LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -
Chris Cody pitched his ninth complete game of the season and made back-to-back home runs by
Matt Rizzotti and
John Fitzpatrick stand up Friday in a 4-1 upset of Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Lincoln Regional.
Manhattan (33-21), making its second NCAA tournament appearance and first since 1957, advanced to a winner's bracket game Saturday against the winner of a Friday night meeting between San Francisco and Miami. The Cornhuskers (42-16), the No. 6 national seed, face an elimination game against the San Francisco-Miami loser.
The Jaspers led 2-0 after the consecutive homers off Joba Chamberlain in the second inning.
Rizzotti, the only left-handed batter in the Jaspers' lineup, sent a drive over the right-center field fence for his ninth homer.
John Fitzpatrick hit Chamberlain's next pitch out to left for his school-record 17th. The homer extended Fitzpatrick's hitting streak to 16 games.
After the home runs, Chamberlain (6-5) allowed four singles and two walks before Zach Herr took over with one out in the eighth for a lefty-lefty matchup with Rizzotti.
Eric Nieto scored when Herr was called for a balk trying to pick off
Mike Garcia at first. Garcia came home from second on Rizzotti's bloop single down the left-field line for a three-run lead.
Cody (12-2), the Jaspers' iron man all season, threw 142 pitches in handing the Huskers their first opening-round regional loss in six NCAA tournament appearances since 1999. The senior left-hander scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Cody allowed Nebraska's only run in the fourth on Jeff Christy's sacrifice fly.
Cody worked out of trouble in the sixth after Andrew Brown hit his first career triple with one out. Cody got Gerch to ground out, with Manhattan shortstop
Rene Ruiz looking back Brown before throwing to first, and struck out Christy.
Ryan Wehrle doubled leading off the Nebraska eighth, but Cody retired three straight to get out of the jam.
Manhattan's 33 wins are a school record.
