Creighton University
38-17
Xavier
30-28
Baseball's Comeback Bid Comes Up Just Short as Bluejays Fall to Xavier 8-7 in BIG EAST Championship
5/29/2016 2:53:00 PM | Baseball
Trailing 8-5 entering the ninth inning and facing Xavier closer Garrett Schilling, the Bluejays refused to fold the tent. Senior Matt Gandy led things off with a double to left-center, scoring one-out later on a single from senior Brett Murray.
Senior Ryan Fitzgerald kept things going with a single through the right side to put the tying run at second. After a wild pitch pushed both Creighton runners up one base, junior Kevin Connolly walked to load the bags. Pinch-hitter Brennan Hammer lifted a sacrifice fly to left to get Creighton within a run at 8-7. After a battle at the dish, junior Daniel Woodrow was nipped by half a step on a ground ball to short.
Creighton (38-17) came out hot to start the contest, scoring three in the opening frame. Woodrow beat out an infield single to third to ignite the Bluejay rally. Junior Nicky Lopez pushed runners to first and second with a walk, then senior Reagan Fowler singled to load the bags. Gandy plated Woodrow on a grounder to second, then senior Harrison Crawford lifted a two-run single to right.
Bluejay starter Rollie Lacy kept the Musketeers off the scoreboard in the first, marking the first time in the BIG EAST Tournament Creighton had not allowed a run in the opening frame.
The Bluejays added to their lead in the second when Connolly blasted a solo home run over the left field wall, his second of the season and second against Xavier.
The Musketeers, however, knotted the score at 4-4 with a pair of two-run home runs in the third to chase Lacy. Senior Nick Highberger came on to end the Xavier rally, getting three of the next four.
In the top of the fourth the Bluejays seemed poised to reclaim the lead, getting the first two men on. Sadly the Bluejays were unable to convert. Xavier pounced on the opening by scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth frame to claim a 6-4 lead.
The Bluejays inched closer in the seventh behind a walk to Fowler, a grounder that moved him to second and an RBI single from Crawford.
The game remained 6-5 into the bottom of the eighth when Xavier tacked on two critical insurance runs, capped by an RBI double from Musketeer catcher Daniel Rizzie.
Following the game, four Bluejays were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. Earning their consecutive selection were seniors Matt Gandy and Harrison Crawford, while outfielders Daniel Woodrow and Kevin Connolly also earned the nod.
The Bluejays now will wait to see if their body of work this season earns Creighton an At-Large selection to the NCAA Tournament on Monday, May 30 at 11:00 am (CT).
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SCHRAMM, Trey (3-0)
L: Highberger, Nick (2-1)
S: SCHILLING, Garrett (13)
Batting:
2B: Woodrow, Daniel 2 ; Gandy, Matt 1
HR: Connolly, Kevin 1
RBI: Gandy, Matt 1 ; Crawford, Harrison 3 ; Murray, Brett 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 1 ; Hammer, Brennan 1
SF: Hammer, Brennan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodrow, Daniel 1 ; Lopez, Nicky 1 ; Fowler, Reagan 2 ; Gandy, Matt 1 ; Murray, Brett 1 ; Connolly, Kevin 1
CS: Crawford, Harrison 1
HBP: Crawford, Harrison 1
Batting:
2B: RIZZIE, Daniel 1
HR: BANNON, Rylan 1 ; GELLENBECK, Joe 1
RBI: BANNON, Rylan 3 ; RIZZIE, Daniel 2 ; GELLENBECK, Joe 2 ; LARUE, Will 1
SH: GIVIN, Chris 1 ; FALLON, Matt 1
SF: LARUE, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BANNON, Rylan 1 ; RIZZIE, Daniel 1 ; GELLENBECK, Joe 1 ; JERNIGAN, Andre 1 ; LARUE, Will 1 ; MORTON, David 1 ; HARING, Stephen 1 ; FALLON, Matt 1
SB: LARUE, Will 2
HBP: SORIA, Nate 1
