June 3, 2000
STANFORD, Calif. -- Justin Wayne tossed his second complete game of this year's postseason and helped lead Stanford to a 7-1 victory against Nebraska in the second game of the Stanford Super Regional on Saturday afternoon. The win evened the Super Regional at one game each and the two teams will play on Sunday (1 p.m.), with the winner advancing to the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Stanford will aiming for its third CWS trip in the last four years, while Nebraska will be attempting to reach Omaha for the first time in school history.
The Cardinal improved to 46-15 with today's victory, while the Huskers saw their nine-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 51-16 for the season.
Wayne allowed only one run and scattered six hits in his sixth complete game of the year. He walked two and struck out 10 to push his season total to 145, which is tied for the third-highest single-season mark in school annals. The 6-foot-3 right-hander saw his record improve to 14-3 for the year, tying the school's single-season record for victories shared by five other Cardinal hurlers. He also notched his 30th career victory, which ranks fifth on Stanford?s all-time list. In addition, he moved his career strikeout total to 355 and is within nine strikeouts of passing Stanford career record holder Kyle Peterson (363, 1995-97).
Wayne and Nebraska starting pitcher Shane Komine dueled to a 1-1 tie for five innings before Stanford touched Komine for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead for the good. Komine walked Joe Borchard with one out to start the rally and moved to third base John Gall followed with a single to right field. Borchard scored what turned out to be the game-winning run when Chris O'Riordan beat out a potential inning-ending double play grounder to third base. O'Riordan came around to score on a stolen base, a throwing error by Nebraska catcher Justin Cowan and a wild pitch by Komine later in the inning.
Stanford added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on Arik VanZandt's fourth home run of the season and two more in the ninth on Craig Thompson's second homer in as many days. It was Thompson's 11th long ball of the year.
Gall (2-for-4) and O'Riordan (2-for-4, RBI, SB) led the Cardinal with two hits each. Andy Topham added his 10th double of the season and Eric Bruntlett went 0-for-5 and saw his hitting streak snapped at 12 games.
Komine was tagged with the loss as his record dropped to 11-4 for the season. The 2000 Big 12 Player of the Year allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out five in 7.0 innings of work. Brian Rodaway allowed a pair of runs over the final 2.0 innings in relief of Komine.
Will Bolt and Jamal Strong paced the Nebraska offense with two hits each. Strong scored the Huskers' lone run and swiped his 35th base of the season.
Stanford is scheduled to start right-hander Brian Sager (5-1, 4.96 ERA) in Sunday's Super Regional finale. Nebraska is slated to counter with left-hander Jamie Rodrigue (9-3, 2.53 ERA).
R H E
Stanford 010 002 202 7 8 1
Nebraska 001 000 000 1 6 4
Batteries: Stanford - Wayne and Alvarado. Nebraska - Komine, Rodaway (8) and Cowan.
2B - Topham (10).
HR - Thompson (11), VanZandt (4).
WP - Wayne (14-3).
LP - Komine (11-4).
TOG - 2:28.
Attendance - 2,934.
Records - Stanford (46-15), Nebraska (51-16).