The Husker designated hitter sparked a three-run second, belting his third homer of the season, a two-run blast off Bulldog starter Adam Kirkendall, as Nebraska improved to 37-17 with their sixth straight win, the longest winning streak of the season.

Jed Morris, Jeff Blevins and Justin Seely drove in two runs apiece, as the Huskers knocked out Kirkendall, who dropped to 6-4 on the year, by scoring eight runs in the first three innings.

“I was really proud of our team offensively going out and getting after it against their (Louisiana Tech) starter,” Head Coach Dave Van Horn said. “He’s (Kirkendall) a good pitcher and has good numbers. He mowed us down in the first inning, and cut us up pretty good with his curveball and spotting his fastball.”

Sophomore Aaron Marsden improved to 7-1 with the win, throwing the first six innings, allowing two runs - one earned - on five hits before relievers Jason Burch and J.D. Scholten held Louisiana Tech without a hit for the final three innings. Marsden, who has won his last six decisions, enters the postseason with a Big 12-leading 1.46 ERA and has not allowed more than two earned runs in 10 starts this season.

Despite not playing a conference game this evening, the Huskers clinched the second seed in next week’s Big 12 Tournament in Arlington, Texas, as Texas clinched the Big 12 title with a 5-1 win over Texas A&M, while Texas Tech beat Baylor, 8-7, in 10 innings. The Red Raiders are the only team that can tie NU for second, but the Huskers hold the tiebreaker, winning the season series, 2-1, in Lincoln in March. It marks the third straight season NU has finished first or second in the Big 12 standings.

The Huskers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second off Grose’ home run to right before adding an uneared run later in the frame, as Will Bolt scored on a throwing error by Bulldog shortstop Wade Robinson.

NU put the game out of reach in the third, chasing the Bulldog starter, who allowed eight runs on six hits. Jeff Leise, who had three hits and scored three times, opened the inning with a triple and scored on Daniel Bruce’s groundout. With two outs and a runner on second, the Huskers strung together RBI hits from Blevins, Seely, Grose and Bolt, giving Marsden a comfortable cushion.

“We did a great job at driving in runs with two outs,” Van Horn said. “I think we had three or four hits in a row with two outs and built up a pretty good lead. That gave us an opportunity to rest Aaron a little bit, giving us the option to throw him in the first game of the Big 12 Tournament.”

The Bulldogs, who dropped to 21-32 on the year, got on the board in the fourth, as Dan Preaus hit his fourth homer of the year to cut the lead to 8-1. NU would get the run back in the bottom of the frame, as Blevins hit a bases loaded fielder’s choice that score Leise, who opened the inning with a single.

After Louisiana Tech scored an unearned run on Cullen Simmons’ RBI double in the fifth, the Huskers plated a run in the sixth on Justin Seely’s RBI single before Jed Morris’ two-run seventh inning single provided the final margin for the hosts, who improved to 22-4 at Hawks Field in 2002.

The Huskers and Bulldogs return to the diamond Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m., in a game that will be televised statewide on Nebraska Educational Television.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.