University of Minnesota Athletics
Baseball Falls to No. 10 Nebraska
4/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nebraska was the first on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The Huskers scored four runs, highlighted by Jeff Blevins' three-run home run to left field, to take a quick 4-0 lead over Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers chipped into the Husker lead in the top of the third. Senior Jeremy Beaulieu lofted a one-out single just in front of right fielder Drew Anderson. Two batters later, Pattee doubled to the right-center field gap, scoring Beaulieu and putting Minnesota on the board at 4-1.
Defense kept Minnesota in the game early. The Huskers had runners on first and second in the second inning, but Pattee made a great catch in foul territory, fighting near-40 mile-per-hour wind gusts to end the threat. In the third, Nebraska put another runner into scoring position, but junior David Roach leaped up to snare a hot line drive well over his head to end the inning.
Nebraska put another pair of runs up in the bottom of the fourth inning, keying on three walks and two Golden Gopher errors.
Minnesota responded in the fifth and kept the score close with two runs of its own. Junior Scott Welch burned a single through the left side, then moved up on Beaulieu's sacrifice bunt to pitcher Paul Shirek. Both players advanced when Shirek's throw to first went past first baseman Justin Seely. Sophomore Sam Steidl legged out an infield single to first, scoring Welch, then moved to second on a throwing error by Seely. Beaulieu came around on the error, shaving the Husker lead to 6-3. Steidl later advanced to third on Pattee's ground ball. Appert, who appeared to have a RBI extra-base hit down the right field line, was called back to the box, after first base umpire Randy Bertram called it a foul ball. Appert eventually grounded out to end the inning and the Golden Gopher rally.
Nebraska came back and blew the game open with five runs in the lower half of the fifth inning. The Huskers brought 10 men to the plate, extending the margin to 11-3. They added one more in the sixth, bettering the Maroon and Gold by a final of 12-3. It is the second time Minnesota lost to Nebraska this season. The two teams split a two-game meeting earlier this season at the Metrodome.
Minnesota (13-16, 5-3) travels to State College, Pa. this weekend for a four-game series with Penn State. The Golden Gophers are currently in a tie for second place in the Big Ten Conference with Purdue. The Nittany Lions are 2-6 in league games.
