Komine pitches Nebraska into College World Series
Advertiser Staff and News Services
LINCOLN, Neb. — Pitcher Shane Komine, pitching on a day's rest, picked up his second victory of the NCAA Super Regionals, and Justin Seely went 4-for-5 with a grand slam as Nebraska clinched its second straight College World Series berth with an 11-6 victory over Richmond yesterday.
Associated Press
Komine (10-0) pitched three innings of relief to earn his second win in the best-of-three Super Regional. He pitched a complete game Friday in Nebraska's 2-0 victory over Richmond.
Nebraska outfielder Jeff Leise, left, and pitcher Shane Komine are on their way to the College World Series.
"It hasn't sunken in yet, but when we wake up tomorrow and realize that we are going back to the College World Series that is when it is going to sink in," Komine said. "We are going to have to remain focused and get prepared to play up there."
Komine, a senior from Honolulu, closed his home career at Nebraska with a perfect 21-0 record, improving to 41-8 overall.
Komine entered the game in the seventh in relief of Steve Hale, but gave up a two-run homer to Bryan Pritz that tied the score at 5.
In the top of the eighth, the Cornhuskers scored five runs off reliever Andy Givens, including Seely's second career grand slam for a 10-5 lead.
The Spiders cut the lead to 10-6 by scoring a run off Komine in the bottom of the eighth, but Nebraska added an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
Komine retired the Spiders in order in the ninth. He finished his relief stint with three strikeouts and no walks.
"We brought Shane in and he made one mistake" said Nebraska coach Dave Van Horn. "A guy jumped on a first-pitch fastball, and he just clubbed it out of the ballpark. After that he (Shane) did a great job."
Nebraska will play Clemson in the first round at Omaha, Neb., on either Friday or Saturday at a time to be announced today. The Tigers advanced with a 7-4 win over Arkansas yesterday.
