Creighton University
27-17
Arkansas
31-19
Arkansas Tops Baseball In Final Non-Conference Tilt
5/12/2015 10:19:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- National Player of the Year candidate Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead #21 Arkansas to a 6-2 win at Creighton before 3,102 fans at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Arkansas (31-19) won its sixth straight road game while playing its first road game at Creighton since 1973. Creighton is now 27-17.
The Razorbacks grabbed an early lead with an unearned run in the top of the second as Arkansas' Bobby Wernes scampered in on a passed ball with two down in the frame.
The Bluejays pulled even with a tally in the fifth as junior Matt Gandy laced a single up the middle and scored on a two-out RBI single from sophomore Daniel Woodrow.
Arkansas wasted little time answering the Creighton challenge, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth. The Razorbacked used four hits, a walk and a Bluejay error to build the 4-1 edge. Benintendi made it a 5-1 game with a no doubt shot over the left field wall in the sixth.
Creighton best chance to get back in the game came in the seventh as with one down, Gandy singled to right and senior Landon Lucansky pulled a double down the left field line. An RBI single from senior Kevin Lamb made it 5-2 with runners at the corners and still only one out. The Bluejays, however, hit a snag as Woodrow went down on strikes and Lamb was caught trying to steal second.
Gandy and Reagan Fowler both went 2-for-4 to lead Creighton's offense, while Gandy scored both runs.
Lance Phillips (1-3) earned the win for Arkansas, while Dominic Taccolini notched the final eight outs to earn his second save.
Creighton threw nine pitchers in the contest, as Nick Highberger (5-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs in the sixth frame.
Creighton closes the regular-season with a three-game series vs. Villanova that begins Thursday at 12:30 pm.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lance Phillips (1-3)
L: Highberger, Nick (5-2)
S: Dominic Taccolini (2)
Batting:
2B: Tyler Spoon 1
3B: Bobby Wernes 1
HR: Andrew Benintendi 1
RBI: Andrew Benintendi 1 ; Bobby Wernes 1 ; Rick Nomura 1 ; Michael Bernal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clark Eagan 1 ; Andrew Benintendi 1 ; Brett McAfee 1 ; Bobby Wernes 2 ; Rick Nomura 1
CS: Andrew Benintendi 1 ; Brett McAfee 1 ; Rick Nomura 1
Batting:
2B: Lucansky, Landon 1
RBI: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Lamb, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gandy, Matt 2
CS: Lamb, Kevin 1
HBP: Crawford, Harrison 1
