Creighton University
South Dakota State
Baseball defeats SDSU in Back and Forth Game
3/12/2011 2:55:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - In what proved to be a back and forth game, the Creighton baseball team put together a three run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning to get the 6-3 win over South Dakota State on Saturday. With seven runs scored in the last three innings, five going to the Jays, Creighton picked up its 11th win of the season, improving to 11-3, while SDSU dropped to 3-7.
South Dakota State got on the board first, scoring just five pitches into the game. After not scoring yesterday at all, Zach Rhodes sent a Jonas Dufek pitch over the right center field fence, knocking out his first home run of the season. Dufek retired the next two batters on ground balls, but SDSU took an early 1-0 lead.
After exchanging scoreless half innings, the Jays pushed across one in the bottom of the second. Trever Adams stood in and ripped his team leading third triple to right center. Two ground outs looked like the Jays would strand Adams on third, but Erik Mattingly drew a two out walk and Chance Ross stayed hot from the plate, driving a single back up the middle to score Adams. Joey Bowens reached base for the fifth straight time, after going 4-for-4 from the plate yesterday, Bowens was hit by pitch to load the bases for leadoff hitter Michael Mutcheson. Mutcheson knocked a ball back up the middle, fielded by the shortstop who got the easy out at second base. The Jays evened the game at one on two hits.
Dufek was solid through the next second and third, allowing just one baserunner in the two innings, a second inning walk In the top of the fourth, back to back singles by SDSU's Blake and Cain, followed by a pop fly and ground out left runners on second and third with two outs. Dufek got out of the inning, forcing a grounder that Judkins dove to his right for and tossed to Dufek who was covering first. The score remained 1-1 going into the bottom of the fourth.
The Jays looked like they would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Thornburg hit a seeing-eye single through the left side and was advanced to second on a Mattingly sacrifice bunt. Thornburg was caught out in a pickle on a Ross infield grounder back to the pitcher and Bowens grounded out to the third baseman to end the inning. After four, the score remained knotted at one.
Both teams looked like they would take the lead in the bottom half of the fifth and top of the sixth. Each team stranded a runner on third base, with each team grounding into double plays to end the threat. The Jackrabbits took back the lead in the top of the seventh inning. After Telford flied out to the warning track in right field, Hanowski drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Briggs was then hit by pitch before Marra singled through the right side, knocking in Hanowski. The Jays brought in Mark Winkelman, who forced a ground out double play, third base to first base to end the inning. Dufek finished the game with 6.1 innings pitched, giving up two earned runs and six hits, while striking out four.
The Jackrabbits brought in Eric DeJong to start the bottom of the seventh and Judkins earned a single on a bunt. After hustling down the line, he advanced to third on a rushed throw by the SDSU catcher. Swift knocked in Judkins on a ground out to the shortstop, tying the game at 2-2. Adams then broke the tie, knocking out his third homerun of the season, a rocket over the right field fence. The Jays took the 3-2 lead by scoring two runs on two hits and one SDSU error.
SDSU threatened in the top of the 8th, getting runners on second and third off Winkelman. The Jays brought in closer Reese McGraw, who surrendered one run on an infield hit. The Jays got out of the inning when the SDSU runner was called out for interference, after sliding into Staehely on the double play attempt. The Jackrabbits tied up the game at three a piece in the inning. Winkelman finished the day with 1.0 innings pitched, one hit and one run on the day.
The Jackrabbits brought in Trever Vermeulen to close the game, but he was not very accurate to start, hitting Mattingly and walking Ross. Bowens then sacrifice bunted the pair to second and third, before Anthony Bemboom, who was pinch hitting for Mutcheson, was intentionally walked. Judkins stood in with one out and the bases loaded and drove a single through the right side, knocking in two. Swift stood in next, driving in his 12th RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Jays finished the day with 10 hits, with Adams and Judkins leading the way, each finishing the day 3-for-4 from the dish. SDSU finished with 8 hits and two defensive errors.
Creighton and SDSU will meet tomorrow in the final game of the three-game series, with first pitch set for 1:00 pm from the CU Sports Complex. Check into www.gocreighton.com for the latest information on all your favorite Bluejay teams.
