Friday, May 20
Queens, N.Y.
12:00 pm
Creighton University
36-14, 13-4
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St. John's
26-24-1, 8-9
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Creighton
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St. John's
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Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Lopez & Crawford Blast Baseball to 8-2 Win Over St. John's
5/20/2016 4:20:00 PM | Baseball
Queens, N.Y. -- Junior Nicky Lopez and senior Harrison Crawford provided bookending home runs, Lopez in the first and Crawford in the ninth, to push the Creighton Baseball team to an 8-2 victory over St. John's on Friday, May 20.
The Bluejays moved to 36-14 on the season with the win and 13-4 in BIG EAST play, while St. John's fell to 26-24-1 on the season and 8-9 in conference action.
Lopez got the Bluejays on the board in the top of the first with his second home run of the week, pulling a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right field.
Bluejay starter Jeff Albrecht, meanwhile, was stranding Red Storm runners in bunches. Facing a bases loaded two out jam in the first; Albrecht got Anthony Brocato on strikes to keep it a 1-0 contest.
The third inning saw Lopez start things once again, this time reaching on a walk. Senior Reagan Fowler followed with a hit-and-run single through the right side to send Lopez to third. One out later senior Brett Murray bounced an RBI single to right. A walk to senior Harrison Crawford loaded the bases with Bluejays, then senior Ryan Fitzgerald pushed the Creighton edge to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to right.
Albrecht frustrated St. John's once more in the fourth, working out of a bases loaded jam for the second time, this time getting Alex Caruso to fly out to left field.
Creighton head coach Ed Servais went to the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, bringing senior Connor Miller on to open the frame. With two men and two on, Servais called lefty Sam Norman. The Omaha native responded by stranding Red Storm runners at the corners with a strike out of Robbie Knightes.
In the seventh it was another Bluejay arm coming out of the pen, sophomore Ethan DeCaster, to frustrate St. John's. DeCaster entered in the seventh with runners on first and second and induced an inning-ending double play to close the frame.
The Creighton offense went back to work in the top of the eighth as Murray was hit by a pitch to get things started. Senior Will Bamesberger came on to pinch run, moving to second on a sacrifice and third via a ground out. Finally junior Kevin Connolly punched an RBI single through the left side to make it 4-0.
St. John's answered back with its first run of the game in the eighth, getting an RBI single from Jesse Berardi. With Red Storm runners at first and second and no one out, senior John Oltman got Jamie Galazin to bounce to third. Crawford fielded the ball and quickly tagged Brocato, who stopped in the base path. Crawford tried to continue past Brocato, earning a double play as runner's interference was called. A loud fly out to the warning track in center ended the inning with the Bluejays up, 4-1.
Creighton put the game away with four runs in the top of the ninth, starting with a leadoff single from junior Daniel Woodrow. One out later Fowler was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. After a pitching change by St. John's, pinch hitter Brennan Hammer delivered his second RBI knock in the final frame in as many days to make it 5-1. Two batters later Crawford blasted a three-run bomb over the left field wall to make it 8-1.
St. John's got a solo home run in the bottom half of the ninth from John Valente, but it was too little too late.
Albrecht picked up his seventh win (7-0) of the season, holding St. John's to just three hits and three walks in five innings. Oltman earned his first save of the season, allowing one run on two hits in two innings.
St. John's starter Ryan McAuliffe took the loss (4-2), allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.
Despite the loss the Red Storm clinched the final spot in the BIG EAST Tournament thanks to a Seton Hall victory over Butler.
Creighton and St. John's will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, May 21. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, with a first pitch scheduled at 12:00 pm.
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The Bluejays moved to 36-14 on the season with the win and 13-4 in BIG EAST play, while St. John's fell to 26-24-1 on the season and 8-9 in conference action.
Lopez got the Bluejays on the board in the top of the first with his second home run of the week, pulling a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right field.
Bluejay starter Jeff Albrecht, meanwhile, was stranding Red Storm runners in bunches. Facing a bases loaded two out jam in the first; Albrecht got Anthony Brocato on strikes to keep it a 1-0 contest.
The third inning saw Lopez start things once again, this time reaching on a walk. Senior Reagan Fowler followed with a hit-and-run single through the right side to send Lopez to third. One out later senior Brett Murray bounced an RBI single to right. A walk to senior Harrison Crawford loaded the bases with Bluejays, then senior Ryan Fitzgerald pushed the Creighton edge to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to right.
Albrecht frustrated St. John's once more in the fourth, working out of a bases loaded jam for the second time, this time getting Alex Caruso to fly out to left field.
Creighton head coach Ed Servais went to the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, bringing senior Connor Miller on to open the frame. With two men and two on, Servais called lefty Sam Norman. The Omaha native responded by stranding Red Storm runners at the corners with a strike out of Robbie Knightes.
In the seventh it was another Bluejay arm coming out of the pen, sophomore Ethan DeCaster, to frustrate St. John's. DeCaster entered in the seventh with runners on first and second and induced an inning-ending double play to close the frame.
The Creighton offense went back to work in the top of the eighth as Murray was hit by a pitch to get things started. Senior Will Bamesberger came on to pinch run, moving to second on a sacrifice and third via a ground out. Finally junior Kevin Connolly punched an RBI single through the left side to make it 4-0.
St. John's answered back with its first run of the game in the eighth, getting an RBI single from Jesse Berardi. With Red Storm runners at first and second and no one out, senior John Oltman got Jamie Galazin to bounce to third. Crawford fielded the ball and quickly tagged Brocato, who stopped in the base path. Crawford tried to continue past Brocato, earning a double play as runner's interference was called. A loud fly out to the warning track in center ended the inning with the Bluejays up, 4-1.
Creighton put the game away with four runs in the top of the ninth, starting with a leadoff single from junior Daniel Woodrow. One out later Fowler was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. After a pitching change by St. John's, pinch hitter Brennan Hammer delivered his second RBI knock in the final frame in as many days to make it 5-1. Two batters later Crawford blasted a three-run bomb over the left field wall to make it 8-1.
St. John's got a solo home run in the bottom half of the ninth from John Valente, but it was too little too late.
Albrecht picked up his seventh win (7-0) of the season, holding St. John's to just three hits and three walks in five innings. Oltman earned his first save of the season, allowing one run on two hits in two innings.
St. John's starter Ryan McAuliffe took the loss (4-2), allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.
Despite the loss the Red Storm clinched the final spot in the BIG EAST Tournament thanks to a Seton Hall victory over Butler.
Creighton and St. John's will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, May 21. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, with a first pitch scheduled at 12:00 pm.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Albrecht, Jeff (7-0)
L: MCAULIFFE, Ryan (4-2)
S: Oltman, John (1)
Batting:
2B: Connolly, Kevin 1
HR: Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 1
RBI: Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Hammer, Brennan 1 ; Murray, Brett 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 3 ; Fitzgerald, Ryan 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 1
SH: Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 1
SF: Fitzgerald, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Lopez, Nicky 2 ; Fowler, Reagan 2 ; Bamesberger, Will 2 ; Crawford, Harrison 1
SB: Bamesberger, Will 1
HBP: Fowler, Reagan 2 ; Murray, Brett 1
Batting:
3B: BERARDI, Jesse 1
HR: VALENTE, John 1
RBI: VALENTE, John 1 ; BERARDI, Jesse 1
Base Running:
RUNS: VALENTE, John 1 ; DIXON, Troy 1
CS: SHAW, Josh 1
HBP: DIXON, Troy 1 ; KNIGHTES, Robbie 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
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AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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INF
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RHP
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LHP
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