University of Missouri
Nebraska
Missouri Drops Series Opener to No. 8 Nebraska
4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 7, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - - Despite jumping out to a 3-0 lead on Friday night, Mizzou dropped the opener of its three-game series with Nebraska, 6-3, at Taylor Stadium. Two Husker home runs and three doubles helped Nebraska win its fifth straight over MU.
Missouri junior Hunter Mense drove in two of the Tigers' three runs and scored their other run in the game. His first RBI came when he doubled in the second inning to drive home senior Derek Chambers, who had led off the inning with a single. Mense would later score on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Evan Frey.
The Tigers (16-12, 6-4 Big 12) tacked on another run in the third, as sophomore Jacob Priday singled, then scored on a triple by Mense.
On the mound, junior Nathan Culp pitched a perfect first three innings. A single by Nick Jaros with one out in the fourth was the first hit of the game for the Cornhuskers. Two batters later, Luke Gorsett hit his 13th home run of the season over the left field wall. The two-run homer snapped a 12.1 scoreless innings stretch for Culp, who had not allowed a run since his final inning of work against Kansas State on March 24.
Jeff Christy tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning for Nebraska. The Huskers (22-5, 5-2 Big 12) tacked on two more runs in the sixth and then added one in the eighth when Gorsett and Brandon Buckman had back-to-back doubles to open the inning.
Culp allowed five runs, all earned, on nine hits in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out one and walked one. Senior Travis Wendte struck out three, allowing one run on two hits in 1.2 innings in relief and redshirt freshman Brant Combs pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Sophomore Brock Bond had a single in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to eight games and sophomore Jacob Priday was 1-for-3, recording his 100th career hit as a Tigers with a single in the bottom of the third inning.
The series will continue at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Taylor stadium. For tickets call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Columbia) or visit mutigers.com. All games can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and on the World Wide Web at www.KTGR.com. Live Stats for this weekend's games will be available through Gametracker on www.mutigers.com.
