Game 1 at Nebraska
Virginia........ 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 - 4 7 1
Nebraska........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 x - 6 10 1
W: Gibson L: Day
Wade Boggs was 4-for-4, including a double that ignited the winning three-run rally in the eighth, and Bob Gibson went the distance as Nebraska won a back-and-forth opener.
Virginia went ahead 4-3 in the top of the eighth on David Wright’s RBI single, but left the bases loaded as Gibson struck out two in a row to end the inning. Boggs, who had three singles earlier, doubled off Leon Day in the Nebraska eighth. Richie Ashburn walked and Sam Crawford’s single tied the game and knocked out Day. Bob Cerv’s RBI hit off Charlie Ferguson put Nebraska ahead for good and another run scored later on a Granny Hamner error.
Gibson, who got the Game 1 nod over Grover Cleveland Alexander, struggled with his control, walking five. Day doubled in three runs in the fifth for Virginia.
Game 2 at Nebraska
Virginia........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 - 2 5 1
Nebraska........ 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 8 0
W: Phillippe L: Alexander S: Wagner
HR: Wilson, Crawford
Jud Wilson busted up Grover Cleveland Alexander’s no-hit bid and shutout hopes with a two-run homer in the seventh, and Deacon Phillippe made it stand up to give Virginia a split at Nebraska.
Sam Crawford had given the Cornhuskers a lead with a solo shot in the sixth. Jackie Brandt doubled with one out in the eighth to knock out Phillippe, but Al Holland finished the eighth and Billy Wagner pitched a perfect ninth for the save. Phillippe walked one and struck out one.
Alexander went the distance for Nebraska, walking two and striking out three. One of the walks, Paul Hines, scored on the Wilson homer.
Game 3 at Virginia
Nebraska........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 1
Virginia........ 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 x - 1 4 0
W: Rixey L: Harder
Eppa Rixey, another Hall of Fame starting pitcher, won a great duel with Mel Harder to give Virginia a 2-1 series lead.
Rixey walked two and struck out three. The only Cornhusker to get past first base was pinch hitter Cliff Lee, who batted for Harder in the eighth and tripled with two out. But Rixey retired Richie Ashburn to end the inning.
The game’s only run came on Randy Hundley’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the second. Willie Horton and David Wright singled to start the inning and Gene Alley walked to load the bases. Harder gave up just four hits in seven innings, with one walk and three strikeouts.
Game 4 at Virginia
Nebraska........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 - 7 11 1
Virginia........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 7 0
W: Gibson L: Day
Nebraska tied up the series, breaking up another pitchers’ duel with seven runs in the last two innings.
Bob Gibson struck out nine in a complete-game performance, and started the go-ahead rally in the eighth by drawing a walk from Leon Day. Richie Ashburn singled one out later, and Wade Boggs tripled to put Nebraska ahead and knock out Day. Sam Crawford’s sacrifice fly against Nick Cullop made it 3-0.
Virginia finally scored against Gibson in their half of the eighth on a single, a walk and an infield out, but Nebraska finished it off in the ninth with four more runs. Gibson singled in the first run, Johnny Hopp drove in another with a single, Ashburn hit a sacrifice fly and Crawford’s single made it 7-1.
Day, who took a three-hit shutout into the eighth, struck out five and walked three, but lost for the second time in the series.
Game 5 at Virginia
Nebraska........ 0 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 7 13 1
Virginia........ 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 6 0
W: Alexander L: Verlander
Grover Cleveland Alexander survived a shaky beginning for the victory, and contributed a two-run single in the second inning as Nebraska took a 3-2 series lead.
The ‘Husker hitters knocked out Justin Verlander in three-plus innings, shelling him for seven hits and all seven runs. Bob Cerv went 4-for-4 and Johnny Hopp drove in three runs for the winners.
Alexander, like Bob Gibson, completed the game for the second time in the series. He gave up six hits, but just two in the last six innings, and one of the four runs was unearned. He walked four and struck out four.
Game 6 at Nebraska
Virginia........ 0 2 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 - 6 14 1
Nebraska........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 - 3 4 0
W: Rixey L: Harder
HR: Hansen 2
Eppa Rixey won for the second time in the series and also drove in three runs with a double and single to give Virginia a chance in a seventh game.
Rixey held Nebraska to four hits, walking one and fanning three. The only Nebraska hitter to solve him was Ron Hansen, who hit a solo homer in the seventh and a two-run shot in the ninth.
Johnny Grubb had four hits and scored three runs for the Virginians, and Ray Dandridge had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Mel Harder, who pitched very well in Game 3, didn’t have it this time. He was pounded for 13 hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Game 7 at Nebraska
Virginia........ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 0
Nebraska........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 2 4 3
W: Gibson L: Wagner
HR: Wilson
Bob Gibson again did it all, striking out 10 and scoring the winning run for his third series victory as Nebraska advanced in a nail-biter.
Gibson and Leon Day hooked up in another great matchup, and Virginia led when Jud Wilson homered in the fifth. Gibson walked six, and Nebraska committed three errors, two by first baseman Johnny Hopp, but Virginia couldn’t take advantage and stranding 12 runners.
Nebraska tied it in the seventh when Richie Ashburn singled and Wade Boggs doubled him in. Day departed for a pinch hitter after the eighth, having given up just three hits and no walks, and closer Billy Wagner took over in the ninth. Gibson, allowed to bat for himself, walked. Hopp sacrificed and Ashburn singled, with Gibson just beating the throw home.
Base instincts 