Creighton University
Valparaiso
Baseball Wins Two in Edwardsville on Saturday
3/19/2011 3:58:00 PM | Baseball
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Creighton Bluejays made quick work of the two opponents in Edwardsville, defeating Valparaiso 1-0 and then defeated SIU Edwardsville 4-3 in 10 innings. The pitching staff combined to allow just seven hits on the day, three runs and fanned 17 batters. The Jays improve to 15-4 with the two wins, while Valpo falls to 1-17 and SIU Edwardsville falls to 5-13.
Creighton 1, Valparaiso 0
Jonas Dufek was the lead story for the Jays in game one, throwing the first complete game of the 2011 season for the Jays. Game one, finishing in just one hour and 25 minutes, saw Dufek throw nine complete innings, giving up just two hits and one walk, while striking out a career high 13 batters. The senior fanned four batters in the first three innings, sitting down the Crusaders three-up, three-down the first time through the order.
The Bluejay batters also struggled on the offensive side of the plate, as well, with just three hits on the day, and only one the first time through the line-up. The Jays weren't walked a single time in the game and struck out just five times.
Creighton finally got on the board in the top of the fifth, pushing across the only run of the game, by executing perfect team baseball. Trever Adams picked up Creighton's second hit of the day, driving a double down the left field line. He was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alex Staehely. With one out and Adams on third, Nick Judkins drove in the run on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Neither team did anything through the latter innings of the game, with both starting pitchers remaining on the mound through the whole game. Dufek finished the game with a career high 13 strikeouts, allowing just two hits and walking one batter while throwing exactly 100 pitches. Valpo's starter, Damon McCormick, finished with a similar line, giving up one run on just three hits and not allowing a free base all day while throwing 90 pitches.
Three different Jays finished the day with a hit, as Anthony Bemboom, Adams and Chance Ross each picked up a base hit in the opener on Saturday.
Creighton 4, SIU Edwardsville 3 (10)
The Jays jumped on the board quick in the second game, scoring three in the top of the third and received solid pitching by Ty Blach to keep the lead through the game.
With one out in the third, Mike Gerber (playing in his first game since the Arkansas State Spring break trip due to injury) doubled to the left field fence. Michael Mutcheson was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Nick Judkins grounded out to first to move the two runners up a base each. Jimmy Swift then dropped in an infield hit, safe at first when nobody was there to cover the base, which scored Gerber. The Jays added two more when Trever Adams knocked a 1-2 cound double to the left field fence, driving in both Mutcheson and Swift.
Blach was flawless in the first three innings, with no hits and no runners on base. The Cougars put together a mini rally in the bottom of the fourth, however, putting together back to back hits to score a single run. After forcing ground outs the first two outs of the inning, Blach gave up a screaming line drive back up the middle to Mitch Matecki. The very next batter, Devin Caldwell, doubled to right field, slicing a ball into the corner, which scored Matecki from first. Blach got Zach Hawkins to pop out to end the inning.
While Blach continued to pitch well in the early going, forcing SIUE batters three-up, three-down four of the first five innings, he struggled in the bottom of the seventh. The southpaw walked back to back batters with one out, allowing the Jays to bring in Mark Winkelman. Winkelman walked the first batter he saw, then forced a ground out, allowing a run to score. With two outs and runners on second and third, Winkelman forced a ground out to third to end the scoring threat at just one run, pulling the Cougars to a 3-2 score. Blach finished the day with 6.1 innings pitched, three hits, two earned runs given and two strike outs.
SIUE tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. The leadoff batter drove a ball over Gerber's head in center field. Caldwell then committed a cardinal sin in baseball, he ran through a stop sign by his coach at third and was thrown out on a relay from Gerber to Swift and tagged out at third by Ross for the first out. Reese McGraw came in, and looked like he would earn his fourth save of the season. After forcing a ground out, there were two outs and a runner on second base. McGraw gave up back to back hits, allowing the Cougars to tie the game at two all.
The Jays then brought in Chase Webb, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a 3-3 game. Webb struck out a batter to end the inning, sending the two teams to extra innings.
Creighton brought the top of the order to bat at the top of the 10th, scoring one run to take the 4-3 lead. Mutcheson reached first on a throwing error by the second baseman and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Judkins. After a Swift pop up, Adams singled to right field and scored Mutcheson from second. It was Adams' 15th RBI of the season.
In the bottom of the 10th, Webb was solid on the mound, earning the win on the day and his first on the season. He forced a ground out to start out the inning. He then forced a line out to Ross at third base and finished off the game with a strikeout.
Creighton finished the game with nine hits and no defensive errors while the Cougars finished with seven hits and one defensive error.
Creighton will play at home on Monday and Tuesday, when they welcome BYU to the CU Sports Complex. It will be the first meeting between the two teams in history. The Monday game is set for 3:00 pm while the Tuesday game will be a 1:00 pm start. Follow www.gocreighton.com for the latest on Bluejay baseball.
Quick Hits: The one hour, 25 minute game one ranks as one of the quickest in nine-inning history; the fastest nine inning MLB game was 89 minutes in 1943... The 13 strikeouts by Jonas Dufek marks the second time this season the senior has improved his career strikeout numbers. He improved from nine to 11 in the Feb. 11 6-3 win over Canisius... Creighton did not receive a walk in the first game, marking the first time this season that has happened... It was also the lowest hit output for the Jays this season, connecting on just three hits on the day... Last season's game with SIU Edwardsville went a little differently - the Jays shutout the Cougars 22-0 on opening day... Creighton hit into three ground ball double plays on Saturday, the most in a single day this season... After using a season high 11 combined pitchers in the Air Force game, Creighton used just three pitchers from its staff on Saturday, the fewest in a two game series this season...
