After playing their first 10 games of the 2012 season on the road, the Nebraska baseball team opens a stretch of 17 consecutive home games this afternoon when they welcome former conference rivals Kansas State to Hawks Field. The Huskers are 6-4 to start the year after finishing 2-1 at the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis last weekend, and have won six of seven since being swept in the season’s opening weekend by still-unbeaten Gonzaga. The visiting Wildcats are off to a 5-5 start. Jon Keller will get the start on the mound for the Huskers, his second in four days after working just an inning and a third in Saturday’s win over New Mexico State. The Big Red will be putting a 33-year winning streak in home openers on the line today in Lincoln. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05.
Category: Sports
Rockies Get Walk-Off Win
The Colorado Rockies earned their first win of the Cactus League season with a walk-off victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Field in Scottsdale, Arizona. Minor league first baseman Ben Paulsen hit the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth over the wall to give the Rockies a 6-5 win. The two teams went back and forth all afternoon, and Brendan Harris’s infield single in the eighth inning tied the game at five for the Rockies and set the stage for Paulsen’s heroics. Rockies starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin allowed three runs, but only one earned, in his two innings of work. He threw 21 of his 29 pitches for strikes. Rockies top offensive prospect Nolan Arenado had an RBI double and a run scored. The Rockies are back in action today in Mesa, taking on the Chicago Cubs.
Nuggets Beat Kings in OT For Fourth Straight Win
In a dramatic overtime thriller at the Pepsi Center, the Denver Nuggets won their fourth game in a row with a 119-116 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The Nuggets needed a video review to give them a chance to tie in regulation. A foul of Arron Afflalo while in the act of shooting a game-tying three pointer was ruled to have come before the buzzer, and Afflalo sunk three free throws with six-tenths of a second left to send the game to OT. In the overtime session, the Nuggets trailed by four points but rallied back to tie the game, and Ty Lawson hit the game’s biggest shot for the second straight night, burying a three with four seconds to play for the winning points. Afflalo’s 32 points led the Nuggets in the victory. The Nuggets are now 22-17. They host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Huskers Fall Short in Big Ten Title Game
The 24th-ranked Nebraska women’s basketball team once again needed multiple extra sessions to decide a contest against Purdue, but this time around, it was the Boilermakers who came away with the victory, and the Big Ten Tournament championship. Purdue defeated the Huskers 74-70 in double overtime in Indianapolis, avenging a triple-OT loss to the Big Red earlier in the regular season. The Huskers trailed by eight late in the second half but rallied to tie the game at 56 and force the first OT. Nebraska had two chances to win the game in the first extra period but missed both shots, and then were outscored 10-6 in the second OT. Jordan Hooper led the Huskers with 25 points and 10 rebounds. She and Lindsey Moore were selected to the All-Tournament Team. The Huskers record drops to 24-8 with the loss.
Huskers Pummel Minnesota, Finish 2-1 at Dairy Queen Classic
The Nebraska baseball team finished up a 2-1 weekend at the Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis with a 10-3 victory over hosts Minnesota yesterday afternoon. The Huskers jumped out to a 7-0 lead after four innings, and added three insurance runs in the ninth inning to ice the victory. Tom Lemke earned the win on the mound, pitching five innings and allowing only one run. The win ensured a winning road trip for the Big Red after they split their first two games. On Friday the Huskers fell to West Virgina 4-1, but they rebounded in dramatic fashion on Saturday, as Rich Sanguinetti’s two-run walk-off homer capped a four-run ninth and gave the Huskers a 6-4 win over New Mexico State. The Huskers are now 6-4 on the year. Their home opener is Tuesday night against Kansas State.
Storm Snap Short Losing Skid, Win at Omaha
The Tri-City Storm wrapped up a tough weekend on a high note yesterday, defeating the Omaha Lancers 4-3 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. After losing at home to Omaha on Friday and Cedar Rapids on Saturday, the Storm salvaged two points from the weekend thanks to three second-period goals. After Michael Vecchione’s first period tally, Nick Lappin, Tim Bonner and Kenny Brooks each lit the lamp to give the Storm a 4-2 lead after two. Though the Lancers found the net in the first minute of the third period, the Storm defense made the one-goal lead stand up, thanks to Adam Wilcox’s 25 saves. With the win, the Storm pass Sioux City for sixth place in the USHL’s Western Conference. Their lone game this weekend sees them return to the Civic Auditorium for a rematch with the Lancers on Friday night.
Lady Irish Win First Ever Game at State, Play Semis at 2 PM Today (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
The St. Patrick’s Lady Irish advanced to the semifinals of the Class C2 state tournament in Lincoln with a 47-34 victory over Blue Hill in first-round play yesterday afternoon. The Lady Irish trailed by one point at halftime, but went on a 10-0 run in the third quarter, keyed by five straight points from Candace Shelton, to take the lead for good. Shelby Allberry’s 15 points led the way for St. Pat’s in the victory. Brittany Lawrence added 12 points. The Lady Irish will take on Crofton this afternoon at 2 PM at the Pershing Center in Lincoln. ESPN Radio 1410 has the action live, with pregame coverage getting underway at 1:45.
Husker Baseball Opens Play at Dairy Queen Classic
The Nebraska baseball team hopes to continue their four-game winning streak when they begin play today in the Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The Huskers won all four games they played last weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas to move their record to 4-3 on the season. This afternoon, they open their weekend against West Virginia, who is 3-4. Southpaw Zach Hirsch will take the mound for the starting assignment for the Big Red. On Saturday, the Huskers will take on New Mexico State, with right-hander Jon Keller the scheduled starting pitcher. Sunday afternoon, Nebraska wraps up the event with a game against Minnesota, with righty Tom Lemke tabbed for the mound that day. The Huskers went 3-0 at the Dairy Queen Classic in their last visit, back in in 2006.
Husker Women Obliterate Northwestern, Face Iowa Today in Big Ten Tourney
The 24th-ranked Nebraska women’s basketball team opened Big Ten Tournament play with a vengeance, taking a 31-point first half lead on their way to an 88-56 victory over Northwestern in Indianapolis yesterday afternoon. The Huskers went on an astonishing 32-3 run in the first half on their way to setting a conference tournament record with 54 points in the first 20 minutes. Jordan Hooper led the Huskers with 18 points in just 16 minutes of action. She surpassed the 1,000 career point plateau in the first half, becoming the first sophomore in program history to reach that mark. Lindsey Moore added 14 points to help the Big Red to victory. The sixth-seeded Huskers advance to take on third-seed Iowa this afternoon. Action from Bankers Life Fieldhouse tips off at 1 PM.
St. Pat’s Battles Blue Hill In First Ever State Tourney Game (LISTEN LIVE on ESPN Radio 1410)
The St. Patrick’s Lady Irish are making their first ever state appearance. As the two seed in the C2 tournament, they face Blue Hill this afternoon. Tipoff for the Lady Irish is scheduled for 2 PM from Lincoln Southeast High School. ESPN Radio 1410 has that game for you, with pregame coverage beginning at 1:45.
#5 ST. PATRICK’S IRISH (22-2) – second seed
Coach: Nathan Stienike
Scoring averages: 59.0-30.0
Player, Ht., Yr., Pts., Reb.
Candice Shelton, 5-6, Sr., 14.4, 6.6
Shelby Allberry, 5-11, Jr., 12.8, 6.5
Mandy O’Malley, 5-4, Jr., 10.5, 2.6
Brittany Lawrence, 6-3, So., 7.5, 8.4
Samantha Byrn, 5-9, Jr., 6.7, 4.1
Tournament history: First appearance.
#7 BLUE HILL BOBCATS (19-4) – seventh seed
Coach: Tim Streff
Scoring averages: 48.5-34.9
Player, Ht., Yr., Pts., Reb.
Kaitlin Kumke, 5-8, Sr., 14.9, 4.1
Jordyn Atwater, 5-9, Sr., 9.7, 3.3
Maci Coffey, 5-10, So., 9.5, 10.2
Mackenzie Willicott, 5-9, Fr., 4.2, 3.6
April Faimon, 5-6, Jr., 2.8, 1.5
Tournament history: Fourth appearance, most recent 2010.