Box Score

WICHITA ? Wichita State (14-10) broke a 7-7 tie in the eighth inning on a Clint McKeever two-run single to beat the University of Nebraska (16-11-1) 9-7 on a windy Tuesday night at Eck Stadium.

The middle of the Shocker lineup provided the beef on the day with Ryan Jones going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Clint McKeever picked up the clutch hits, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Chris O'Brien added three RBI with a bases clearing double.

On the mound for the Shockers, Jordan Cooper entered in relief in the fourth inning and cruised after that. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to nail down the win going 5.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits, while striking out seven and walking one. Cooper's record moves to 4-2 on the season.

The Cornhuskers struck first in the contest, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first against WSU starter Brian Flynn. After getting the leadoff batter on with a single, a bunt and an RBI grounder by Jeff Tezak through the left side gave NU a 1-0 lead. Tyler Farst added a sacrifice fly one batter later to the Huskers' second run.

Wichita State battled back in the second thanks to some help from NU starter Joe Broekemeier. After Will Baez singled to right to open the inning, Broekemeier walked Tyler Grimes and Ryan Jones, then hit Clint McKeever to push across the first WSU run. One batter later, freshman Chris O'Brien sprayed a double down the left field line to clear the bases and give WSU a 4-2 lead with nobody out.

NU reliever Nate Kerkhoff took over, but had the same luck. After walking the first batter he faced in Cody Lassley, Kerkhoff retired the next two hitters before giving up an RBI single to Andrew Letourneau for a 5-2 Shocker lead at the end of the first.

In the top of the second, Nebraska picked up right where it left off, blasting two homers to tie the score at 5-5. Jed Hanson led off the inning with a solo shot, and later Jake Mort hit a two-out, two-run shot for the Huskers.

The scoring fest continued in the Shocker half of the third, only minimally this time. WSU got Cody Lassley on with an infield single. Lassley stole second on a hit-and-run, then moved to third on the play when the ball got away from the NU shortstop. On the next pitch Josh Rosecrans swung at a ball in the dirt to strike out, but the speedy Lassley scored from third as the ball squirted away to put WSU up 6-5.

After scoring a run apiece in the fourth and fifth, and then again in the sixth and seventh, Wichita State got fired up in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a couple hit batters. Tyler Grimes took a ball off his left wrist to put runners on the corners and then Ryan Jones got tagged in the knee to load the bases for McKeever with two outs. McKeever ripped a liner through the left side to score two runs for a 9-7 lead.