Creighton University
Nebraska
Baseball Comeback Falls Just Short In 12-10 Loss to NU
4/3/2007 3:00:00 AM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - Creighton rallied from a 9-0 second-inning deficit to tie the score, but two runs in the eighth inning lifted Nebraska past the Bluejays, 12-10, before 6,524 baseball fans at Rosenblatt Stadium.
Nebraska improved to 17-11 with the win, while CU had a season-long six-game win streak snapped and dropped to 18-9.
Nebraska scored twice in the first off Bluejay starter Teddy Ogilvie, as Andrew Brown doubled home Ryan Wehrle with one out and then scored on an error on a hard-hit ball by Jake Opitz.
The Cornhuskers attack then produced a seven-run second inning, taking a 9-0 lead against CU pitchers Chris Marchildon and Casey Schmidt. NU led off the second with three straight singles, and after a successful squeeze bunt made it 4-0 and followed with another single from Wehrle to go ahead 5-0. Craig Corriston, Jeff Tezak, and Andy Gerch also had RBIs in the frame before the damage was done.
Creighton did answer with two runs in the bottom half of the second. Ryan Urzendowski's single plated Andy Masten, while Ross Sinclair's single to third scored Chad Ogden.
The Jays made a game of it in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three times to claw within 9-5. Urzendowski and Robbie Knight singled to open the frame and end Husker starter Drew Bowman's night. Urzendowski would score on the back-end of a double-steal, while Knight later scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Gradoville. CU's final tally of the frame came when Darin Ruf doubled with two outs and scored on a single up the middle by Andrew Small.
Incredibly, CU tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth. Gradoville launched a three-run homer to right to make it 9-8. After consecutive walks, Steve Winkleman's single through the right side plated Small to knot the score at 9-9.
Both teams scored single runs in the seventh inning. Nebraska took a 10-9 lead on Bryce Nimmo's fielder's choice that scored Opitz. In the bottom half, CU's Brett Mieras reached on a one-out error and came around to score on a Wehrle throwing error.
Nebraska responded with two runs in the eighth frame against Bluejay closer Andy Masten. Wehrle reached on a one-out error, then scored when Brown ripped a double down the left-field line. Brown came home on a single to left by Opitz.
The Jays loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth inning, before NU closer Steve Edelfsen used a diving stab from third baseman Jake Mort to retire Winklemann and end the game.
Nebraska had six players with two hits each, with Wehrle and Brown both scoring three runs. The Cornhuskers got solid pitching from junior reliever Thad Weber, who threw 2.1 innings and yielded just one unearned run. NU did have six errors in the field, its most in 11 years, in addition to three passed balls and two wild pitches.
Creighton was paced by three hits from reigning MVC Player of the Week Ruf, who finished 3-of-5 with a walk. Gradoville finished 2-of-4 with four RBI. CU used six pitchers before Masten gave up his second earned run of the season to pick up the loss, falling to 4-2.
Creighton returns to action this weekend with a showdown against MVC co-leader Wichita State. First pitch on Friday from Eck Stadium in Wichita is set for 7 pm, with all three games being broadcast on 1620 AM.
NOTES: Creighton fell to 44-3 under Ed Servais when scoring 10 runs or more... Game time temperature was 36 degrees, which fell to a 29 degrees (15 degree wind chill) by game's end after the lengthy 3:41 game... Creighton made three errors on the night after making just three in the previous 11 games at Rosenblatt Stadium under Ed Servais... Chris Gradoville's four RBI were a season-high... Andy Masten's run allowed in the top of the eighth snapped a streak of 19.1 scoreless innings.
