Creighton University
32-19
No. 1 St. John's
39-14
St. John's Edges Creighton 8-7 for BIG EAST Baseball Title
5/24/2015 4:42:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - The Creighton Baseball dropped a hard fought 8-7 contest to St. John's in the BIG EAST Championship game at TD Ameritrade Park on Sunday, May 24.
With the win St. John's (39-14) earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while the Bluejays finished the 2015 season at 32-19.
St. John's jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after three innnings, then added another run in the fourth to build a 5-0 lead.
Refusing the lay down in their home ballpark, the Bluejays showed some life in the sixth by loading the bases on two singles and a two-out walk to sophomore Kevin Connolly. Although Creighton was unable to punch through in the frame, it was a sign of things to come in the seventh.
Junior Connor Miller put up his second straight googe egg in the sixth to quickly bring his team back to the dish.
Sophomore Daniel Woodrow opened the seventh with a single to center, then sophomore Nicky Lopez drew a walk. Junior Reagan Fowler was hit by a pitch by reliever Thomas Hackimer and the Bluejay rally in high gear.
One out later junior Ryan Fitzgerald bounced a two-run single up the middle to make it 5-2. Junior Matt Gandy kept things going with a walk, then senior Landon Lucansky moved each Bluejay 90 feet with an RBI grounder to first. Creighton's fourth run of the inning crossed the plate on an infield single by Connolly and the Bluejays finally tied the game when the next two Creighton batters were hit by pitches.
St. John's bounced back a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth, but the Bluejays had one more rally left in them.
Down 8-5 entering the top of the ninth, Gandy and Lucansky opening the inning with singles. After a wild pitch moved both Bluejay runners into scoring position, St. John's went to their ace Ryan McCormick for a one inning save.
The game two starter surrendered a seeing eye single to the first hittter he faced, Connolly to make it 8-6. Lucansky came home on the next play as St. John's turned two. That however was all Creighton had left.
Gandy and Connolly each closed the season with a 3-for-4 effort to lead the offense.
Following the game the Bluejays received a host of individual honors as Gandy, Fitzgerald, Lopez and junior Harrison Crawford were named to the All-Tournament Team.
2015 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
P: Ryan McCormick, St. John's
P: Anthony Elia, Seton Hall
IF: Matt Harris, St. John's
IF: Ryan Fitzgerald, Creighton
IF: Harrison Crawford, Creighton
IF: Nicky Lopez, Creighton
OF: Zach Lauricella, St. John's
OF: Alex Caruso, St. John's
OF: Zack Weigel, Seton Hall
C: Nick Collins, Georgetown
DH: Matt Gandy, Creighton
Jack Kaiser Most Outstanding Player: Alex Caruso, St. John's
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: KUZIA, Joe (3-1)
L: Miller, Connor (4-3)
S: MCCORMICK, Ryan (1)
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Nicky 1
RBI: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Fitzgerald, Ryan 2 ; Lucansky, Landon 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 2
SH: Lopez, Nicky 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Fowler, Reagan 1 ; Fitzgerald, Ryan 1 ; Gandy, Matt 2 ; Lucansky, Landon 1
CS: Fitzgerald, Ryan 1
HBP: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Fowler, Reagan 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 1 ; Lamb, Kevin 1
PO: Fitzgerald, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: WAYMAN, Robert 1
3B: LAURICELLA, Zach 1
RBI: CARUSO, Alex 1 ; WAYMAN, Robert 2 ; LAURICELLA, Zach 3 ; HARRIS, Matt 2
SH: WAYMAN, Robert 1 ; SANCHEZ, Tyler 2
SF: HARRIS, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CARUSO, Alex 2 ; WAYMAN, Robert 2 ; DONADIO, Michael 1 ; LAURICELLA, Zach 1 ; KNIGHTES, Robbie 1 ; BLANKMEYER, Ty 1
SB: BLANKMEYER, Ty 1
CS: MEDEROS, Jarred 2
HBP: MEDEROS, Jarred 1
PO: MEDEROS, Jarred 1
