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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1991)
Huskers win doubleheader against NMS By Nick Hytrek Staff Reporter Shawn Buchanan showed signs of breaking out of a season-long slump by going 3-for-6 as the Nebraska baseball team swept a doublehcadcr from Northwest Missouri State Tuesday. Buchanan, a senior co-captain, entered the after noon hitting .154, but went 2-for-3 with a double in a 2-0 win in the first game and scored two runs and a stolen base as the 10-4 Comhuskers won the nightcap 33-3. “I’m starting to get back in the swing of things,” Buchanan said. ‘Tve been trying too hard and putting too much pressure on myself. I’m just relaxing more now. Tonight was something to build on.” The Nebraska pitchers had a banner day, giving up only two hits in the first game and one earned run in the second. Coach John Sanders said he wasn’t surprised by the performance of his pitching staff, even though Nebraska hadn’t played a game in more than a week. “We expected them to come out and do what they did today,” he said. “Pitchers have an off-day routine they can stick to and layoffs don’t affect them very much.” Sophomore left-hander Josh Bullock, 2-1, made up for the Huskers’ low offensive output in the opener, limiting the Bearcats to one hit in six innings while striking out nine. Dale Hagy hit his team-leading fourth home run off losing pitcher Kent Kelley, 0-3, in the second inning. Nebraska scored its other run in the same inning as Jeff Rhein walked, advanced to second on a Brian Amtzcn sacrifice, went to third after a deep fly ball by Tim Seaton and scored on a single by Brian McAm. The Bearcats threatened in the lop of the ninth inning as Lincoln native Dave Svchla singled with two outs off Jeff Nolicttc, bringing in Huskcr re liever Dave Matranga. Svchla went to second as a Matranga pickoff 1 throw to first was wild. Matranga then struck out , pinch-hitter Denny Peterson to cam his fourth save of the season. , The Huskers capitalized on six Bearcat errors in 1 the second game, collecting eight hits and 13 runs. Sanders was pleased with the improved hitting ( by the Huskers in the second game. i “At times there were spurts of efficient hitting,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time before we start ^ hitting on all eight cylinders.” t Steel McKee/Daily Nebraskan Josh Bullock hurls a pitch Tuesday in the first game against Northwest Missouri State. Bullock had nine strikeouts in six innings. Mike Zajeski, 2-1, pitched five innings, jiving up one hit while striking out eight. The Huskers got off to a quick start, coring four runs in the first inning. Eddie Anderson led off with a double, vent to third on an infield single by Brian dcAm and scored on a wild pitch. Anderson made the most of his first start if the season by scoring two runs and steal ng two bases in the game. Husker reliever Todd Mosser entered the ;amc in the sixth and the Bearcats put ogclhcr a rally, cutting the Nebraska lead to 5-3. Todd Bissell reached base on a Bill Vosik error and scored on a double by Joe Ian nuzzi. Jody Jeffries followed with a single, scoring Iannuzzi. Jeffries advanced to third on a single by Bryan Wandrey and scored as Wandrey was caught in a rundown attempt ing to steal second. Nebraska pulled away with eight runs in the final three innings. The Huskers will play Wayne State in a single game today starting at 1:30 p.m. at Buck Bcltzcr Field. Exorcism key to national title win Seance at Francis Allen’s house this week end. All Nebraska coaches are welcome, but special invitations are extended to Tom Osborne, Terry Pettit and Danny Nee. Allen, the men’s gymnastics coach who has won seven national titles at Nebraska, could exorcise — or at least attempt to exorcise — “The Curse of the Comhuskcr” from these three men and their teams. You know The Curse. It’s the one that says that no matter what kind of season a Nebraska team has, the Huskcrs will fall short in post season play. No matter by how many points they arc favored, no matter how superior the athletes, Nebraska will lose when it counts. The Curse’s latest victim was the Nebraska basketball team. Seeded third in the Midwest Regional, the Huskers went into the game as six-point favorites over Xavier. Forty minutes and a ton of three-point goals later, 1 Uh-ranked Nebraska had lost to the Musketeers, a team with inferior athletes and rated No. 91 in the USA Today Power Ratings. How? The Curse, of course. To understand it, you have to know The Curse is strictly a Nebraska thing. After all, UNLV was favored heavily, and the Rebels won last weekend. The Colorado football team played over its head and won at least part of a national title. But not Nebraska. We haven’t seen a na tional champion other than Allen’s boys in 20 years, and we have as much talent as any other school in America. You can’t blame it on the players. It would be callous to say, “Mickey Joseph and Beau Reid arc chokers!” after they have thrilled fans John Adkisson with dancing touchdowns and game-winning jumpers. Every athlete goes through months of intensive training and dedication, but the only reward for some is letters from farmers in western Nebraska that call them “chokers.” True, the athletes have lost big games, but they’ve given it their all. And let’s remember those who have come through with clutch performances: Underclassmen Johnny Mitch ell, Cris Hall and Carl Hayes all played out of their minds in their team’s final efforts this year. Don’t push it off on the coaches, either. As goes a popular Nebraska football line, “Nine wins per year and you’re still not happy?” Pettit has been the Mike Krzyzewski of volleyball, takinjg his team to the Final Four three of the last five years. And as for Nee, one look at the numbers is good enough: 10-18 to 26-8 in one year. Good coaches plus great athletes adds up to winning, and sometimes national champion ships. But then you factor in The uncontrol lable Curse, and the Huskers lose the big ones. Some characteristics: The Curse is not passed down through uni forms. Each team has changed its apparel within the last year — the football team went to black shoes, the volleyballcrs donned red jerseys with confetli-siylc decorations and the basket ball team went on the road to the tune of “Back in Black.” The Curse strikes everyone, no matter how long they’ve been with the program. Freshmen Mitchell, Nikki Strieker and Eric Piatkowski tried hard to break it, but came up just a little short. Even basketball transfer Tony Farmer, despite playing brilliantly down the stretch this season, couldn’t bring the Huskcrs a win over The Curse. The Curse doesn’t work too hard. It just sits around, watching Nebraska win and win and win, then decides to rear its ugly head for a brief moment, felling all Nebraskans’ hopes. The Curse has one hell of a travel budget, and you don’t sec it around Lincoln often. Other than one brief appearance last November in Memorial Stadium, it has made stops in Norman, Okla., Orlando, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C., within the past 12 months. Finally, The Curse loves to make you think, if only for a brief moment, that it won't really hit. Just when I had watched the Huskcrs lake a 69-68 lead over Xavier, somebody said to me, “Now they’re going to win.” I fell for it. But then The Curse took over as if to say * “Remember me?” guiding otherwise great shots off the front rim, making normally good passes take strange angles. In the aftermath of another loss, The Curse crecped back into its little hole and forced us to watch guys like Rich King burying their faces in towels. It just wasn’t fair. You get used to the routine. You feel sorry for Osborne when he lakes off his headphones for the last time; you want to tell the volleyball seniors that lj?ey really were the better team; See EXORCISM on 8 Hosers’ win moves team to semifinals By Brian Busenbark Staff Reporter The Hosers laid down The Law in the quar terfinals of die men’s All-University intramu ral basketball playoffs with a 60-46 victory at the Lee & Helene Sapp Recreation Facility Tuesday night. The contest began with The Law, ranked second this week, taking control of most as pects of the game. The Law hit five three-point goals early in the game and Mark Carlino dominated the middle, grabbing nine of his game-high 13 rebounds in the first half. The Law led by eight points late in the first half, but a run by the Hosers, ranked first this week, cut the lead to three at the break. “We really didn’t like the zone they showed us,” said the Hosers’ Jamar Johnson, a Ne braska basketball recruit. “It took us awhile to get into our rhythm.” Although The Law led the game until early in the second half, Johnson, who led the Hosers with 22 points, was never too worried about the outcome. “We just kept pounding, going at them until we took control,” Johnson said. The Hosers pounded the ball into their big men, Kenny Walker and Jake Young. Walker scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half, and Young added five second-half points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Doak Ostcrgard seized control of the outside, hitting three three-point shots, including one that gave the Independent A champions the final lead with 14 minutes left in the game. Scott Kennedy led The Law with 15 points, and Clete Blakeman scored 10 for the team, which finished the season 11-2 and Independ ent B champions. The win moved the Hosers, 11-0, into the semifinals. Next up for the Hosers are the Dribblers, who defeated Cather 3A 68-64. Despite the up-tempo pace at which the Hosers play, the possibility of having played three games in as many nights before Thursday night’s finals doesn’t concern Johnson. “In big games like this, fatigue’s not a big factor.” Johnson said. “We’re not really in that great of shape, but we have a lot of subs, so we’ll be ready to go.” Win earns team spot against unbeaten foe By John Adkisson Staff Reporter Tonight, the Alpha Omicron Pi intramural basketball team will enter the All-University final game as decisive underdogs. Underscore the word “decisive.” After winning a semifinal game 33-27 over Alpha Phi 2 Thursday, Alpha Omicron Pi will now get a crack at the Volleyballcrs, who blew past the Holy Hits in the other semifinal game. The Volleyballcrs, undefeated and untouched this season, arc a team composed of members of last year’s Nebraska volleyball team which reached the NCAA Final Four. Players include Becki Bolli, Linda Barsness, Cris Hall and Stephanie Thatcr. Marie Srb, who led the AOPi’s with 16 points, said jokingly that her team needs to change its style of play to beat the Volley ballcrs. “We’re going to have to slow down, maybe take one shot in the first half,” Srb said. “Something like that.” Seriously, Srb said, she respects the Volley ballcrs. “They’ve got a big height advantage, and they’re quick,” Srb said. “They’re a great team.” To get to the final. Alpha Omicron Pi fought off both a slow start by themselves and a furious finish by Alpha Phi 2 and guard Grclchcn Schmid. Schmid scored her team’s first nine points, and her team had an 8-0 lead midway through the lirst half. Then the AOPi’s stormed back, cutting the lead the rest of the half and going to halftime up 14-13. The second half belonged to the teams’ two big guns. Srb scored 12 of her team’s 19 points after intermission, and Schmid, who scored 17 for the game, had eight in the second half. APhi 2 cut the lead to 29-27 late in the game, but with 30 seconds remaining, Srb hit two free throws to clinch the game for the AOPi’s. The game was the second time the two teams had met this season. Earlier, the APhi’s had taken a one-point decision in the sorority final.