Bruce jumped started the Husker offense, driving in runs in each of the first two innings, as the Huskers, who improved to 28-14 on the season, scored four runs in the first two frames of Bronc starter Frank James and never looked back in posting their fifth win in the last six games. The freshman paced a 14-hit attack by the Huskers, who broke open a 4-1 game with six runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

The Huskers took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first off the UTPA starter. Bruce gave the Huskers a 1-0 lead with an RBI double to score Jeff Leise, who opened the contest with a triple. Jed Morris walked before a passed ball moved runners to second and third. Jeff Blevins’ sacrifice fly to center gave NU a 2-0 lead before John Grose extended his hit streak to 13 games with a RBI double to right center that scored Morris to give the hosts a three-run advantage.

“I thought we did a good job of coming out in the first inning and getting on a good pitcher,” Nebraska Coach Dave Van Horn said. “After we got the four-run lead, I thought we were going to win the game, but there were some disappointing innings as far as not moving runners. This game scared me a little today, but I’m just glad we got past it.”

In the second, the Huskers extended the lead to 4-0, as Bruce, who posted his sixth multi-hit game of the season, drove in Joe Simokaitis, who had two hits and scored twice, with an RBI single.

The early offensive support was more than enough for Sillman, as the sophomore right-hander blanked the Broncs through first five innings to pick up his first win of the season. The Millard South product struck out a pair and faced three batters over the minimum in his first start since March of 2001.

After UT-Pan American, which dropped to 13-30, scored an unearned run in the sixth, NU came back with five runs on four hits to chase James, , who allowed eight runs on 12 hits in 6.1 innings to drop to 5-7 on the year. Consecutive triples by Matt Hopper and Jeff Blevins, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, plated the first run before Grose’s sacrifice fly gave NU a 6-1 advantage. The Huskers added a pair of runs on bases-loaded walks to Leise, who went 3-for-4, and Bruce before Jed Morris grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice.

The Huskers, who are 16-2 at Hawks Field, capped the scoring when Drew Anderson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth. UTPA, which was held to seven hits, closed the scoring in the ninth on pinch-hitter Adam Farek’s RBI single to left.

Nebraska returns to action Friday night, as the Huskers will take on Kansas in the first of a three-game series. First pitch between the Huskers and Jayhawks is set for 6:35 p.m.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.