Creighton University
Wichita State
Baseball Falls 2-1, Title Game Rematch Set For 7 pm
5/26/2007 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
Chris Gradoville greeted Krol with a double on the first pitch of the top of the ninth. Gradoville's bleeder deflected off the glove of a diving rightfielder Matt Brown and rolled into foul territory. After getting ahead in the count 2-0 and 3-1, Darin Ruf grounded out to third on a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Andrew Small then struck out looking on three pitches. Steve Winkelmann then singled up the middle to move Gradoville to third, a play that saw back-up Shocker second baseman Josh Workman knock the ball down to preserve the lead.
Creighton loaded the bases in the third inning against Aaron Shafer, but did not score. With two outs, Lam broke up Shafer's perfect game with a hard smash off the glove of WSU third baseman Conor Gillaspie. Lam scampered to third on Robbie Knight's single to right-center. After a four-pitch walk to Ross Sinclair, Gradoville grounded out to third to end the threat.
Shafer, making his first start since April 21 due to past right elbow stiffness, was brilliant while improving to 7-2. The 2006 Valley Pitcher of the Year gave up just two hits and one walk in five scoreless innings. He struck out two before giving way to Andy Womack to open the sixth. Womack threw three innings of relief before giving way to Krol.
Creighton cut the deficit in half in the top of the seventh. After falling behind 0-2 and fouling off several pitches, Ruf launched a deep drive that hooked just inside of the left-field foul pole. It was the Valley Player of the Year's eighth homer of the season, moving him one ahead of
Lewis fell to 8-2 this season with the loss. Pitching on two days' rest, the senior southpaw threw 6.2 innings and gave up four hits, two runs (one earned) two walks and three strikeouts. Scott Reese earned the final four outs for CU on the mound. Lam was the only player in the game with multiple hits, as he scored two of CU's six runs.
NOTES: Creighton has now turned a double play in 15 straight games, 22 of the last 23 and 35 of the last 37 games ...Marc Lewis' strikeout of Tyler Weber in the second kept his streak alive of at least one strikeout in all 45 of his career starts ...Robbie Knight was plunked in the top of the sixth inning, his 32nd beaning of the season. That's one shy of the NCAA single-season record ...Scott Reese made his 120th career relief appearance in the seventh, ninth-most in NCAA history ...Each of Creighton's three losses in the last 27 games have been by one run.
