May 24, 2012

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Big innings lead to Nebraska win over Penn State

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

@roadtoomaha

photo by Jim Davidson

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Big hits led to big innings for the Huskers.

Fourth-seeded Nebraska scored three in the fifth, five in the sixth and three in the seventh in posting a 12-2 win over third-seeded Penn State in an elimination game in the Big Ten Tournament at Huntington Park.

The Cornhuskers (35-21) will play on Friday at noon ET in another elimination contest. The Nittany Lions end their season at 29-27.

Nebraska pounded out 18 hits, including 16 after the third inning. Pat Kelly had four hits, all singles, and five RBI. He tied the game in the fourth and added two-run hits in the sixth and seventh.

The sixth started with three straight bunts for the Huskers. Cory Burleson started the inning with a bunt single to third. Michael Pritchard (2 for 6, 2 R) bunted to the right side to put two on and another bunt by Rich Sanguinetti (3 for 6, 2 R) to the left side loaded the bases. Richard Stock had a two-run double and Kelly capped the outburst with a two-run single.

Stock went 3 for 4 with two doubles, three runs and three RBI for the Huskers. Chad Christensen had a pair of hits, including a long homer that cleared the bleachers in left.

Ryan Hander (3-0) (pictured above) did the job on the mound for Nebraska. He worked into the seventh, allowing seven hits and two runs with three walks and seven strikeouts.

“With our backs against the wall, it all starts and ends on the mound,” said Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad, “and Ryan Hander took the ball and went out there and gave us a chance to win. He got sideways a couple innings and found a way out of it. We made a couple plays behind him and let the offense do their thing. It’s a pretty good formula for winning.”

Sean Deegan belted a leadoff homer to right in the bottom of the first to put PSU on the board. The Nittany Lions had two hits in the second, but stranded a pair. PSU loaded the bases in the third, but again came away empty.

Steve Snyder had three hits and one RBI for PSU.