The 6-foot-6 left-hander from Grand Forks, N.D., tied his career high with 10 strikeouts (also against Notre Dame on Feb. 28) and scattered four hits en route to his second straight complete game victory. Marsden, who moved to 5-0, was in complete control, retiring 15 straight Sooners after a first-inning single and took a shutout into the ninth.

Joe Simokaitis’ (St. Louis, Mo.) sixth-inning RBI single broke a scoreless tie before Nebraska (17-6, 5-2 Big 12) took advantage of several Oklahoma miscues to break open the contest late. Simokaitis, Jeff Leise (Omaha, Neb.) and Drew Anderson (Kearney, Neb.) had two hits apiece to hand the Sooners (11-11, 0-4 Big 12) their eighth straight loss.

Fans who braved the evening with temperatures in the mid-40s were treated to a pair of pitching masterpieces through the first five innings, as Marsden and Oklahoma starter Mark Roberts combined to allow one hit, Reggie Willits’ leadoff hit in the bottom of the first.

The Huskers broke through on the OU right-hander in the sixth, as Simokaitis’ 20th RBI of the season gave NU a 1-0 lead. Leise, who returned to the lineup after missing two games, ended Roberts’ no-hit bid with one-out bloop single to right. The Husker center fielder stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before Simokaitis lined a single off the wrist of OU shortstop Denver Kitch into center, scoring Leise with NU’s first run.

Nebraska, which has won 16 of the past 19 meetings since 1988, took advantage of a pair of costly Sooner miscues in the seventh, scoring three times to take a four-run lead. John Grose (Henderson, Nev.) drew a one-out walk and moved into scoring position on Anderson’s bunt single before a wild pitch put both runners into scoring position. Bubbs Merrill (Omaha, Neb.) then chopped an RBI single behind third to score Grose, giving NU a 2-0 lead. With two outs and Merrill on third, Sooner first baseman Matt Bose muffed Daniel Bruce’s (Omaha, Neb.) slow roller, allowing Merrill to score with NU’s second run of the inning. Leise’s bunt single placed runners on first and second before a Simokaitis grounder to Eddie Cornejo was thrown away, allowing the third run of the inning to score.

Roberts (3-1) pitched well in defeat, striking out eight and allowing five hits, but threw three wild pitches and was not helped by an OU defense that committed four errors.

NU added a final run in the eighth as Alex Gordon (Lincoln, Neb.) doubled and moved to third on Anderson’s infield single before Cornejo’s second error of the night plated Gordon.

The Sooners finally scored off the Husker starter in the ninth, as Willits, who had two of OU’s four hits, doubled and scored on an error by Simokaitis, but Marsden retired the final two hitters for his fifth straight victory.

The Huskers and Sooners will continue the series Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m., as the game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.