Sunday, April 20
Waterloo, Iowa
2:00 PM
Creighton University
7
at
9
Northern Iowa
UNI's Six-Run Sixth Inning Too Much For Creighton Baseball
4/20/2008 5:15:00 PM | Baseball
WATERLOO, Iowa ? Northern Iowa scored three unearned runs in the fifth
and then erupted for six in the sixth to win the rubber match of a
three-game Missouri Valley Conference series over Creighton baseball,
9-7, Sunday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium.
Creighton starter Mike Nihsen (2-1) suffered a tough-luck loss, as he allowed three unearned runs in five innings. UNI starter Nick Kirk improved to 4-4, as he allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. Joe Gozalez got the game's final out to earn his seventh save.
The Bluejays' bullpen gave up the majority of the damage, as top relievers Kevin Dooley and Pat Venditte each surrendered three runs in the deciding sixth inning.
The game was scoreless until the Bluejays tallied a run in the top of the fifth. Joe Servais led off with a single up the middle. Servais advanced to second on a Brandon Knox sacrifice bunt and to third on a Elliot Soto groundout. Robbie Knight then delivered a two-out double to left field to plate Servais and put CU on top 1-0.
Nihsen looked to have retired the Panthers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but a two-out throwing error by Elliot Soto extended the inning. Deric Manrique drew a walk and then Dane Embury singled through the right side to bring home the tying run.
Brandon Douglas then followed with a first-pitch double down the left field line to plate Manrique and Embury and gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
Creighton battled back in the sixth, as it was the Bluejays capitalizing on a Panther miscue. Darin Ruf led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Steve Winkelmann then sharply hit a ball at UNI second baseman Brett Douglas that was booted into the outfield grass, allowing Ruf to score from second.
Just as it had in the previous frame, UNI answered CU's run with one of their own. After T.J. Roemmich retired Brett Featherston on one pitch to start the inning, Kevin Dooley came in and allowed three straight hits. Eddie Almonte's single to left scored one and ended Dooley's day.
Pat Venditte came in and could not stop the bleeding. Venditte allowed an RBI single to Levi Ferguson, hit Manrique, then surrendered a two-run double to Embury. A sacrifice fly and a wild pitch allowed the Panthers' fifth and sixth runs of the inning to cross the plate.
Creighton would not go away, as the Jays put a three-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Knight hit his second double of the game with one out in the inning. He advanced on a throwing error and then scored on an infield single by Ruf.
Winkelmann then ended CU's home run drought with a two-run blast to left-center field to pull Creighton within 9-5. The homer was the first since Servais hit a grand slam against Bradley on April 5, a span of 10 games.
The Jays then loaded the bases after the Winkelmann homer on two walks sandwiched in between a Nick Nordgren single. However, the runners were stranded on a fielder's choice hit by Knox.
Winkelmann smashed his second homer of the day, and eighth of the season, with a solo shot with one out in the ninth to pull CU within 9-6 and start a valiant ninth-inning rally.
Back-to-back two-out doubles by Nordgren and Tony Pechek made the score 9-7 and brought in UNI's Gonzalez.
Knox worked a walk to put the tying run on first base for Soto. The freshman shortstop hit a sharp line drive, but it went right into Gonzalez's glove for the final out.
Creighton will turn its attention to a home-and-home midweek series against in-state rival Nebraska. The teams will play a 6:30 PM game at Haymarket Park in Lincoln on Tuesday, followed by a 6:30 PM game Wednesday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.
Creighton starter Mike Nihsen (2-1) suffered a tough-luck loss, as he allowed three unearned runs in five innings. UNI starter Nick Kirk improved to 4-4, as he allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. Joe Gozalez got the game's final out to earn his seventh save.
The Bluejays' bullpen gave up the majority of the damage, as top relievers Kevin Dooley and Pat Venditte each surrendered three runs in the deciding sixth inning.
The game was scoreless until the Bluejays tallied a run in the top of the fifth. Joe Servais led off with a single up the middle. Servais advanced to second on a Brandon Knox sacrifice bunt and to third on a Elliot Soto groundout. Robbie Knight then delivered a two-out double to left field to plate Servais and put CU on top 1-0.
Nihsen looked to have retired the Panthers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but a two-out throwing error by Elliot Soto extended the inning. Deric Manrique drew a walk and then Dane Embury singled through the right side to bring home the tying run.
Brandon Douglas then followed with a first-pitch double down the left field line to plate Manrique and Embury and gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
Creighton battled back in the sixth, as it was the Bluejays capitalizing on a Panther miscue. Darin Ruf led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Steve Winkelmann then sharply hit a ball at UNI second baseman Brett Douglas that was booted into the outfield grass, allowing Ruf to score from second.
Just as it had in the previous frame, UNI answered CU's run with one of their own. After T.J. Roemmich retired Brett Featherston on one pitch to start the inning, Kevin Dooley came in and allowed three straight hits. Eddie Almonte's single to left scored one and ended Dooley's day.
Pat Venditte came in and could not stop the bleeding. Venditte allowed an RBI single to Levi Ferguson, hit Manrique, then surrendered a two-run double to Embury. A sacrifice fly and a wild pitch allowed the Panthers' fifth and sixth runs of the inning to cross the plate.
Creighton would not go away, as the Jays put a three-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh. Knight hit his second double of the game with one out in the inning. He advanced on a throwing error and then scored on an infield single by Ruf.
Winkelmann then ended CU's home run drought with a two-run blast to left-center field to pull Creighton within 9-5. The homer was the first since Servais hit a grand slam against Bradley on April 5, a span of 10 games.
The Jays then loaded the bases after the Winkelmann homer on two walks sandwiched in between a Nick Nordgren single. However, the runners were stranded on a fielder's choice hit by Knox.
Winkelmann smashed his second homer of the day, and eighth of the season, with a solo shot with one out in the ninth to pull CU within 9-6 and start a valiant ninth-inning rally.
Back-to-back two-out doubles by Nordgren and Tony Pechek made the score 9-7 and brought in UNI's Gonzalez.
Knox worked a walk to put the tying run on first base for Soto. The freshman shortstop hit a sharp line drive, but it went right into Gonzalez's glove for the final out.
Creighton will turn its attention to a home-and-home midweek series against in-state rival Nebraska. The teams will play a 6:30 PM game at Haymarket Park in Lincoln on Tuesday, followed by a 6:30 PM game Wednesday at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.
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