Creighton University
Southern Illinois
Baseball Eliminated From MVC Tournament With 6-5 Loss To SIU
5/23/2008 3:15:00 PM | Baseball
Creighton likely concludes its season with a 37-21 record,
while the Salukis improved to 34-22 and advance to play at 7 PM Friday night
against either
SIU took a convincing 6-1 lead with a three-run seventh
inning, but Creighton would not go away without a fight. In the top of the
eighth, Darin Ruf drew a leadoff walk and Steve Winkelmann followed with a home
run to straight-away center field to pull the Jays within 6-3.
Then in its final at bat, Creighton tallied two more runs and had the tying run at second with one out. Pinch hitter Ian Dike led off with a single and advanced to third as Michael Lam reached on an SIU throwing error.
A sacrifice fly by Robbie Knight scored Dike and made it
6-4. A single by Elliot Soto to right center moved Lam to second for Ruf. The
2007 MVC Player of the Year delivered with an RBI single through the left side
of the infield, pulling CU within one at 6-5.
Winkelmann, who had a homer and two doubles on the day, laced a ball on a line to center field but right at Saluki defender Chris Murphy. Vicente Cafaro then hit into a fielder's choice as Ruf was forced out at second to end the game.
Creighton jumped out to a 1-0 lead after an eventful first
inning. Knight led off the game with a single to center. He advanced to second
on a wild pitch and to third on a sacrifice bunt by Soto. Knight then tagged
and scored on Ruf's fifth sacrifice fly of the season.
The Jays threatened again in the second, with Lam's double down the left field line advancing runners to second and third with one out. However, Joe Servais was nailed at home after trying to score on a wild pitch that reached the backstop. Knight then struck out to end the frame.
A one-out single by SIU's Tyler Lairson put runners on the
corners with one out in the bottom of the second. The Jays avoided trouble again
with a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play off the bat of Owen Mackedon.
The Salukis broke through with three runs in the third
inning to take a 3-1 lead. Murphy led off with a single, advanced to second on
a sac bunt and scored on a single to center by
SIU greeted new Creighton pitcher Bob Lackovic with three consecutive singles in the bottom of the fifth, but the Salukis could not plate a run. Following Elmendorf's leadoff single, he was hit in the base path by Hills' hot shot for an automatic out. Hills, given credit for a single, advanced to third on Kelly's single through the right side. However, Kelly was thrown out at first after taking a large turn toward second. Lackovic then got a ground ball to escape the inning unharmed.
Following an error and a Nick Nordgren single, CU advanced runners to the corners with one out in the sixth. But, a Servais strikeout and a groundout by pinch hitter T.J. Roemmich ended the Bluejay threat.
SIU added three big runs in the bottom of the seventh on three consecutive two-out singles off CU reliever Jack VanLeur. Murphy walked and came around to score on a single by Aaron Roberts. A single up the middle by Dean Cademartori plated Kelly, who was intentionally walked. Bret Maugeri concluded the scoring with an RBI single to left.
After allowing four hits in the first two innings, SIU starting pitcher Adam Curynski (5-1) settled in and surrendered just two the rest of the way. He walked one and struck out three in his seven innings of work.
Hellhake (3-2) dropped his second straight decision after allowing three runs in four innings. Lackovic, Matt Patterson, VanLeur and Kevin Dooley combined to throw the final five frames.
GAME NOTES: Robbie Knight's leadoff single against SIU
starter Adam Curynski accounted for more hits than the Jays could muster
against Curysnki in five innings during their May 4 meeting. In that game, CU
was no-hit until one out in the ninth inning and finished with just one hit in
the contest ... Elliot Soto's sacrifice bunt in the first inning was Creighton's
MVC-record 95th of the season. That total ranks fifth in NCAA
history for a single season ... Darin Ruf's first-inning sacrifice fly was the 16th
of his career, setting a new school record (passing Bob Langer) ... The run scored
by Robbie Knight in the first inning was his 64th of the season,
which is tied for ninth-most in a season at CU ... SIU's Mark Kelly also hit a two-run
homer in the ninth inning off Pat Venditte to force extra innings in the
nightcap of the teams' May 3 doubleheader ... Joe Servais became the sixth
Bluejay to reach double digits in hit-by-pitches, as he took an Adam Curysnki
offering off the left shoulder in the fourth inning for his 10th HBP
of the season. Creighton finished with 113 HBP for the season, three shy of its school and MVC record from last season ... Steve Winkelmann's two doubles in the game were a new career
high and his three hits matched his career-best effort ... Darin Ruf's eighth-inning walk was his 51st of the season,
tied for sixth-most in a season at CU ... Elliot Soto extended his hitting streak
to a career-long eight games with his ninth-inning single ... Creighton's 20 assists in the game were the most in the MVC this season ... Creighton finished the tournament with six double plays (including a season-high three vs. SIU) and did not commit an error in four games.
