Creighton University
Missouri State
Baseball Clipped In Game One Of Doubleheader at Missouri State, 5-4
4/25/2010 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A crucial error turned out to be the difference in Sunday's baseball game between Creighton and Missouri State. A two-out error in the first allowed a Tyler Paxson three-run homer, as Missouri State took game one of Sunday's doubleheader, 5-4 at Hammons Field.
The Bluejays (18-14, 6-8 MVC) could not overcome that first inning home run, as the Bears (16-21, 2-6 MVC) scored all their runs in the first three innings.
Creighton starter Ty Blach (1-2) would settle down after the third, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts the rest of the way in throwing the first Bluejay complete game of 2010.
Pat Doyle (4-6) was the pitching story, however, as he posted a career-high 10 strikeouts, while allowing one earned run on six hits for his fourth win of the year.
The first inning killed the Jays as Blach retired the first two hitters before running into trouble. A Kevin Medrano double, preceded a dropped throw by first baseman Ian Dike. After that Paxson made the Jays pay as his home run stayed just inside the left field foul pole for a 3-0 Bear lead.
The Jays got a run back in the second, as Scott Thornburg came around on a Dike double, to make it 3-1, but MSU answered with single runs in the second and third.
Travis McComack hit his third homer with a shot off the hitting facility in right in the second, and Keenan Maddox tallied sac fly after a Medrano triple in the third for the 5-1 Bear lead.
The Jays chipped away with two runs with two outs in the seventh. Alex Staehely reached on an error and Elliot Soto posted an infield single. Jimmy Swift knocked in a run with an RBI single, and another came around on a McComack error on a Trever Adams groundball to cut it to a 5-3 game.
The Jays tried to rally in the ninth on MSU closer Grant Gordon. Clay Cuno drew a lead-off walk, and pinch-runner Joey Bowens came around on a Swift single to make it a one-run game. Gordon held the Jays there, however, as he got Adams to strike out swinging to end the game for his sixth save.
Swift led the Jays, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Dike also added two hits and an RBI for CU, who lost its fourth game (13-4) when out-hitting their opponent.
NOTES: The home runs given up by Blach were the first in 42.2 innings this season ... The triple to Medrano in the third was also the first three-bagger Blach had given up ... Creighton has lost the second game of 2010 Valley series four consecutive times.
