Creighton University
BYU
Baseball Falls 11-4 in Series Finale With BYU
3/22/2011 4:11:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - The Creighton Bluejay baseball team suffered the worst loss of the season on Tuesday, dropping an 11-4 decision to the BYU Cougars in the second game of the series. The Jays (16-5) gave up a season high 11 runs on 17 hits in the game to the Cougars (10-10), including two three-run home runs to Jaycob Brugman, who finished the day 4-for-5 from the plate, with BYU pushing across seven runs in the first inning.
BYU roughed up Creighton starter Brandon Koenigstein for seven runs in the first inning on six Cougar hits. Stephen Wells led off the game with a double to left center field, and with two pop outs in foul territory through the next three batters, it looked like he would be stranded there. But then the Cougars had three hits in a row, singles by Dillon Robinson and Wes Guenther and a triple by Austin Hall to move the score to 4-0 early. After a two out walk to Dane Nielsen, Jaycob Brugman crushed a home run over the right center field fence, scoring three more before the Jays got out of the inning with a pop up by Andrew Law.
While the Jays couldn't string multiple hits together in a row, the Cougars added three more in the top of the third. Hall led off the inning, hit by a pitch by then pitcher Nick Musec, making his second appearance of the season. Musec got the Cougars out in order in the second, but the third went a little differently. After the lead-off hit batter, Dane Nielsen singled through the right side to put runners on first and second for Brugman, who drove out his second three-run home run of the day, this time a line drive over the right field fence.
The Jays did push across runs in both the third and fourth innings. With one out in the top of the third, Nick Judkins was hit by a pitch on a full count. Jimmy Swift picked up his first hit of the day and picked up his 18th RBI of the season, as Judkins hustled from home and was helped by a bobbled relay throw. In the bottom of the fourth, Creighton got another single run when Mike Gerber drove his first home run as a Bluejay over the right field fence.
Creighton relievers held the Cougars silent through the middle innings, with Nick Musec and Chase Webb calming the hot bats. Musec finished the day with 4.0 innings of work, giving up the three run home run and six hits total, but working three innings of scoreless baseball. Webb went two and a third innings, giving up one run, on a botched double play ball at second in the eighth inning, walking just one batter on the day.
The Bluejay defense turned a season high three double plays in the game, in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings. Creighton added two runs in the bottom of the ninth, a rally that was too little too late for the Jays. Anthony Bemboom picked up a five pitch walk, followed by a Brad McKewon pop up. Jordan Makovicka picked up his third hit of the season, all as a pinch batter, putting runners on first and second. With a Michael Blatchford strike out, the Jays put together a mini two out-rally. Gabriel Thibodeaux singled to right field to score Bemboom, followed by Alex Staehely picking up his first hit of the day, a single through the right side to score Makovicka.
BYU finished the day with 11 runs on 17 hits, getting their leadoff batter on base in six of the nine innings. Leading the way was Brugman, who finished with four hits, two home runs, six RBI and two runs scored, while five Cougars had a multi-hit game. For the Jays, Jimmy Swift was two for four with an RBI while Gabriel Thibodeaux also picked up two hits on the day and drove in a run. Creighton finished with eight hits and nine strike outs.
The Jays will be back in action this weekend, hosting North Dakota for a three game series. CU and North Dakota will play a double header on Saturday and a single game Sunday, with action starting at 1:00 pm both days. Follow www.gocreighton.com for all the latest on Bluejay baseball.
