LINCOLN Just when it appeared No. 22-ranked Nebraska was about to sleep-walk its way through a second straight loss, clutch hits by Craig Corriston and Nick Sullivan saved the day for the Cornhuskers.
Corriston hit a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth Friday at Haymarket Park, giving Nebraska a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma in the Cornhuskers' Big 12 Conference home opener. It was the first round-tripper of the season for the senior, who was swarmed at home plate by celebrating teammates.
"Up and down the lineup, I think we've got guys who've got some power a little pop but we're not going to have a guy who's going to have 15 home runs," Corriston said. "At the same time, we're going to have guys that come through in crucial games."
That's especially been the case with Corriston. The reigning Big 12 player of the week entered the day hitting .579 in his last five games, raising his season batting average to .389.
Corriston's home run was his first since April 15 of last year, also coming against Oklahoma. It was Nebraska's first walk-off homer since 2005.
"It's awesome," Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said of Corriston's feat. "He's been a good leader. He's been swinging it well and been aggressive.
"Off the field, on the field everything I think he's just held his own trying to be leader and a leader of character, so I'm proud of him."
Sullivan shared in playing the hero's role. The junior left fielder tied the score at 2-2 with a two-run single in the seventh and singled again with two outs in the ninth to get Corriston to the plate for Nebraska (16-3, 4-0 Big 12).
"Corriston got up and had the opportunity because of Nick Sullivan again, just getting himself on," Anderson said. "I'm really proud of the kids, just the way they're fighting and the way they didn't give up."
With a stiff wind blowing across Hawks Field into the right-field corner, Corriston said he didn't figure he could drive a ball out of the park to left field. But when Oklahoma reliever Ryan Duke (3-2) delivered a 1-0 fastball to his liking, Corriston did exactly that.
"The way the wind was blowing, I didn't know if I got enough of it," Corriston said. "I was trying to go up the middle right there and he threw a good pitch to do something with."
Corriston said he couldn't recall ever hitting a walk-off homer before.
"It's kind of surreal, until now," Corriston said. "We've got a game tomorrow, so it was nice while it lasted. It's over already."
Oklahoma (17-6, 0-1) looked to be in control behind starting pitcher Jeremy Erben, who shut the Huskers out on three hits through six innings. However, Jake Mort's leadoff double and Jake Opitz's short pop fly down the right field line that was misplayed for a two-base error by Sooner second baseman Mike Gosse, gave Nebraska new life.
Mitch Abeita then walked to load the bases with none out, prompting Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway to go to his bullpen. After getting down 0-2 in the count to Duke, Sullivan battled back and hit a 1-2 pitch for a two-run single to score Mort and Opitz, tying the score at 2-2.
"We're trying to win the seventh, eighth and ninth innings," Anderson said. "Our kids understand that and they had the ability to put the first six behind them because we didn't play that well.
"I give the kids a lot of credit for winning that seventh, eighth and ninth and good things happened a pretty fun effort right there."
Nebraska's rally made a winner out of reliever Zach Herr (2-0). The left-hander came on for starter Johnny Dorn in the eighth to get the Huskers out of a jam, striking out pinch hitter Zach Hedges and getting Trey Sperring to ground out to third after the Sooners had advanced a runner to third with one out.
Dorn got a no-decision on a day where he said he felt fortunate to allow only two runs. The senior right-hander from Grand Island permitted the leadoff batter to reach in six of eight innings he started, allowing nine hits in 7 1/3 innings.
"To get out of there with two runs is a credit to the defense, helping me out and getting me out of tough situations," Dorn said. "I just wasn't sharp at all. I don't think I could find it at any point in the game. I just kept fighting through it and got lucky here and there to get out of some innings."
Dorn said he was thrilled, but not surprised by Nebraska's rally.
"This team is just full of fight," said Dorn, whose team had a 14-game winning streak snapped Wednesday with a 9-4 home loss to Arkansas. "We could've been down 6-0 and we still would've been fighting to try to find a way to come back. It's just fun to be a part of it."
Anderson agreed.
"Walk-offs are fun," Anderson said. "They're good for a team and especially being behind and coming back and winning it.
"You do anything you can to try to have those types of games and sometimes they don't happen. When they do, man, they're special."
Game notes
& Nebraska improved to 4-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2001. The Huskers opened with a three-game sweep at Kansas State last weekend.
& Oklahoma was 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position against Dorn and Herr.
& NU's Thad Weber (3-1, 5.40 ERA) is slated to start Saturday's 2:05 p.m. game. Oklahoma's scheduled starter is Andrew Doyle (4-1, 2.25 ERA)
Oklahoma (17-6, 0-1) 001 010 000 2 9 2
Nebraska (16-3, 4-0) 000 000 202 4 7 0
W Herr (2-0). L Duke (3-2). 2B Oklahoma, Davis (1), Johnson (3), Seng (4); Nebraska, Mort (5). HR Nebraska, Corriston (1).
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