Wednesday, April 23
Rosenblatt Stadium
6:30 PM
Creighton University
7
vs
16
Nebraska
Double-Digit Fifth Inning Keys NU Baseball Over Jays, 16-7
4/23/2008 8:00:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- Tenth-ranked Nebraska sent 17 men to the plate and
scored 13 times in the fifth inning in a 16-7 win over Creighton on
Wednesday night at Rosenblatt Stadium. The game took place in front of
9,044 fans, the largest crowd of the season for either team.
Nebraska is now 30-7-1, while Creighton dropped to 25-15 with its fourth consecutive defeat.
Nebraska's 13 runs in the fifth were its most in one inning since 1999, during a NCAA-record setting 51-3 pasting of Chicago State. NU would rope five doubles in the fifth inning en route to a school-record 10 two-baggers on the evening.
In the horrifying fifth inning, CU's Zak Moore walked leadoff man Jake Mort, who moved to second on a single by Jake Opitz. A walk to Mitch Abeita loaded the bases. T.J. Roemmich came in to relieve Moore and got a soft one-hopper to CU first baseman Darin Ruf, but Ruf's throw home was wide and allowed both Mort and Optiz to score. Abeita, who advanced to third on Ruf's first error of the season, would score on Craig Corriston's sacrifice fly that was the first out.
DJ Belfonte was hit with a pitch, and reliever Matt Patterson entered and beaned Cody Neer with his first delivery to load the bases. Ben Kline then doubled to right-center to score two, and Bryce Nimmo followed with a two-run double of his own. Mort also doubled to score Nimmo. After Opitz's second single of the inning and a walk to Abeita loaded the bases, Sullivan's drive to left was hauled in, but not before plating Mort. Corriston's two-run double scored Opitz and Abeita. Kevin Dooley entered and gave up a double to Neer, and Belfonte would score on the play. Kline grounded out to short to end the frame.
Creighton scored in the bottom of the first inning for the 12th time in 18 home games this season to take an early 1-0 lead. Ruf was walked by NU starter Erik Bird with two outs, then moved to second on Steve Winkelmann's hit-by-pitch. Ruf then motored home on Nick Nordgren's single to left.
The Huskers wasted no time reclaiming the lead, as they produced three consecutive extra-base hits to go ahead 2-1 in the top of the second. Corriston doubled to deep center with one away and scored on Belfonte's triple to right. Belfonte waltzed home when Neer ripped an RBI double down the left field line.
NU used a two-out walk to push its lead to 3-1 in the top of the third. Abeita walked on a full-count pitch and scored from first on Sullivan's hit-and-run RBI double.
Nordgren's second homer in as many nights, a three-run shot to left, gave CU a brief 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third before NU's big outburst. Nordgren's seventh blast of the season scored Elliot Soto and Ruf.
CU answered Nebraska's 13-run inning with two in the home half of the fifth. Soto singled and Ruf doubled to start the inning, and Winkelmann followed with a hit to score Soto. Ruf scored his third run of the night on Nordgren's sacrifice fly.
Nebraska finished with a a school-record 10 doubles, three shy of the NCAA single-game record, against seven different Bluejay hurlers in the game. Six different members of the Big Red had two or more hits, paced by three hits from Opitz and Corriston. Michael Mariot (2-0) picked up his second career win in relief of Bird, who gave up four runs in four innings before being pulled after a long layoff during NU's big inning.
One bright spot in the loss was the pitching of CU reliever Jack VanLeur. VanLeur threw three scoreless innings to end the game in the longest outing of his career. CU's offensive leaders were Nordgren (2-for-3, five RBI) and Ruf (3-for-4, three runs). Moore was charged with the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season.
Creighton returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Evansville. First pitch at the CU Sports Complex on Friday is set for 4 pm. Nebraska heads to Waco, Texas, for a three-game set at Baylor.
NOTES: Creighton has scored first in 17 of its last 18 games ... Pat Venditte had never allowed three extra base hits in the same inning before giving up three in a row in the top of the second ... Darin Ruf extended his hitting streak to 10 with a third-inning single ... Creighton had not allowed 10 runs in an inning since giving up a 12-spot at Lamar on Feb. 24, 2007 ... Darin Ruf's three runs tied a career-high ... Creighton's fourth straight defeat matches the longest losing streak in Ed Servais' five-year tenure ... The only inning in which Nebraska's leadoff man reached was their 13-run fifth inning ... Pat Venditte's start was just his second in 99 career appearances.
Nebraska is now 30-7-1, while Creighton dropped to 25-15 with its fourth consecutive defeat.
Nebraska's 13 runs in the fifth were its most in one inning since 1999, during a NCAA-record setting 51-3 pasting of Chicago State. NU would rope five doubles in the fifth inning en route to a school-record 10 two-baggers on the evening.
In the horrifying fifth inning, CU's Zak Moore walked leadoff man Jake Mort, who moved to second on a single by Jake Opitz. A walk to Mitch Abeita loaded the bases. T.J. Roemmich came in to relieve Moore and got a soft one-hopper to CU first baseman Darin Ruf, but Ruf's throw home was wide and allowed both Mort and Optiz to score. Abeita, who advanced to third on Ruf's first error of the season, would score on Craig Corriston's sacrifice fly that was the first out.
DJ Belfonte was hit with a pitch, and reliever Matt Patterson entered and beaned Cody Neer with his first delivery to load the bases. Ben Kline then doubled to right-center to score two, and Bryce Nimmo followed with a two-run double of his own. Mort also doubled to score Nimmo. After Opitz's second single of the inning and a walk to Abeita loaded the bases, Sullivan's drive to left was hauled in, but not before plating Mort. Corriston's two-run double scored Opitz and Abeita. Kevin Dooley entered and gave up a double to Neer, and Belfonte would score on the play. Kline grounded out to short to end the frame.
Creighton scored in the bottom of the first inning for the 12th time in 18 home games this season to take an early 1-0 lead. Ruf was walked by NU starter Erik Bird with two outs, then moved to second on Steve Winkelmann's hit-by-pitch. Ruf then motored home on Nick Nordgren's single to left.
The Huskers wasted no time reclaiming the lead, as they produced three consecutive extra-base hits to go ahead 2-1 in the top of the second. Corriston doubled to deep center with one away and scored on Belfonte's triple to right. Belfonte waltzed home when Neer ripped an RBI double down the left field line.
NU used a two-out walk to push its lead to 3-1 in the top of the third. Abeita walked on a full-count pitch and scored from first on Sullivan's hit-and-run RBI double.
Nordgren's second homer in as many nights, a three-run shot to left, gave CU a brief 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third before NU's big outburst. Nordgren's seventh blast of the season scored Elliot Soto and Ruf.
CU answered Nebraska's 13-run inning with two in the home half of the fifth. Soto singled and Ruf doubled to start the inning, and Winkelmann followed with a hit to score Soto. Ruf scored his third run of the night on Nordgren's sacrifice fly.
Nebraska finished with a a school-record 10 doubles, three shy of the NCAA single-game record, against seven different Bluejay hurlers in the game. Six different members of the Big Red had two or more hits, paced by three hits from Opitz and Corriston. Michael Mariot (2-0) picked up his second career win in relief of Bird, who gave up four runs in four innings before being pulled after a long layoff during NU's big inning.
One bright spot in the loss was the pitching of CU reliever Jack VanLeur. VanLeur threw three scoreless innings to end the game in the longest outing of his career. CU's offensive leaders were Nordgren (2-for-3, five RBI) and Ruf (3-for-4, three runs). Moore was charged with the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season.
Creighton returns to action on Friday when it opens a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series against Evansville. First pitch at the CU Sports Complex on Friday is set for 4 pm. Nebraska heads to Waco, Texas, for a three-game set at Baylor.
NOTES: Creighton has scored first in 17 of its last 18 games ... Pat Venditte had never allowed three extra base hits in the same inning before giving up three in a row in the top of the second ... Darin Ruf extended his hitting streak to 10 with a third-inning single ... Creighton had not allowed 10 runs in an inning since giving up a 12-spot at Lamar on Feb. 24, 2007 ... Darin Ruf's three runs tied a career-high ... Creighton's fourth straight defeat matches the longest losing streak in Ed Servais' five-year tenure ... The only inning in which Nebraska's leadoff man reached was their 13-run fifth inning ... Pat Venditte's start was just his second in 99 career appearances.
Players Mentioned
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