Tulane Eliminates Nebraska

Nebraska’s first appearance in the College World Series turned out to be a short one.

Tulane, also making its first appearance, eliminated the Cornhuskers Sunday with a 6-5 victory before 23,087 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Tulane (56-12) will play Cal State Fullerton in an elimination game Tuesday. Fullerton lost, 5-2, to Stanford in 10 innings Sunday.

“I told our players they don’t have anything to hang their heads about,” said Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn, whose team lost its opener to Stanford. “I think we overachieved a little bit.”

Tulane trailed, 3-2, after five innings, but Jake Gautreau tied the score at the start of the sixth when he hit a pitch from reliever Justin Pekarek (0-1) into the right-field bleachers for his 21st home run.

The Green Wave added three more runs in the inning on run-scoring singles by Michael Aubrey and Anthony Giarratano and a throwing error by Nebraska third baseman Jeff Blevins.

Nebraska (50-16) had cut the deficit to 6-5 by the ninth inning, but second baseman Giarratano thwarted the start of a possible rally when he gloved a slow ground ball hit by Adam Stern and tossed it, with his glove hand, to first baseman James Jurries, who scooped it out of the dirt for an out.

Aubrey then struck out Matt Hopper and got Dan Johnson to ground out to Giarratano for his first save.