COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: Red army fortifies Huskers; Gators top Vols

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OMAHA — Nebraska has its long-awaited first victory in the College World Series.

Buoyed by a sea of red-clad fans whooping on every pitch at Rosenblatt Stadium, the Cornhuskers used a key defensive play and a clutch hit from second baseman Ryan Wehrle to beat Arizona State 5-3 on Friday night.

The victory was the Cornhuskers' 57th of the season and their 11th in a row, but the school's first in five games in the tournament played 58 miles from its Lincoln campus.

``We're playing the game the right way and hopefully not thinking about history and those things,'' Nebraska coach Mike Anderson said.

Next up for Nebraska (57-13) on Sunday night will be Florida (46-20), which got homers from Matt LaPorta and Brian Jeroloman to beat Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee 6-4 in the tournament opener. Tennessee (46-20) and Arizona State (39-24) will play in an elimination game Sunday.

In first-round games Saturday, top-seeded Tulane (55-10) will face Oregon State (46-10), making its first CWS trip since 1952. And perennial participant Texas (51-16) will open its 32nd appearance against Big 12 foe Baylor (44-22).

Arizona State's Tuffy Gosewisch hit a bases-loaded double in the top of the sixth inning to drive in two runs and put the Sun Devils ahead 3-2, but Wehrle's great relay throw nailed Colin Curtis at the plate.

``It was a great play, but we shouldn't have sent him. That's a mistake, forcing the action a little bit,'' Arizona State coach Pat Murphy said. ``You expect a team when you get to this level that those guys can throw.''

In the bottom half, Wehrle hit a two-run, bases-loaded single off Brett Bordes to give the Huskers the lead and send the crowd of 24,904 — a session record — into a frenzy.

Joba Chamberlain (10-2) allowed five hits and three runs in seven innings for Nebraska.

``At the beginning I was a little nervous, and Coach told me to have fun. I turned around and relaxed,'' Chamberlain said.

Arizona State starter Jason Urquidez was removed after two innings, his shortest outing of 15 starts. He throw 52 pitches and gave up two runs and three hits. Reliever Zechry Zinicola (3-4) pitched three innings and allowed just one hit and two runs, but took the loss.

In the opener Friday, LaPorta and Jeroloman homered off Tennessee ace Luke Hochevar, who hadn't been expected to start.

Hochevar (15-3), who had beaten Florida in the regular season, lasted six-plus innings, allowing eight hits and a season-high six runs — four earned — with five walks and three strikeouts. On Thursday, the Vols announced they would start freshman left-hander James Adkins, but changed their mind.

``I prepared like I would start. I was not off guard at all,'' Hochevar said. ``I just didn't have it. I didn't execute pitches.''

LaPorta extended the Gators' single-season record with his 25th homer in the third, a deep shot into the left-field bleachers that gave Florida a 2-0 lead.

``I just thought, `There he goes again, the 25th time this year,''' winning pitcher Alan Horne said of LaPorta. ``Any time you put up runs against a guy where runs are at a premium, it's a confidence boost.''

Horne (10-2) won his ninth straight decision. The 6-foot-4 right-hander went six-plus innings and left with a 6-1 lead after walking the leadoff batter in the seventh. He allowed two runs on four hits with six walks and eight strikeouts.

Chase Headley hit a two-run shot for Tennessee off Gators reliever Connor Falkenbach in the seventh. Vols right fielder Eli Iorg made two great defensive plays, leaping over the fence on one to rob Adam Davis of a grand slam.