Creighton University
Northern Colorado
Early Scoring Leads Baseball To 10th-Straight Win
4/28/2007 3:00:00 AM | Baseball
Omaha, Neb. - Zak Moore allowed just one hit in his first three innings, as his Creighton baseball teammates spotted him a 5-0 lead on way to a 9-4 victory over Northern Colorado Saturday afternoon at the CU Sports Complex to increase its nation's-leading win streak to 10 games. Moore (3-1) went on to earn his third victory of the season, as he got help from seven different Bluejays that collected RBI's on the afternoon, including two from both Chris Gradoville and Darin Ruf, as the Jays scored early and never trailed after having to come-from-behind just a day before.
Moore finished his day going 6.1 innings giving up four earned runs on seven hits, while recording four strikeouts. Though it wasn't his best work of the season, Moore was able to get the job done early and give his team the chance to earn the victory, as he held UNC to just a single hit in the first three innings.
The Bluejays took advantage of Moore's good start, putting up a three-spot in the bottom of the first and adding single runs in both the bottom of the second and third to take an early 5-0 lead on UNC right-handed starter Dan Kazell. CU then finished its scoring with four runs in the bottom of the six, as the Bears were only able to get three in the fourth and a single run in the top half of the seventh, as they lost their season-high eighth-straight game.
Kazell (1-2) was saddled with the loss for UNC lasting only 2.2 innings, surrending four earned runs on five hits.
It didn't take long for the Jays long to figure out Kazell, as got the bats rolling in the first inning. After Robbie Knight led-off with a walk, Ross Sinclair continued his hot-hitting with a double to right that put runners on second and third with no outs. That brought up Gradoville who drew a five-pitch walk to juice the bases for Ruf. Ruf wouldn't waste the golden opportunity to give CU the early lead, as he pounded a 2-2 pitch through the left side to score Knight and Sinclair and give the Jays a 2-0 lead. Steve Winkelmann then added an RBI single just two batters later as the Jays collected three runs on three hits in the inning.
They would single runs in both the second and third innings, as the struggles continued for Kazell. Knight would collect an RBI single up the middle in the second, while Chad Ogden brought home a run in the third on an RBI-double down the left field line.
The Bears finally countered the Bluejays in the top half of the fourth, as they got three runs off of Moore on four hits to bring the score to 5-3. A Cory Morales triple to leadoff the inning, put a runner in position for Kevin Sandberg to collect an RBI-single through the right side. Just one out and three batters later after a single and groundout, second baseman Adam Symons was then able to plate two runners on a single up the middle, as UNC looked poised for a comeback.
Moore regrouped though and stood strong in the fifth and sixth, allowing no UNC hitters on base. CU would ride the momentum generated by Moore's performance to pound out four in the bottom half of the sixth on UNC reliever Chris Reap.
After two walks to start the frame, Brandon Knox collected an RBI base hit through the left side to put runners on the corners with no outs. Michael Lam then followed Knox with single up the middle that scored Ogden from third to give the Jays a 7-3 lead.
Knox ended the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Lam went 1-for-4 with an RBI and also added a run.
Reap recovered to get two-straight outs, but was unable to fully stop the damage as Gradoville pounded a two-RBI double to right center to bring the score to 9-3. Gradoville finished his day 1-for-3 with two RBI's. He was joined in the two-RBI department by Ruf who finished his afternoon 2-for-3 with two RBI's and two runs scored.
UNC was able to add a single run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough to slow down the Jays as they improved to 29-11 on the season with the win. UNC fell to 10-25 with the loss.
Bluejay senior left-hander Scott Reese finished the game for CU, pitching 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball with two strikeouts, as he became the all-time Missouri Valley Conference appearances leader with his career-115th appearance.
The two teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow at the CU Sports Complex with a first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Junior Ben Mancuso (6-1) will be getting his eighth start of the season against UNC's Jason Banks (1-2)
Notes: Scott Reese's 115th-career apperance broke the 114 career-appearances mark in the MVC held by Wichita State's Jamie Bluma (1991-94) ... Creighton has now won 31-straight games when leading after six innings and 34-straight when leading after eight ... The Jays are now 57-7 under head coach Ed Servais when leading after the first inning and 59-4 in games where they score nine or more runs ... Robbie Knight has collected at least one RBI in his last six games ... Darin Ruf tied his career-hitting streak mark of 10 games with his two hits, which he has accomplished twice this season ... The Jays are 12-0 when Michael Lam starts at second base and 10-0 when Chad Ogden starts at short ... CU is now hitting .309 on the season at the CU Sports Complex ...The Bluejays have now won 13-straight games at the CU Sports Complex ... CU collected one double play on the game to give them 52 for the season and with no errors the last two games, increased its fielding percentage to .979.
