Huskers’ Viola continues hot hitting against Bluejays
By Todd Walkenhorst
Staff Reporter
; Ali Viola has found her stroke, and she can’t
think of anything better than getting up to bat.
“I’m definitely in a groove,” Viola said, “and
I can’t wait to get to the box.”
Never was this more true than Wednesday
night when Viola connected on a fastball for a
grand slam over the center-field fence in the
second inningofthe Comhuskers’ second game
with Creighton. The shot put the Huskers up 8
0.
“I’ve hit three or four grand slams,” the
freshman shortstop said, “but that’s my first in
college.”
Viola’s grand slam helped Nebraska defeat
in-state rival Creighton 9-1 in the second game
of a doubleheader Wednesday night. The game
was called after the fifth inning because of
Nebraska’s eight-run lead.
“When I get up to the plate, I
know that I am intimidating
the pitchers. ”
AU VIOLA
Nebraska shortstop
The Bluejays shut out the Huskers in the first
game, winning 3-0. Lack of output in the first
game concerned Viola.
“We’re a very strong offensive team,” Viola
said. “There’s no way we shouldn’t score any
runs.”
The shutout was the second time the Huskers
were held scoreless this season. On March 26
the Huskers dropped a 1-0 decision to Sacra
mento State.
Even with her teammates cold, Viola contin-^
ued her hot hitting. Violacame into Wednesday’s*
action with a .438 batting average. She went 3
for 6 in two games against the Bluejays with one
home run and five RBI.
Viola said she realized that her streaky hit
ting gives her an advantage against opposing
pitchers.
“I’m seeing the ball real well,” Viola said.
“I’m concentrating on hitting through the ball.
When I get up to the plate, I know that I am
intimidating the pitchers.”
Viola, a 5-foot-4 freshman from Novato,
Calif., was one of Coach Rhona Revelle’s top
recruits last season. She was a two-time player
of the year for San Marian High School and was
named all-state twice.
While playing for the San Jose Strikkers, a
summer league team, Viola was named the best
rookie and best offensive player in the league.
But she didn’t get the chance to show her
talents at Nebraska last season.
Viola redshirted last season after tearing the
anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. Be
fore that season, Revelle had projected Viola to
start at shortstop. But her injury caused All-Big
Eight performer Tobin Echo-Hawk to move
from third base to shortstop.
Last fall, though, Viola finally got the chance
to play, and she responded by hitting .404,
second on the team.
The Huskers will play host to Iowa State for
four games in two days this weekend, playing
doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday
afternoon.
Viola said that she looked forward to playing
four games this weekend to help secure the
Huskers’ shot at post-season play.
“We play two each day,” she said. “It will
give us a chance to pick up more wins.”
Iowa State takes two from Huskers
From Staff Reports
Iowa State snapped Nebraska’s
four-game winning streak with a
double-header sweep Wednesday
in Ames, Iowa.
In the first game, the Cyclones’
Mark Motzer singled in Dave
Konigsmark in the tenth inning for
the winning run, giving the Cy
clones a 7-6 win.
The Cyclones scored six runs in
the fourth inning on their way to a
12-6 win over the Comhuskers in
the second game.
The Huskers fell to 26-16 on the
season and $-8 in the conference.
The Cyclones improved to 16-14.
Nebraska had tied the opener in
the ninth on Alvie Shepherd’s two
run homer. Darin Erstad also
' homered for the Comhuskers, and
Konigsmark had a home run for the
Cyclones in that game.
David Poliak, 3-1, was the win
ner in relief while Jonas Armenta,
7-2, took the loss in relief of starter
Bob Courter. Armenta pitched four
shutout innings before giving up
the winning run in the 10th.
In the nightcap, Peter Tremewan
and Troy Logan each batted in three,
with both collecting two RBIs in
the six-run fourth inning for the
Cyclones. Erstad and Scott Wulfing
both had home runs for the Husk
ers.
Erstad now has 14 home runs on
the season and is batting .463.
Nathan Trent, 2-1, was the win
ner and Jeff Strasser, 1-4, was the
losing pitcher. Strasser allowed
seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Justin Gomes came on and gave up
four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
The Huskers and Cyclones will
meet again this weekend for three
games at Buck Beltzer Stadium.
Spring practice finishes
with almost no injuries
From Staff Reports
The Nebraska football team es
caped its last practice of the spring
relatively injury-free, losing only jun
ior fullback Mike Smith with a hip
flexor.
Sophomore I-back Todd Uhlir did
not practice again because of shoulder
problems. Both players’ status for
Saturday’s spring game are uncertain.
Starting junior I-back Lawrence
Phillips, as well as freshman free safety
Tray Crayton, sophomore linebacker
Sean Noster and junior comerback
Michael Booker, were officially de
clared out for the remainder of the
spring.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said
that he was happy with the develop
ments of his team throughout spring
practice.
“A lot of players have made some
progress this spring,” Osborne said.
“We should have a good team next
year.”
Repeat
Continued from Page 11
meet, said the field this year was tighter
than ever. Stanford, Oklahoma, Penn
State, Iowa and Ohio State join Ne
braska in Columbus.
“It’s going to be close,” Allen said.
“I see this as the closest competition
■ I’ve been in for a long time. Any one
of the schools that can weather the
storm Thursday night can win. Other
than that, there is no advantage.”
But Allen, despite the parity, said
he was still confident.
“If you were to say to me, 'What
team is everybody else picking?’ I’d
say, 'I don’t think there is anyone.’
I’m picking us, but I don’t think there
is a consensus.”
No. 3 Nebraska—who with a win
would tie the NCAA record of nine
national titles set by Penn State and
Illinois — has faced every team at
nationals other than Penn State.
The Huskers are 2-4-1 against the
NCAA teams, having lost to Stanford
twice, lost to Oklahoma once and
beaten the Sooners twice, lost to Ohio
State and tied Iowa.
Despite the losing record, Allen
said Nebraska just as easily could
have won almost every meet it lost. He
said the return of freshman Bill
Mulholland would benefit the Husk
ers at nationals.
Mulholland, who is 23 years old,
injured his knee at Nebraska’s first
meet of the season, Jan. 20-21. Doc
tors originally expected Mulholland
to be on the shelf until mid-summer,
but he returned to practice earlier this
month and will compete on the pom
mel horse at nationals.
“If I would have had Mulholland
all season,” Allen said, “I think we
would be the favorite to win the whole
thing. Now that he’s back, it will help
a lot.”
A strong senior class led Nebraska
to the title a year ago. This season,
Nebraska’s two seniors, Richard Grace
and Rick Kieffer, and junior Jason
Christie need to shoulder the load,
Allen said.
But, he said, Nebraska will need
more than just three strong all-around
performances to advance past Thurs
day. The Huskers’ support crew, made
up of five freshmen and two sopho
mores, will be an important piece of
the puzzle, Allen said.
“Hopefully, we have seasoned them
correctly,” he said, “and they’ll have
the right type of leadership from our
upperclassmen.”
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