Creighton University
25-13
South Dakota State
26-17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creighton | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 1 |
| South Dakota State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
Small Ball Leads Baseball to 8-5 Win at South Dakota State
4/29/2015 9:37:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - Head coach Ed Servais and the Creighton Baseball team executed small ball to perfection by manufacturing six runs, to upend South Dakota State 8-5 on Wednesday, April 29.
With the win Creighton moved to 25-13 on the season, taking both games from South Dakota State this season. The Jackrabbits, meanwhile, fell to 26-17.
The Bluejays eight runs came on three sacrifice flies, two hits, an error, a fielder's choice and a ground out.
After falling behind 2-0 when South Dakota State got two runs in the bottom of the second, Creighton scratched across single runs in the third and fifth to knot the game at 2-2.
The Bluejays first run came on a single by sophomore Daniel Woodrow, a hit batter, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly from junior Brett Murray. Creighton's run in the fifth came in a similar fashion as Woodrow walked, sophomore Nicky Lopez sent him to third with a single and one out later Murray lifted his second sacrifice fly of the game.
The Jackrabbits reclaimed the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Creighton answered with three runs in the top of the sixth for the Bluejays first lead of the contest.
Junior Ryan Fitzgerald and senior David Wiedeman opened the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners. Moving toward second with sophomore Kevin Connolly at the plate, Wiedeman beat the throw to second on a fielder's choice that tied the game at 3-3. After a walk to freshman Luke Horanski loaded the bases, Woodrow chopped a ball to first. Jackrabbit first basemen Matt Johnson bounced a throw home to give the Bluejays a 4-3 edge. Moments later Lopez pulled an RBI grounder to first to make it 5-3.
South Dakota State wasted little time rallying back, scoring two runs on two singles and a hit batter.
With the Bluejay offense in full throttle, Creighton got two more runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to build an 8-5 lead.
The runs in the seventh followed the path Creighton laid early in the game as junior Harrison Crawford walked, Fitzgerald sent him to third with a single and Wiedeman delivered a sac fly. With two out in the frame, Horanski belted a deep double to right-center to plate Fitzgerald.
Excellent base running accounted for the Bluejays run in the eighth. Lopez rapped a one-out single to left, then a hit-and-run allowed him to take third on a ground out from junior Reagan Fowler. Murray took advantage with an RBI single to left to push Creighton's lead to 8-5.
On the mound junior Nick Highberger was dominant in relief as he held South Dakota State scoreless over the final 3.2 innings to earn his fifth win of the season (5-1).
Creighton will return to action on Friday, May 1 as the Bluejays begin a critical BIG EAST series with Seton Hall begins at 5:00 pm.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Highberger, Nick (5-1)
L: Talon Jumper (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Murray, Brett 1 ; Horanski, Luke 1
RBI: Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Murray, Brett 3 ; Wiedeman, David 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 1 ; Horanski, Luke 1
SH: Fowler, Reagan 1 ; Wiedeman, David 1
SF: Murray, Brett 2 ; Wiedeman, David 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodrow, Daniel 2 ; Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 1 ; Fitzgerald, Ryan 2 ; Wiedeman, David 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 1
HBP: Lopez, Nicky 1
Batting:
2B: Al Robbins 1
RBI: Luke Ringhofer 1 ; Reid Clary 1 ; Al Robbins 1 ; Eric Danforth 2
SH: Reid Clary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Paul Jacobson 1 ; Zach Coppola 1 ; Reid Clary 2 ; Matt Johnson 1
HBP: Newt Johnson 1 ; Eric Danforth 1
