Creighton University
24-11, 9-1
Xavier
21-22, 5-5
Baseball Hangs on for 8-7 Win In Series Opener at Xavier
4/29/2022 6:06:00 PM | Baseball
The win lifted Creighton to 24-11 on the season and 9-1 in BIG EAST action, while Xavier fell to 21-22 overall and 5-5 in conference play.
Junior Andrew Meggs got the Bluejays rolling in the top of the first with a leadoff blast over the left field wall. Creighton went on to plate a second run in the frame on three walks and a hit batter to build a 2-0 edge.
Xavier answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half with a solo home run by Jack Housinger and an RBI single from Andrew Walker.
The Musketeers claimed the lead with a solo home run from Lane Flamm.
Bluejay ace Dylan Tebrake settled down after the blast from Flamm, Tebrake found his rhythm as the Minnesota native struck out seven of the next nine hitters.
Tebrake's efforts gave the offense time, then in the fifth the Bluejays bats got going. Sophomore Alan Roden led off the fifth with a sharp single up the middle, one out later junior Jack Grace gave Creighton a 4-3 edge with a home run to left-center.
Xavier scratched across the tying run in the bottom half of the frame, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches and an error.
Creighton went back up 5-4 in the seventh courtesy of a solo bomb from junior Jared Wegner.
The Musketeers responded with an RBI single from Housinger and loaded the bases with two down, yet sophomore Daniel Hammond shut the door with an inning-ending strikeout.Â
The momentum Hammond created carried over into the eighth. Freshman Hogan Helligso and Meggs lined one-out singles, then sophomore Kyle Hess blasted a three-run home run over the right field wall to put the Bluejays up 8-5.
The game remained 8-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Xavier put the first two guys on to bring the tying run to the plate. With one down in the frame, the Musketeers got a two-run double from Tyler DeMartino.
With the game on the line Bluejay head coach Ed Servais went to the bullpen for junior Marc Lidd. The Arizona State transfer closed out the game with fly outs to center and right, highlighted by a leaping catch in left by Wegner to secure the win.
Hammond earned the win (1-2) with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, while Lidd captured his second save of the season. Xavier reliever Jared Gadd took the loss (1-3), allowing four runs on four hits in three innings of work.
Meggs led the Bluejays with four hits (4-for-5) with an RBI, while Hess led Creighton with three RBI.
The Bluejays and Musketeers are back in action on Saturday, April 30 for a 12:00 pm first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Windham, Ryan (1-2)
L: GADD, Jared (3-3)
S: Lidd, Marc (2)
Batting:
2B: Wegner, Jared 1
HR: Meggs, Andrew 1 ; Hess, Kyle 1 ; Wegner, Jared 1 ; Grace, Jack 1
RBI: Meggs, Andrew 1 ; Hess, Kyle 3 ; Wegner, Jared 1 ; Grace, Jack 2 ; Esposito, Chris 1
SF: Sailors, Nolan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Meggs, Andrew 2 ; Hess, Kyle 1 ; Roden, Alan 1 ; Wegner, Jared 2 ; Grace, Jack 1 ; Helligso, Hogan 1
SB: Wegner, Jared 1
HBP: Wegner, Jared 1 ; Grace, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: DEMARTINO, Tyler 1 ; WALKER, Andrew 1
HR: HOUSINGER, Jack 1 ; FLAMM, Lane 1
RBI: HOUSINGER, Jack 3 ; DEMARTINO, Tyler 2 ; WALKER, Andrew 1 ; FLAMM, Lane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HUNTZINGER, Jerry 3 ; HOUSINGER, Jack 2 ; FRANZONI, Luke 1 ; FLAMM, Lane 1
