April 12, 2003
LINCOLN, Neb. - A day after No. 20 Missouri came back in the ninth to extend its winning streak, Matt Hopper and No. 8 Nebraska struck back.
Hopper hit a three-run, one-out homer deep to left field to bring No. 8 Nebraska back for an 11-9, come-from-behind win over the Tigers in 10 innings at Haymarket Park on Saturday. The loss ends Mizzou's winning streaks of 13 games overall and nine in a row in conference play (25-9, 9-4 Big 12). Hopper's homer came on an 0-1 count of junior Danny Hill (Weimer, Texas), who posted his first loss of the season (2-1). It was also the first loss of the season charged to the Mizzou bullpen.
The Tigers had an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning when Hopper hit a grand slam off junior Andy Shipman (Bellevue, Neb.).
Sophomore closer Travis Wendte (Moore, Okla.) was able to get Mizzou's second double play of the game on a comebacker in the eighth. Yet Chad Steele and Mullinax hit back-to-back doubles with two out, and Joe Simokaitis singled off Wendte's outstretched glove to plate Mullinax and bring the Huskers within one (8-7). Wendte was able to get out of the inning when Hopper, who finished 2-for-5 with seven RBI on the day, hit a check-swing grounder to second.
Then Alex Gordon, who finished 3-for-4 for the Huskers (24-9, 10-4), sent the game into extra innings by hitting the first pitch of the ninth inning off the scoreboard clock in right to tie the game at 8.
In Mizzou's half of the 10th inning, the Tigers got three straight hits off Jason Burch, yet didn't have a run to speak for when junior OF Ryan Rallo (Chesterfield, Mo.) was caught stealing. After senior OF Jayce Tingler (Smithville, Mo.) was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, Junior SS Ian Kinsler (Tucson, Ariz.) hit a sharp groundout to third that scored freshman OF Tyler Williams (Delta, British Columbia).
Nebraska's comeback spoiled an excellent outing by sophomore RHP Garrett Broshuis (Advance, Mo.). He had the Nebraska hitters guessing early on, striking out four through the first six innings. Broshuis finished with six strikeouts over six innings, allowing five hits, a walk and just one run in posting his first starting no-decision since Feb. 22.
The Tigers struck first in the second when Rallo hit a 2-1 pitch from Husker right-hander Quinton Robertson onto the left-field berm. The solo shot was Rallo's team-leading fifth of the season. Williams lined Robertson's next pitch into the gap in right-center for a stand-up double, and junior OF Kyle Johnson (Omaha, Neb.) lined a double to left-center on a full count to drive in Williams. As was the case with their three-run ninth inning on Friday, both runs in the second came with two out.
Kinsler led off the third with a double, and a pair of groundouts - the last of which was an RBI grounder to second by junior C Brad Flanders (Smithville, Mo.) - brought Kinsler home.
The Huskers got a run back in the bottom half of the third on a one-out single by Simokaitis. After Hopper struck out - he had been 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the series prior to his homers - Gordon doubled down the right-field line to drive Simokaitis home.
Mizzou padded its lead in the seventh by batting around and chasing Robertson. The first seven Tigers reached via either a single or walk as Mizzou scored five runs on just four hits and a pair of Husker errors to take an 8-1 lead.
The two teams will wrap up their three-game Big 12 series on Sunday when Tiger junior Derek Roper (3-1) and Nebraska freshman Zach Kroenke (3-1).