Friday, March 23
Normal, Ill.
1:00 pm
Creighton University
11-6
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Illinois State
8-10
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Creighton
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2
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Illinois State
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7
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Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Bluejay Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader at Illinois State, 5-1 & 7-5
3/23/2018 7:44:00 PM | Baseball
Normal, Ill. -- Powered by a dominant start from senior Ryan Tapani in the opener and some late offense in the nightcap, the Creighton Baseball team swept a doubleheader from Illinois State on Friday, March 23.
The victories lifted the Bluejays to 12-6 on the season, while the Redbirds fell to 8-11.
Game 1 - Recap
Creighton jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first. Junior Clark Brinkman singled, stole second, moved to third on a fly out and scored when sophomore Will Robertson reached on an error.
Tapani, the Bluejays' ace, held Illinois State in check for the first four innings, allowing just three hits.
The Creighton offense added two runs in the fifth on just one hit, an error and two walks. Sophomore Jason Allbery opened the frame with a six-pitch walk, then moved to second on a sac bunt from junior Jordan Hovey. After Allbery took third on a wild pitch, Brinkman plated him with a double. An error in the outfield allowed Brinkman to score on the play, extending the Bluejays lead to 3-1.
Tapani allowed his only run of the start in the fifth, but Creighton's offense answered with two more runs on four walks and an RBI single from junior Michael Emodi.
Tapani moved to 4-0 with the win, allowing one runs on six hits and one walk in six innings of work. Reliever Jonah Smith, meanwhile, picked up his first save of the season with three innings of scoreless relief.
Offensively Brinkman led the charge with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
Game 2 - Recap
Down 4-0 after three innings, the Bluejay offense rallied late with two runs in the sixth, four in the seventh and an insurance tally in the eighth.
Sophomore Parker Upton started Creighton's rally with a single to leadoff the sixth. One out later sophomore Isaac Collins blasted an RBI triple to right-center, then Emodi laced an RBI single through the right side to make it 4-2.
The Bluejay bats went back to work in the seventh as junior Ryan Mantle worked a leadoff walk, then Allbery reached via an infield single. Junior Jack Strunc followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position and Upton followed with a two-run double to knot the game at 4-4. Brinkman continued the fun for Creighton with an RBI triple, then Collins drove a sacrifice fly to center.
Leading 6-4, Creighton added a run in the eighth on a double from Robertson, a sac bunt and a sacrifice fly from Mantle.
Illinois State pushed across a run in the eighth, but sophomore Mitch Boyer limited the damage to one run. In the final frame junior Thomas Luevano moved to the bump from third, stranding Redbirds at first and third for his second save of the season.
Senior reliever Grant Spranger picked up the win (1-0), with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Offensively Upton guided the Bluejays with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
Creighton will look to claim the sweep either Saturday or Sunday, pending weather in Normal. Snow is forecast for Saturday, which is why the two teams decided to play two games today.
The victories lifted the Bluejays to 12-6 on the season, while the Redbirds fell to 8-11.
Game 1 - Recap
Creighton jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the first. Junior Clark Brinkman singled, stole second, moved to third on a fly out and scored when sophomore Will Robertson reached on an error.
Tapani, the Bluejays' ace, held Illinois State in check for the first four innings, allowing just three hits.
The Creighton offense added two runs in the fifth on just one hit, an error and two walks. Sophomore Jason Allbery opened the frame with a six-pitch walk, then moved to second on a sac bunt from junior Jordan Hovey. After Allbery took third on a wild pitch, Brinkman plated him with a double. An error in the outfield allowed Brinkman to score on the play, extending the Bluejays lead to 3-1.
Tapani allowed his only run of the start in the fifth, but Creighton's offense answered with two more runs on four walks and an RBI single from junior Michael Emodi.
Tapani moved to 4-0 with the win, allowing one runs on six hits and one walk in six innings of work. Reliever Jonah Smith, meanwhile, picked up his first save of the season with three innings of scoreless relief.
Offensively Brinkman led the charge with two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
Game 2 - Recap
Down 4-0 after three innings, the Bluejay offense rallied late with two runs in the sixth, four in the seventh and an insurance tally in the eighth.
Sophomore Parker Upton started Creighton's rally with a single to leadoff the sixth. One out later sophomore Isaac Collins blasted an RBI triple to right-center, then Emodi laced an RBI single through the right side to make it 4-2.
The Bluejay bats went back to work in the seventh as junior Ryan Mantle worked a leadoff walk, then Allbery reached via an infield single. Junior Jack Strunc followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position and Upton followed with a two-run double to knot the game at 4-4. Brinkman continued the fun for Creighton with an RBI triple, then Collins drove a sacrifice fly to center.
Leading 6-4, Creighton added a run in the eighth on a double from Robertson, a sac bunt and a sacrifice fly from Mantle.
Illinois State pushed across a run in the eighth, but sophomore Mitch Boyer limited the damage to one run. In the final frame junior Thomas Luevano moved to the bump from third, stranding Redbirds at first and third for his second save of the season.
Senior reliever Grant Spranger picked up the win (1-0), with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Offensively Upton guided the Bluejays with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
Creighton will look to claim the sweep either Saturday or Sunday, pending weather in Normal. Snow is forecast for Saturday, which is why the two teams decided to play two games today.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tapani, Ryan (4-0)
L: Huffman,Brady (1-3)
S: Smith, Jonah (1)
Batting:
2B: Brinkman, Clark 1
RBI: Brinkman, Clark 1 ; Collins, Isaac 1 ; Emodi, Michael 1
SH: Hovey, Jordan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brinkman, Clark 2 ; Allbery, Jason 2 ; Hovey, Jordan 1
SB: Brinkman, Clark 2 ; Collins, Isaac 1 ; Luevano, Thomas 1 ; Allbery, Jason 1 ; Hovey, Jordan 2
HBP: Brinkman, Clark 1 ; Collins, Isaac 1 ; Mantle, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Braithwaite,Collin 1 ; Libman,Jordan 1 ; Sadler,Noah 1
HR: Rave,John 1
RBI: Rave,John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rave,John 1
HBP: Zouras,Nick 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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OF
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