Creighton University
Indiana State
Mattingly Holds ISU Hitless Through 9.0, but Jays Fall in 12
4/7/2012 4:36:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - Erik Mattingly threw nine innings of no-hit baseball against one of the top offensive teams in the NCAA, but the Bluejay bats ran into just as good of an effort from Indiana State starter Sean Manaea in a 2-0 loss on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the Jays to 13-15, 1-7 in MVC play, while Indiana State is now 26-6, 6-2 in The Valley.
In his best outing as a Bluejay, possibly of his collegiate career, Mattingly baffled the Sycamore bats up and down the lineup. After hitting a batter in the first inning, the senior right hander retired the minimum number of batters through his final eight frames, including using a doubleplay to get out of the second inning. He finished the day with three strikeouts and one hit batter.
Mattingly set a new TD Ameritrade Park Omaha record, putting together the longest no-hitter to start a game. The previous record was 5.2 innings by Creighton's Ty Blach vs. Missouri State on May 20, 2011.
But as good as Mattingly was on the mound, the Bluejay bats ran into Manea, who also finished with 9.0 innings of work, allowing five hits and striking out eight while not allowing a run to score. He threw 156 pitches in his longest outing of the 2012 season.
The Bluejays stranded 10 runners on base in the game, including leaving them loaded in the first inning. After Brad McKewon walked to leadoff the game, Chance Ross picked up the first hit with a single through the left side. Nick Judkins joined the duo on base with a sacrifice bunt that was bobbled by Manaea.
Scott Thornburg then ripped a ball up the middle, that hit off the back of Manaea, who picked up the ball and got McKewon out at home. A pair of strikeouts ended the threat early for the Jays.
The Bluejay bats then went cold, as a Judkins double and Gerber single would be the only hits for the Jays through the eighth inning. But Creighton looked like they were going to win the game in regulation, as Anthony Bemboom walked to lead off the ninth inning. Bemboom became the second Bluejay of the day to be fooled by Manaea's pickoff move to first, erasing the leadoff man from the bases.
Alex Staehely then doubled down the left field line and Gerber singled up the middle. A perfect throw from ISU's Lucas Hileman in centerfield beat Staehely to the plate, keeping the game knotted at zero and heading into extra innings.
Mark Winkelman and Reese McGraw kept the shutout going into the 12th, when the Sycamores used a pair of walks issued by McGraw to put up a pair of runs on a single through the right side by Jon Hedges. The Bluejay bats went down in order in the bottom of the inning, giving Indiana State the 2-0 win.
Creighton and Indiana State will play game three of the series tomorrow, Easter Sunday, with first pitch set for 3:00 pm from TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The game will mark Creighton's first TV game of the 2012 season, as the Jays and Sycamores game will be aired on ESPNU.
NOTES: As good as both starting pitchers were, neither one earned a decision in the game. Mattingly finished with 9.0 innings of work, no runs, no hits, no walks, three strikeouts and 114 pitches, while Manaea went 9.0 innings, giving up five hits, three walks and eight strikeouts in a shutout effort as well ... The 9.0 innings of no-hit baseball would have marked the first time in Creighton baseball history a Bluejay pitcher would have thrown a no-hitter ... The 12-inning game marks the longest Creighton baseball game at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The ballpark record is 13-innings played in last year's College World Series ... The Bluejays will look to avoid a series sweep tomorrow afternoon, which hasn't happened since 1986. The Sycamores won the series (2-3) in 2010 in Omaha ...
