Creighton University
Bradley
Nine-Run Inning Leads Jays Past Bradley, 14-2 in Valley Tourney Opener
5/21/2008 4:45:00 PM | Baseball
WICHITA, Kan. -- Creighton used a nine-run sixth inning to break open a tie game and pick up a 14-2 win over Bradley in opening round action at the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Wednesday in Wichita, Kan.
Creighton moved to 36-19 on the season, improving to 5-0 in first-round games under Ed Servais at the Valley Tournament. The Jays are the first Valley club to win five straight tourney openers since Wichita State from 1980-89. Bradley dropped to 26-27 with the setback, losing for the third time in four games to the Jays this season.
The Bluejays will next play on Thursday at 11 AM against Missouri State. The Jays will start Mike Nihsen (5-1, 1.88 ERA) while MSU will counter with Valley Pitcher of the Year Tim Clubb (10-0, 2.34 ERA).
Bradley opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning against Bluejay starter Jeremy Hauer. Grant Escue doubled to right-center with one away. After Dan Brewer was hit-by-pitch, both Escue and Brewer scored on Colby Luttrell's double that got over the head of Joe Servais in left.
Creighton hustled to score an unearned run in the bottom of the first without the aid of a hit. With one out, Elliot Soto struck out but got to first on a passed ball. He went to second on a wild pitch from BU starter Chris Wright. One pitch later, Soto went to third on another wild pitch, then scored on catcher Nick Mitidiero's errant throw to third.
The Jays tied the score at 2-2 in the third inning. Nick Nordgren tripled to lead off the frame and scored on Robbie Knight's sacrifice fly to left-center.
With the bases loaded for the Braves in the top of the sixth, Pat Venditte came in to relieve Hauer. The ambidextrous hurler got Tommy Fitzgerald to pop out to end the threat.
After getting out of the jam in the top half of the sixth, Creighton put together its biggest half-inning of the season to take its first lead of the game in the bottom half. With one away Soto reached on a line drive single that BU's second baseman couldn't catch above his head. Following Wright's fifth wild pitch, Darin Ruf walked. Winkelmann followed with a bouncer in the hole on the left side that deflected off the glove of shortstop Fitzgerald, allowing Soto to score on the two-base hit. Vicente Cafaro roped a single to left to score Ruf and end Wright's day with the Jays ahead 6-2.
Reliever Tyler Thornton was greeted by Brett Mieras' ground-rule double that scored Winkelmann. After an infield flyout, Nordgren was hit by a pitch. Michael Lam then cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. After Knight singled home Lam, Brad Altbach came on to relieve Thornton. Soto was hit by a pitch and Knight scored when Ruf singled to center. CU's ninth run of the inning came on Winkelmann's second base hit of the inning.
Creighton ended the contest when pinch-hitter T.J. Roemmich lofted a three-run homer through the wind and over the right-field fence, concluding the day by virtue of the league's 10-run rule after seven innings of play.
Hauer, the MVC Newcomer of the Year, gave up five hits and two runs while walking three and striking out two in 5.2 innings. Venditte (8-3) threw 1.1 innings and 24 pitches before being lifted for Jack VanLeur, who got the final three outs.
Bradley got two hits each from Mike Brumleve and Escue to pace the offense. Wright (3-7) got the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) and five hits while striking out six. The Braves will play again tonight at 7 PM in an elimination game against Northern Iowa.
Creighton's offense was paced by three hits from Winkelmann, who drove in a pair and also walked once. Ruf and Lam both had two hits, while Roemmich and Lam finished with three RBI on the afternoon.
NOTES: Vicente Cafaro fielded his 100th straight chance without an error when he served as the pivot man in Rob Elliott's 5-4-3 double-play in the top of the fifth inning ... Pat Venditte's appearance was his nation-leading 36th of the season on the mound ... Darin Ruf's walk in the sixth inning was his eighth straight game with a walk ... BU starter Chris Wright, who entered the game with three wild pitches in 62.1 innings of work, set an MVC Tournament record with five wild pitches ... Creighton is now 20-1 when Vicente Cafaro has an RBI ... Creighton has been hit by a pitch in 49 of 55 games this season ... Steve Winkelmann tied his career high with three hits. It was his fifth three-hit game of the season, and first since April 20 ... Pat Venditte's win was the 20th of his career, tied for seventh in CU history ... Pat Venditte's seventh-inning strikeout of Jim Clayton was the 250th of his career.
