HS/Navarro JC), and the final run crossed on first baseman
Matt Hopper’s run-scoring single. Nebraska
added five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Right fielder Drew
Anderson hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly for the first run, designated
hitter John Grose singled home another, second baseman Josh Birmingham
drove in a third with a hit, Eymann’s RBI single accounted for a
fourth, and the final run scored on an error by freshman shortstop Marco
Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS). Freshmen
supplied the offense for the Broncs. Garza, Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth,
TX/Nolan HS), and John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS) each singled,
accounting for UTPA’s first three hits. Ortiz lined a solo home run to
left center leading off the night to account for the Broncs’ only run. The
Broncs threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs on
Morris’ throwing error and walks to Lopez and junior left fielder
Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC), but
sophomore third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington HS/New
Mexico) bounced into a fielder’s choice to end the threat. Nebraska
starter Phil Shirek allowed two hits in five scoreless innings to earn
the win, improving his record to 4-1. Sophomore Bronc starter Justin
Bogy (West Columbia, TX/West Columbia HS) took the loss and fell to 3-4. The
Cornhuskers improved to 27-14 with the victory, while the Broncs fell to
13-29 with the defeat. The teams will conclude their two-game series
Wednesday evening. BASENEBRASKA1042302
|