Creighton University
Indiana State
Baseball Wins Third Straight, 9-4, Over Indiana State
3/21/2009 4:45:00 PM | Baseball
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Creighton baseball team won its third straight game Saturday, 9-4 over Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. The team is now 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
For the third straight game, the Jays got on the board in the first, as Robbie Knight led off the game with a hit-by-pitch. He scored the first run of the day when Darin Ruf sent a ground ball to first, that the Sycamore first baseman Brian Jett couldn't handle.
Creighton would extend its lead to 2-0 in the second as T.J. Roemmich led off the inning with a line drive double to left-center. He would advance to third and score as ISU starter Jake Petricka threw a wild pitch, and then catcher Bronco Lafrenz threw the ball into left field, trying to get Roemmich advancing to third.
In the third inning, Vicente Cafaro got a hit for the 13th straight game, to start a potential rally with two outs. Roemmich then came up with his second double of the game, this time a line drive to right center, putting runners at second and third. Unfortunately, the Bluejays couldn't plate a run, as Carson Vitale grounded out to third to end the inning.
It became a 4-0 lead for CU in the fourth, as Ian Dike hit a double to centerfield, bringing in Scott Thornburg from first. Dike scored when Elliot Soto reached first on an error by ISU shortstop Pascual del Real, trying to throw Soto out at first.
Jeremy Hauer surrendered his first runs of the day in the fourth inning as Indiana State hit four doubles in the inning, en route to scoring three runs. Hauer's day would end, going just 3.1 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits. He struck out three without walking anyone. Jack VanLeur then came in with Lafrenz on second, and proceeded to surrender a base hit to pinch hitter Joe Meggs, putting runners at the corners with just one out. VanLeur then induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, keeping the Creighton lead at 4-3.
Knight and Soto both reached base to lead off the seventh. After Ruf flew out to right, Cafaro lined a single to right, to load the bases with one out. After Roemmich then flew out to left, pinch hitter Nick Becker singled up the middle, to bring home Knight and Soto, making it 6-3.
Indiana State cut the deficit in the bottom of the inning as Ryan Strausborger hit a double to left, scoring Koby Kraemer from second. Del Real then reached on a Jimmy Swift error, putting runners on first and second with just one out. Luckily for CU, Nick Ciolli grounded into an inning-ending double play, to keep the Jays' lead at 6-4 after seven.
Creighton then threatened to get the run back in the top of the eighth as runners were on first and third with one out as Ruf came to the plate. He hit a towering sac fly to center, to bring home Swift from third and put the lead back at 7-4.
The Bluejays put the game away in the top of the ninth as Swift hit a double to center past a diving Strausborger, to bring home Becker. Soto then hit a fielder's choice to the shortstop to bring in Dike, and make it a five-run advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The two teams will wrap up their three-game set on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., from Sycamore field.
NOTES: Knight's two hit-by-pitches in the game, moved him into ninth place alone on the all-time NCAA list with 63 plunks...The Bluejays had a bit of a scary moment in the first, as Soto had a foul bunt deflect off his face...Soto would return to the game, and ended up grounding out in the at-bat...It was the third straight game CU has scored in the first...Hauer retired the first eight batters of the game, before giving up a base hit in the third to Koby Kraemer...Ruf extended his CU career-lead in sacrifice flies, with his 18th career sac fly in the eighth...Matt Patterson extended his scoreless streak to 12.2 innings to start the season...Creighton has now won 12 straight meetings versus the Sycamores, and 19 of the last 20 meetings...Becker tied his career-high, getting two hits coming off the bench...Thornburg had his first career sacrifice bunt in the ninth...
