Creighton University
Indiana State
Power Hitting Leads Baseball to Series Sweep of Sycamores
4/22/2007 3:00:00 AM | Baseball
Seniors Chad Ogden and Andy Masten each collected two home runs on the day, while junior left-hander Ben Mancuso (6-1) was brilliant, pitching a complete-game five-hit shutout to earn his sixth-win of the year. Mancuso finished his day with three strikeouts in his first appearance since a career-strikeout performance against Bradley last Sunday, where he also allowed just five hits in 6.1 innings, tossing nine strikeouts.
CU got six unearned runs in the top of the first inning, all coming with two outs to take an early 6-0 lead. After Ross Sinclair, Chris Gradoville and Steve Winkelmann all reached base to the load the bases, Andrew Small brought home the first run of the day collecting a fielder's choice RBI to third that left everyone safe. Masten then drew an RBI walk, as Ogden came to the plate with a 2-0 lead and the bases still full of Bluejays. After falling behind 1-2 in the count, Ogden turned on the fourth pitch from ISU right-hander Ryan Hayes and planted it into the cemetery in left field for his first-career grand slam that gave the Jays a commanding six-run lead for Mancuso.
Ogden finished his day 2-for-4 with a career-high five RBI's and three runs scored, while Masten went 2-for-2 with a career-high three RBI's and four runs scored.
Mancuso wouldn't take the big lead for granted though, as he allowed just two Sycamore hits through the first four innings, as the Jays added three more runs in the top half of the third off three more home runs. After Darin Ruf grounded out to start the frame, Winkelmann pounded his second home run of the weekend into the cemetery in left to make it 7-0. That soon would be followed by back-to-back home runs by Masten and Ogden, as the Jays knocked Hayes out of the game early.
Hayes (3-4) would get saddled with the loss for ISU going 2.2 innings allowing nine runs (three earned) on five hits. He was replaced by one of the Sycamore's other regular starters, in right-hander Skyler Pearson after Ogden's second home run. Pearson would go three and two-thirds giving up the final seven runs before Josh Varno got the final two outs.
Up 9-0 in the top of the fourth, Gradoville would pick up an RBI-single to left center that scored Sinclair from second base after the Sycamores got caught not paying attention to stretch the lead to 10.
With Mancuso showing no signs of cooling off, the Jays continued to pound out the runs in the fifth inning. Michael Lam, Knight and Ruf would all collect RBI's in the inning, as the Jays took a 13-0 lead into the sixth. They would tack on three more in the final two innings, with Masten getting his second home run of the day in the sixth and Brandon Knox and Dan Blair collecting RBI-singles in the seventh to close out the game's scoring.
Mancuso continued his gem in the final two innings, allowing just one hit as the Jays turned two double plays behind him on the day.
The Bluejays will now have the week off before returning to action next weekend with a non-conference set with Northern Colorado. First pitch between the Jays and Bears will take place at 4 p.m. on Friday at the CU Sports Complex.
Notes: The last time Creighton hit five home runs in a game was March 11, 2006 at Tennessee Tech... Andy Masten and Chad Ogden's back-to-back dingers were the first back-to-back home runs for the Bluejays since Zach Daeges and Darin Ruf hit two-straight against UNI last season on May 18th... Ben Mancuso's seven-inning complete game was the first thrown by a CU pitcher since Marc Lewis did it last season against Missouri State on May 6th... Creighton drew 22 total walks on the weekend and reached base nine times from being hit by a pitch... CU has won 30-straight games when leading after six inning, including a 21-0 mark this season... CU is now 45-3 under head coach Ed Servais when scoring 10 runs or better and 103-11 when scoring five or more runs... The 16 runs scored by the Bluejays was a new season-high.
