LINCOLN ‹ Playing on a cold, dreary day against a NCAA Division II opponent, Nebraska coach Mike Anderson admitted that he didn't actually mind that visiting Nebraska-Kearney jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against the Cornhuskers.
If nothing else, Anderson said it seemed to grab Nebraska's attention. The Huskers responded by roaring back for an 11-2 victory before a crowd of 1,208 at Haymarket Park to record their fifth consecutive victory.
"I'm using a coach's clich, but it was kind of a workman-like type day," Anderson said. "I think probably the best thing that could've happened to us they went out and scored two runs early and made us concentrate a little bit more, but tremendous amount of credit to (UNK)."
Nebraska-Kearney (6-8) struck for two first-inning runs as Chris Gillaspy, Nate Swearer and Joe Nowaczyk all rapped doubles off Nebraska starter Casey Hauptman. Gillaspy led off the game with a double and Swearer and Nowaczyk followed with RBI doubles.
However, the Lopers managed just one hit over the next six innings.
"I thought we did a good job of coming out and being offensive early," UNK coach Damon Day said. "Then, we let them dictate to us from there what was going to happen. Their pitching staff came in and did a nice job. They threw strikes early in the count. We took those pitches and that's not really our ballclub.
"I wouldn't say we're hitters, we're more hackers and we like to hit early in the count and we didn't do that near the end of the game. When we're not aggressive at the plate, we're not going to be very successful offensively."
Hauptman settled down to pitch two scoreless innings before yielding to the bullpen. In his first career start, the freshman right-hander from Millard South finished with a walk and a strikeout.
"He was probably a little bit timid in the first it was his first start," Anderson said of Hauptman. "In the second inning and third inning, man, he got after it. I thought he pitched a lot better.
"That's kind of what we expect out of him."
NU reliever Joe Hatasaki (1-0) pitched a scoreless fourth inning to get credit for the win. Michael Mariot and Erik Bird each gave the Huskers (6-2) two scoreless innings of relief work apiece and Erik Anderson shut out the Lopers in the ninth, despite allowing two hits.
Nick Sullivan snapped an 0-for-10 slump by going 2-for-2 at the plate with a career-high three RBIs to lead a 12-hit attack for Nebraska. DJ Belfonte, Mitch Abeita and Bryce Nimmo each added two hits apiece with Nimmo scoring a career-best four runs.
Tyler Rank drove in a pair of runs with a pinch-hit single to highlight Nebraska's four-run eighth.
Swearer and Blake Cover both went 2-for-4 to lead UNK at the plate. The Lopers managed eight hits, but aided Nebraska's comeback by committing four errors, leading to seven unearned runs.
"When you give up seven unearned runs, you can't expect to beat anyone in the country, let alone a Division I baseball team that's a Big 12 power," Day said. "We just didn't play defense and our pitching staff is not the type of pitching staff that can pitch around mistakes like that.
"That's the game to us right there."
Starter Ryan Wrobel (1-3) took the loss for Nebraska-Kearney. The right-hander allowed seven hits and five runs two earned.
Anderson credited the Lopers for their competitive effort.
"I really like their program (and) I like the way they play the game," Anderson said. "I have tremendous respect for their kids and Damon Day. I really like what they do."
For the Huskers, their five-game winning streak marks the program's longest since April 2006. Nebraska swept a four-game weekend series against UC Riverside before defeating the Lopers.
"A win's a win," Anderson said. "I keep focusing more on the process. I told our kids, I didn't think we had a good day of preparation our pregame and everything else so I'm glad that we got the result today, but anytime you can get a win, it's good."
Neb.-Kearney (6-8) 200 000 000 2 8 4
Nebraska (6-2) 111 020 24x 11 12 0
W Hatasaki (1-0). L Wrobel (1-3). 2B UNK, Gillaspy (5), Swearer (5), Nowaczyk (6); Nebraska, Belfonte (3), Mort (3).
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