Creighton University
32-18
No. 3 Seton Hall
25-25
Baseball Knocks Off Seton Hall to Reach BIG EAST Championship Game
5/23/2015 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - The second-seeded Creighton Baseball team knocked off third-seeded Seton Hall 12-1 in an elimination contest on day three of the BIG EAST Baseball Championship on Saturday, May 23.
Creighton improved to 32-18 on the season with the win while Seton Hall finished its season at 25-25.
As a result, the Bluejays advance to Sunday's Championship game for a rematch against top-seeded St. John's at 12 p.m. CT. A Creighton win over the Red Storm on Sunday would force a winner-takes-all game at 3:30 p.m. CT for the right to the BIG EAST automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. St. John's needs just one victory Sunday to secure the bid. Both games would be broadcast live on FOX Sports 2.
Eight Bluejays recorded a hit against the Pirates and five drove in runs. Harrison Crawford led the team with three hits including a two-run blast in the first frame. Matt Gandy added a pair of hits and drove in a team-high five runs.
Creighton starter Keith Rogalla earned the victory to improve to 4-2 on the year. He stifled the Pirates' offense by not allowing a hit through five and one-third innings. Rogalla finished the day yielding just two hits through seven innings of work.
Reagan Fowler started a two-out scoring rally for the Bluejays in the bottom of the first. Fowler tapped a single through the left side before Crawford drilled a home run to left field to give the Jays an early 2-0 edge.
Creighton scored another pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the second. Kevin Connolly reached on an error. With two down, Daniel Woodrow doubled to left center. A pair of Seton hall throwing errors led to a score by Connolly and Woodrow to reach third to build a 3-0 lead. A single by Nicky Lopez through the left side scored Woodrow to put the Jays in front 4-0 after two complete.
The Jays moved ahead 5-0 in the fourth. Connolly singled up the middle to begin the bottom of the frame. He stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. A sacrifice foul fly down the right field line from Woodrow plated the run.
Creighton added another pair of scores in the fifth frame. Fowler reached on an error to begin the inning. Crawford followed with a single up the middle. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners before Gandy singled through the right side to bring in both runs for a 7-0 lead.
CU plated five runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth highlighted by a double to left center off the bat of Gandy that cleared the bases and ended the Jays' rally.
Seton Hall scored its lone run of the game in the top of the eighth inning.
Creighton will be back in action on Sunday when they face St. John's in the BIG EAST Championship game at 12 p.m. CT. If CU wins an elimination contest will follow at 3:30 p.m. at TD Ameritrade Park. All of the action will be carried live on FOX Sports 2.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rogalla, Keith (4-2)
L: PACILLO, Anthony (3-4)
Batting:
RBI: RUHLMAN, D.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WEIGEL, Zack 1
Batting:
2B: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Gandy, Matt 1
HR: Crawford, Harrison 1
RBI: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Fowler, Reagan 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 3 ; Gandy, Matt 5
SH: Fitzgerald, Ryan 1 ; Lamb, Kevin 1
SF: Woodrow, Daniel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodrow, Daniel 2 ; Fowler, Reagan 3 ; Crawford, Harrison 3 ; Fitzgerald, Ryan 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 2 ; Lamb, Kevin 1
SB: Connolly, Kevin 1
