University of Missouri
Nebraska
Huskers End Tigers' Big 12 Tourney Run
5/19/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2000
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (from the Big 12 Conference) -- Centerfielder Jamal Strong bounced into a fielder's choice to push home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Nebraska edged and eliminated Missouri 4-3 in game nine of the Big 12 Phillips 66 baseball tournament at Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark Friday afternoon.
The Huskers, 44-15 and enjoying their best baseball mark since 1985, came back from a 3-2 deficit as second baseman Will Bolt scored the winning run, had a pair of hits and drove in one run. Righthander Chad Wiles, who tossed a complete game one-hitter against Oklahoma State in the 1999 Big 12 Phillips 66 tourney, earned the win with his 10th and 11th consecutive innings of scoreless pitching in Oklahoma City. He struck out one, gave up a single and advanced to 3-2 on the year.
Hard-luck starter Mitch Kiler of the Tigers worked the first 7 1/3 innings of the one-run clash and was charged with the loss. Bolt's run went on his ledger after Matt Hobbs spelled the starting hurler, now 3-3.
Missouri, 33-24, kept its hopes alive for a possible at-large NCAA Regional berth after six Big 12 teams advanced to the 1999 tourney.
Centerfielder Nick Wilfong of the Tigers singled in a pair of runs to lead the attack, which managed four hits off the two Husker pitchers.
Nebraska, now 6-1 in two appearances in the tourney and defending Big 12 Phillips 66 tourney winner, advances to a Saturday 10 a.m. (CDT) match against undefeated Oklahoma. Baylor meets the winner of the Texas-Texas Tech contest Saturday at 1 p.m. Other "if necessary" games could follow at 5 and 8 p.m. (CDT), and a third game will start no earlier than 7 p.m. (CDT) if it must be played.
Big 12 Baseball Tournament
Postgame Notes & Quotes
Game 4: #2 Nebraska vs. #7 Missouri
May 19, 2000
Missouri Head Coach Tim Jamieson
"Personally, I am disappointed because every year you start out and set your
expectations ahead of where we finished. After getting to know the ballclub
better, 33-24 is a pretty good record for this team. We didn't have a whole
lot of pitching. I think we battled for the better part of the year. We had
our ups and downs, but we have a lot of things to feel good about."
Nebraska Head Coach Dave Van Horn
"I like winning ball games like this, we lost a lot of close ones earlier.
Nine of our first 11 games were decided by one or two runs. We are starting
to turn things around a little and win some close ones. We made a mistake in
the infield, we let the ball play us, and Missouri did a great job
capitalizing on that and scored three runs that inning. But we stayed calm
and found a way to win."
Postgame Notes
The Cornhuskers advance to play the third-seeded Oklahoma Sooners at 10
a.m. in Saturday's semifinal game. Nebraska improves its Big 12 Tournament
record to 6-1 and 24-31 in Big Eight/Big 12 Tournament.
Missouri is eliminated from the tournament with a 33-24 overall record. The Tigers are 4-8 in Big 12 Tournament paly.
In 15.0 innings of work in the Big 12 Tournament Nebraska's Chad Wiles has collected two wins, recorded one save, giving up only three hits and one earned run.
Nebraska pitcher Trevor Bullock recorded a career-high eight strikeouts, surpassing his previous total of seven against Missouri on April 16.
Bullock also extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 14.1.
In just his second start of the season, Missouri's Mitch Kiler went 7.1 innings giving up just three runs on three hits. The outing was Kiler's longest of the season.
The Tigers' Jayce Tingler now has a seven-game hitting streak.
Landon Brandes, Missouri's third baseman, extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
