honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 8, 2002

Komine pitches shutout in Super Regional

Advertiser Staff and Wire Reports

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska's Shane Komine capped a perfect home career, pitching a four-hit complete-game to lead the Cornhuskers to a 2-0 baseball victory over the Richmond Spiders in the opener of the NCAA Super Regional at Hawks Field yesterday.

The winner of the best-of-three game series advances to the College World Series.

A school-record crowd of 8,474 watched Komine, a Kalani High School graduate, baffle the Spiders for nine innings for his second consecutive complete game and finish a perfect 20-0 home career.

"It was very important (to win the first game)," Komine said. "I just wanted to go out in front of the home fans and get off on the right foot, and finish the way we did."

Komine struck out six to become just the sixth pitcher in NCAA history to record 40 wins and 500 strikeouts in his career.

"There are only a handful of pitchers at the college level who have ever done that," Nebraska coach Dave Van Horn said. "He did it battling some injuries through a couple of years and a lot this year."

Komine is 9-0 with a 1.73 ERA with 105 strikeouts and 22 walks this season.

The Huskers improved to 46-18. The Spiders fell to 52-12. Game 2 of the Super Regional is today.

Richmond's only serious threat yesterday came in the third inning.

Bobby LeNoir led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by John Cronin. Bryan Pritz reached on a throwing error to put runners at second and third. But Komine got David Reaver to pop out and Matt Craig to ground out to end the inning.

"I think you have to take your hat off to Komine," Richmond coach Ron Atkins said. "He kept us off balance. ÊWe couldn't get a bead on him. He (Komine) made some great pitches at key times."