Baseball Opens 2018 with Offensive Eruption in 15-7 Win Over Northeastern

Fort Myers, Fla. -- The Creighton baseball offense dropped crooked numbers in four separate innings, including three of the first four, as the Bluejays posted a definitive 15-7 win over Northeastern on the the first day of the 2018 season.

The Bluejays moved to 1-0 on the season with the win, collecting its first season opening victory since 2015. That year the Bluejays swept CSU Bakersfield to kick off 2015. Northeastern, meanwhile, fell to 0-1.

Junior Clark Brinkman got the Bluejays going immediately with a leadoff single to left. Two outs later Brinkman stole second, then scampered home via an RBI single to right from sophomore Will Robertson.

The bats remained hot in the next three frames as Creighton put up three in the second, three more in the third and four in the fourth to race out to an 11-0 edge.

Junior transfer Jordan Hovey got things rolling in the second as he was hit by a pitch with one down. Sophomore Jason Allbery and Brinkman followed with consecutive doubles to make it 3-0, then after a wild pitch sophomore Isaac Collins plated Brinkman with an RBI grounder.

After the first two Bluejays were retired in the third, junior Thomas Luevano worked a walk to open the flood gates once more. Junior transfer Ryan Mantle smacked a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third. Hovey plated both with a two-run double to right center. Allbery continued the hit parade with an RBI single to right, chasing Husky starter Brian Christian.

Facing the Huskies second hurler of the day, Creighton opened the fourth with three straight singles from juniors Jack Strunc, Michael Emodi and Robertson to make it 8-0. Another walk by Luevano loaded the bags, then an RBI grounder from Mantle pushed the Bluejay lead to 9-0. The final two runs of the frame crossed on an RBI double from Hovey and a sacrifice fly by Allbery.

Creighton added four more in the eighth, scoring the first on four walks, capped by an RBI free pass to Strunc. The second Bluejay run crossed via a wild pitch, then Emodi smashed a two-run double to cap the day for the Creighton offense.

While the offense was sizzling, senior Ryan Tapani limiting the Huskies to one run on five hits and a walk in five innings to earn the win (1-0). Northeastern's Christian suffered the loss (0-1), allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks in 2.2 innings.

Northeastern tacked on six runs in the bottom of the ninth, before closer Bobby Kametas shut the door by getting the final three outs.

Robertson led a potent Bluejay offense with three hits, while Allbery as well as Hovey delivered two hits and three RBI.

Creighton and Northeastern continue the three-game series on Saturday, Feb. 17, with first pitch set for 1:00 pm (CT).

Baseball Opens 2018 with Offensive Eruption in 15-7 Win Over Northeastern

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Team Stats

Will Robertson

Clark Brinkman

Jack Strunc

Michael Emodi

Players Mentioned

Isaac Collins

Ryan Mantle

Will Robertson