Creighton University
Iowa
Soto Leads Bluejays Past Hawkeyes, 12-3
4/29/2009 10:00:00 PM | Baseball
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Elliot Soto went 3-6, and T.J. Roemmich hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season as the Creighton baseball team (25-18) powered past Iowa, 12-3 Wednesday night in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa got on the board in the first inning as Dallas Burke reached on a catcher's interference for the Hawkeyes. After a sacrifice bunt by Trevor Willis, Burke scored on Ryan Durant's seeing eye single up the middle.
The Bluejays took the lead in the second as Jimmy Swift was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He then stole second and advanced to third on Carson Vitale's single to left, before coming around to score on Nick Becker's double down the left field line. Robbie Knight then had a single of his own to left, bringing around Vitale and Becker, making it 3-1.
The Hawkeyes crept closer in the second when Kurtis Muller led off the inning with a triple to center and later scored on Chett Zeise's sacrifice fly.
CU got some insurance in the fourth as Knight singled to center. He then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Zeise. Soto then had his second hit of the day, driving in Knight. After a Darin Ruf single and Vicente Cafaro walk loaded the bases, T.J. Roemmich singled to right, plating Ruf and Soto. Swift then hit a grounder to third that Hawkeye third baseman Trevor Willis airmailed, allowing Cafaro to score, and made it 7-2 Jays after four.
Soto then used his speed to extend the Creighton lead to 8-2 in the sixth, as he led off with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch, stealing third and scoring on Ruf's single to right.
Iowa got a run in the sixth on a Sean Flanagan solo shot to left, making it 8-3 in favor of the Bluejays.
Roemmich kept the scoring going for the Jays, launching a team-high eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot, making it 10-3.
In the ninth, three straight hits by the Bluejays were capped by a Knight double to left-center, and the score finished 12-3.
Brandon Koenigstein (4-0) got the win going a career-high 6.0 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits,
Creighton will return to action on Friday at 6:00 p.m., as it takes on Missouri Valley Conference foe Illinois State in Normal, Ill.
NOTES: Darin Ruf reached on a catcher's interference in the first inning...It marked the sixth time this season a Bluejay reached on a catcher's interference...When Burke reached on a catcher's interference it marked the first time CU has allowed a runner to reach on such a play this year...Soto's single in the second extended his hitting streak to 23 games, making him just five short of the all-time CU record of 28 set by Tony Roth in 2005...Scott Thornburg started behind the plate for the Bluejays, but Vitale replaced him in the second inning, after Thornburg had his glove hit in the first inning resulting in a catcher's interference...Zane Hinkel got his first career hit, picking up a single to center in a pinch hit appearance in the ninth...Creighton finished with 19 hits on the night, just one shy of its season-high of 20 set on March 7 against Albany...Zach Willand made his first career appearance, coming on in the ninth inning and throwing a scoreless frame.
