Creighton University
Illinois State
Bluejays Overcome 6-0 Deficit to Defeat Redbirds 10-6
5/3/2009 5:15:00 PM | Baseball
After getting the deficit to just 6-3, Creighton exploded in the seventh when Scott Thornburg led off with a 400-foot bomb to straight away center. The bases were then loaded courtesy of two walks and a hit-by-pitch, bringing Vicente Cafaro to the plate. Cafaro then singled to left, bringing home Robbie Knight and Elliot Soto and tying the game at 6-6. T.J. Roemmich then hit a single through the right side, plating Darin Ruf and Cafaro and giving CU its first lead of the day. Nick Becker then hit a bloop fly ball to center that no Redbird could get to, allowing two more runs to score, making it 10-6 Creighton. In the inning there were seven runs on four hits.
Tyler McNeely got the Redbirds on the board first, hitting a rocket shot to right field for a solo home run.
Gabe Demarco gave Illinois State a 3-0 lead in the second hitting a two-run home run that just curled inside the right field foul pole.
McNeely hit his second home run of the day in the third inning, another solo shot. Mike Stalowy then doubled to left and later scored on
CU got on the board in the top of the fourth, as Knight and Soto got on base to lead off the inning. Jimmy Swift then delivered a two-out single bringing in Knight from third, cutting the lead to 6-1.
The Jays tacked on another run in the fifth as Carson Vitale led off with a double to centerfield. Knight then hit a two-out double of his own down the left field line, scoring Vitale. Soto then hit a ball in the hole to shortstop Collin Salzenstein who airmailed the throw to first allowing Soto to go to second and Knight to come home, making it just 6-3 Redbirds after five.
Illinois State threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when the team loaded the bases. Luckily for the Jays, Jack VanLeur came on to get his fifth save and preserve the win.
Bob Lackovic (5-1) got the win going a career-high 5.1 innings and had a career-high with five strikeouts.
Creighton will return to action on Friday at 4:00 p.m., against
NOTES: The last time Creighton overcame a six-run deficit was also against Illinois State, that coming on March 22, 2002, when the team won 8-7 after trailing 6-0 at the top of the second...Darin Ruf moved into sixth place on the all-time NCAA leaderboard in putouts with 2,132...McNeely's two home runs were the first time an opponent has hit two in a game since June 3, 2007 when Brian Walker of Arkansas did the trick...It was the most home runs by the opponent as a team since Stony Brook did it on March 6...Knight was hit by a pitch in the seventh, making it 68 career plunks, tying him for seventh on the all-time NCAA list...The Bluejays won for just the fourth time in 18 games, when trailing after six...With its seven runs scored in the seventh, CU has now outscored its opponents 49-12 in the seventh this season...It was the 10th time on the season and the third straight game Creighton has scored five or more runs in an inning...It was also just the second time in 12 tries this season that the Jays won when allowing six or more runs...CU has now scored eight or more runs in four straight games, that is its longest stretch since doing it in seven straight contests from March 1-8, 2008...Lackovic made his 28th apperance, tying him for second in the country...VanLeur made his nation-leading 31st appearance...The Jays won for just the third time in 16 games when being out-hit after getting out-hit 13-11.
