Friday, May 21
Omaha, Neb.
2:00 PM
Creighton University
21-13, 13-6
2
vs
6
Xavier
25-22, 15-9
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7
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Xavier
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6
10
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Creighton
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1
0
1
0
0
2
8
1
Paul Bergstrom
Photo by: Catherine Grosdidier
Baseball Keeps Title Hopes Alive, Splits Twinbill with Xavier
5/21/2021 4:37:00 PM | Baseball
Bluejays need a victory and a Connecticut loss to earn a second straight BIG EAST title
Omaha, Neb. -- The Creighton Baseball team kept its BIG EAST title hopes alive with a doubleheader split against Xavier on Friday. Xavier won the first game 6-2 before Creighton rallied for a 3-2 walk-off win in 10 innings in the nightcap.
Creighton's (22-13, 14-6 BIG EAST) split and Connecticut's (29-16, 12-4 BIG EAST) doubleheader sweep against Seton Hall on Friday dropped the Bluejays into second place in the league standings, as the Huskies now own a .750 win percentage compared to CU's .700 mark.
Both teams play a home game at Noon on Saturday to close the regular-season. Creighton can win the league title with a victory over Xavier (25-23, 15-10 BIG EAST) coupled with a Connecticut loss to Seton Hall (23-22, 16-10 BIG EAST).
Any other combination will result in the Bluejays being the No. 2 seed in next week's BIG EAST Tournament in Mason, Ohio.
Game 1: Xavier 6, Creighton 2 (7 innings)
Just like in Thursday night's 10-5 Xavier victory, neither team scored in the first two innings before the Musketeers opened the scoring column with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Luke Franzoni, who homered twice last evening, once again did the damage with his team-best ninth home run of the season as the Musketeers took an early 2-0 advantage.
Creighton scored its first run of the afternoon as Nolan Clifford walked, stole second and scored on Parker Upton's double into the right field corner, slicing the Xavier margin in half.
Xavier added to its lead with a three-run fourth inning to move ahead 5-1, as Sam Olson, Jack Housinger and Andrew Walker all collected RBI.
Alan Roden scored CU's other run in the fifth inning as he doubled with two outs and scored on an RBI single by Ryan Mantle.
But as they have all series long, Xavier responded after allowing a Bluejay score with one of its own in the sixth inning after Creighton reliever Ryan Miller walked the first two men of the inning, then threw a wild pitch, to end his afternoon after just 10 pitches. Daniel Hammond was summoned and escaped the jam, but not before Nolan Monastra's infield single plated pinch-runner Andrew Sexton with the game's final run.
Lane Flamm improved to 3-5 for Xavier, allowing six hits and two runs in six innings of work.
Jonah Smith was tagged with the loss to fall to 6-4 after surrendering five runs in five innings that included seven strikeouts. Fellow senior Mantle had a 3-for-4 game at the plate to push his batting average to .336.
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Game 2: Creighton 3, Xavier 2 (10 innings)
Creighton scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat Xavier, 3-2, in the second game of the doubleheader. The Bluejays won when Xavier first baseman Luke Franzoni misplayed Parker Upton's dribbler up the first base line to score pinch-runner Cam Frederick with the winning run.
Creighton's rally started in the bottom of the 10th when Nolan Clifford was placed on second. Â Pinch-hitter Evan Spry beat out a bunt single to put men at the corners with nobody out, then was replaced by Frederick. Andrew Meggs walked to load the bases for Upton with no outs. Dorsey Chatham, who escaped a bases-loaded jam on Thursday, had no such luck 24 hours later.
A wild pitch scored Clifford to tie the game and moved Frederick and Meggs up a base. Upton's full-count nubber handcuffed and eluded Franzoni as Frederick trotted home to give CU its first lead of the series. Frederick had originally retreated towards third base against the drawn in infield, before reversing course to score without a throw home.
Creighton's rally helped reward a brilliant outing by relief ace Paul Bergstrom. Bergstrom threw a career-high six innings of relief, allowing four hits and an unearned run but did not factor in the decision. He lowered his ERA to 0.91 in the process.
As the game went to extra innings, Xavier's Garrett Schultz was placed at second base to start the 10th inning. He was bunted over to third before Bergstrom gave way to Ryan Windham. Jared Cushing's single deflected off the glove of Bluejay second baseman Andrew Meggs, but couldn't be contained as Schultz scored the go-ahead run. Windham, who recorded the final two outs in the 10th, improved to 2-0 with the victory.
Xavier didn't waste any time taking the lead to start the game, this time scoring just five batters into the game. Franzoni walked to open the game and would later come around to score on a single by Cushing.
Creighton countered with a tying run in the fourth, using two walks and a single before Will Hanafan's bases-loaded walk drove home Alan Roden.
Mantle was the lone Bluejay with multiple hits in the nightcap, giving him a 5-for-7 twinbill. Cade Lommel threw 3.1 innings and allowed one run before giving way to Bergstrom with two on in the fourth frame.
Creighton and Xavier will close the series on Saturday at 12:00 pm (CT) in a game that will be nationally-televised by CBS Sports Network.
Creighton's (22-13, 14-6 BIG EAST) split and Connecticut's (29-16, 12-4 BIG EAST) doubleheader sweep against Seton Hall on Friday dropped the Bluejays into second place in the league standings, as the Huskies now own a .750 win percentage compared to CU's .700 mark.
Both teams play a home game at Noon on Saturday to close the regular-season. Creighton can win the league title with a victory over Xavier (25-23, 15-10 BIG EAST) coupled with a Connecticut loss to Seton Hall (23-22, 16-10 BIG EAST).
Any other combination will result in the Bluejays being the No. 2 seed in next week's BIG EAST Tournament in Mason, Ohio.
Game 1: Xavier 6, Creighton 2 (7 innings)
Just like in Thursday night's 10-5 Xavier victory, neither team scored in the first two innings before the Musketeers opened the scoring column with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Luke Franzoni, who homered twice last evening, once again did the damage with his team-best ninth home run of the season as the Musketeers took an early 2-0 advantage.
Creighton scored its first run of the afternoon as Nolan Clifford walked, stole second and scored on Parker Upton's double into the right field corner, slicing the Xavier margin in half.
Xavier added to its lead with a three-run fourth inning to move ahead 5-1, as Sam Olson, Jack Housinger and Andrew Walker all collected RBI.
Alan Roden scored CU's other run in the fifth inning as he doubled with two outs and scored on an RBI single by Ryan Mantle.
But as they have all series long, Xavier responded after allowing a Bluejay score with one of its own in the sixth inning after Creighton reliever Ryan Miller walked the first two men of the inning, then threw a wild pitch, to end his afternoon after just 10 pitches. Daniel Hammond was summoned and escaped the jam, but not before Nolan Monastra's infield single plated pinch-runner Andrew Sexton with the game's final run.
Lane Flamm improved to 3-5 for Xavier, allowing six hits and two runs in six innings of work.
Jonah Smith was tagged with the loss to fall to 6-4 after surrendering five runs in five innings that included seven strikeouts. Fellow senior Mantle had a 3-for-4 game at the plate to push his batting average to .336.
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Game 2: Creighton 3, Xavier 2 (10 innings)
Creighton scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat Xavier, 3-2, in the second game of the doubleheader. The Bluejays won when Xavier first baseman Luke Franzoni misplayed Parker Upton's dribbler up the first base line to score pinch-runner Cam Frederick with the winning run.
Creighton's rally started in the bottom of the 10th when Nolan Clifford was placed on second. Â Pinch-hitter Evan Spry beat out a bunt single to put men at the corners with nobody out, then was replaced by Frederick. Andrew Meggs walked to load the bases for Upton with no outs. Dorsey Chatham, who escaped a bases-loaded jam on Thursday, had no such luck 24 hours later.
A wild pitch scored Clifford to tie the game and moved Frederick and Meggs up a base. Upton's full-count nubber handcuffed and eluded Franzoni as Frederick trotted home to give CU its first lead of the series. Frederick had originally retreated towards third base against the drawn in infield, before reversing course to score without a throw home.
Creighton's rally helped reward a brilliant outing by relief ace Paul Bergstrom. Bergstrom threw a career-high six innings of relief, allowing four hits and an unearned run but did not factor in the decision. He lowered his ERA to 0.91 in the process.
As the game went to extra innings, Xavier's Garrett Schultz was placed at second base to start the 10th inning. He was bunted over to third before Bergstrom gave way to Ryan Windham. Jared Cushing's single deflected off the glove of Bluejay second baseman Andrew Meggs, but couldn't be contained as Schultz scored the go-ahead run. Windham, who recorded the final two outs in the 10th, improved to 2-0 with the victory.
Xavier didn't waste any time taking the lead to start the game, this time scoring just five batters into the game. Franzoni walked to open the game and would later come around to score on a single by Cushing.
Creighton countered with a tying run in the fourth, using two walks and a single before Will Hanafan's bases-loaded walk drove home Alan Roden.
Mantle was the lone Bluejay with multiple hits in the nightcap, giving him a 5-for-7 twinbill. Cade Lommel threw 3.1 innings and allowed one run before giving way to Bergstrom with two on in the fourth frame.
Creighton and Xavier will close the series on Saturday at 12:00 pm (CT) in a game that will be nationally-televised by CBS Sports Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: FLAMM, Lane (3-5)
L: Smith, Jonah (6-4)
Batting:
2B: HOUSINGER, Jack 1
HR: FRANZONI, Luke 1
RBI: FRANZONI, Luke 2 ; HOUSINGER, Jack 1 ; WALKER, Andrew 1 ; MONASTRA, Natale 1 ; OLSON, Sam 1
SF: OLSON, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FRANZONI, Luke 1 ; SEXTON, Andrew 1 ; HOUSINGER, Jack 1 ; DEMARTINO, Tyler 1 ; CUSHING, Jared 2
Batting:
2B: Upton, Parker 1 ; Roden, Alan 1 ; Hayes, Sterling 1
RBI: Upton, Parker 1 ; Mantle, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roden, Alan 1 ; Clifford, Nolan 1
SB: Clifford, Nolan 1
HBP: Roper, Dax 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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3
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H
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RBI
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Players Mentioned
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