Tulane University
Nebraska (College World Series)
Baseball Eliminates Nebraska In CWS
Jun 10, 2001 | Baseball
June 10, 2001
OMAHA, Neb. - The Tulane baseball team eliminated Nebraska with a 6-5 win in the 2001 College World Series on Sunday afternoon. Tulane improves to 56-12 on the season while Nebraska falls to 50-16.
Every at bat and every play counted in a game that was thrilling until the end, but a four-run sixth inning lifted the Wave past the Huskers for the first-ever Tulane win in a College World Series.
Jon Kaplan led off the game with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on an Andy Cannizaro single. Tulane manufactured its first run of the game as Jake Guatreau hit a fly ball into right, which allowed Kaplan to score.
Nebraska answered scoring three runs in the second. With two outs on the board, Jeff Leise hit a bloop single into right allowing the runner to score from second. John Cole followed with a single, and advanced to second on an error by the Tulane right fielder. Adam Stern tripled into center field, giving the Huskers a 3-1 lead. After giving up the three-bag knock to Stern, Tulane starter Beau Richardson retired six of the next seven Nebraska batters.
Tulane chipped away at the Huskers lead in the fifth. Anthony Giarratano reached on a single through the left side and advanced to second on Scott Madden's first hit of the afternoon. Both runners moved 90 feet on a wild pitch by Nebraska starter R.D. Spiehs. Giarratano immediately scored on a Kaplan ground out to the pitcher, cutting the Nebraska lead, 3-2.
Nebraska's Justin Pekarek started the sixth inning, replacing Speihs. Jake Gautreau hit his 21st home run of the season, a lead off shot into the right field bleachers, to tie the game at three runs each. James Jurries walked and advanced to second on a balk. Michael Aubrey single up the middle sending Jurries home and giving Tulane a 4-3 lead. The Green Wave added a pair of runs on an error by the Nebraska third baseman and an Anthony Giarratano single, before the end of the inning.
On the day, Gautreau was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Aubrey was 2-for-5 and sent in the game winning run.
Nebraska added a pair of runs over the next two innings. Solo home runs by Jed Morris and Dan Johnson in the sixth and seventh brought the Huskers within one run.
Aubrey relieved Richardson and started the eighth inning. With one out, Morris singled and Aubrey walked Will Bolt. A Leise ground out to Aubrey advanced both runners into scoring position, but Cole flied out to center to end to inning and the Husker threat, maintaining the 6-5 Wave lead. Aubrey went on to retire the side in the ninth and picked up his first save of the season. He gave up one hit through two innings of work.
Richardson (8-1) won his eighth game of the season. He went seven innings, scattered seven hits, five runs and struck out four.
Pekarek (0-1) got the loss after failing to record an out and giving up three runs in two hits.
Tulane plays the loser of the Cal State-Fullerton - Stanford game on Tuesday, June 12 at 2:00 p.m.
