Creighton University
4-4
Cal State Northridge
6-2
Bluejay Baseball Downed in Offensive Battle, 12-8
3/4/2023 7:26:00 PM | Baseball
The loss moved the Bluejays to 4-4 on the season, while CSUN climbed to 6-2.
Trailing 2-0 entering the top of the second, Creighton surged ahead with four runs on four hits. Junior Nolan Clifford got things started with a home run to right. The momentum of the game turned as the Bluejays quickly loaded the bases on a walk to senior Jack Grace, a single from freshman Ben North, then grad transfer Ben Gbur reached on a fielder's choice. A wild pitch allowed Grace to score, tying the game at 2-2. Moments later senior Andrew Meggs laced a two-run single to center to make it 4-2.
Cal State Northridge responded with a run in the bottom half of the second, then took the lead at 5-4 with two in the sixth. The Matadors added two in the seventh to make it 7-4.
Creighton responded with a pair in the eighth, getting an RBI ground out from Meggs and an RBI single by sophomore Nolan Sailors to make it 7-6. The bottom of the frame, however, saw CSUN put the game away with five runs on just two hits.
The Bluejays delivered a pair in the ninth, but the comeback hill was too large. Junior Colby Canales connected for an RBI double and North converted an RBI grounder.
Bluejay reliever Cade Lommel took the loss (0-2), allowing two runs in the sixth to give up the lead.
Matador reliever Jon Mocherman earned the win (1-0) with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Clifford and North led Creighton with three and two hits respectively.
Sunday's rubber match has been moved up to a 1:30 p.m. (CT) start in a travel accommodation for Creighton.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mocherman, Jon (1-0)
L: Lommel, Cade (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Sailors, Nolan 1 ; Canales, Colby 1
HR: Clifford, Nolan 1
RBI: Meggs, Andrew 3 ; Sailors, Nolan 1 ; Clifford, Nolan 1 ; Canales, Colby 1 ; North, Ben 1
SH: Hayes, Sterling 1 ; Gbur, Ben 1 ; Gillen, Tate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clifford, Nolan 2 ; Grace, Jack 1 ; Canales, Colby 1 ; North, Ben 2 ; Gbur, Ben 2
CS: Sailors, Nolan 1 ; Clifford, Nolan 1
HBP: Sailors, Nolan 1 ; Grace, Jack 1 ; Gbur, Ben 1
Batting:
2B: Tarlow, Graysen 2
HR: Simons, Jakob 1
RBI: Simons, Jakob 2 ; Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Tarlow, Graysen 1 ; Dean, Emanuel 1 ; Camarillo, Ali 2 ; Kramer, Joey 1 ; Le, Mason 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 2
SH: Simons, Jakob 2 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simons, Jakob 1 ; Sojka, Andrew 2 ; Tarlow, Graysen 3 ; Stuka, Luc 1 ; Dean, Emanuel 1 ; Camarillo, Ali 2 ; Kramer, Joey 1 ; Fitzer, Kevin 1
SB: Sojka, Andrew 1 ; Tarlow, Graysen 1 ; Stuka, Luc 1 ; Dean, Emanuel 1
HBP: Kramer, Joey 1 ; Sakaino, Shunsuke 1
