April 28, 2010
OMAHA, NE – – Creighton got off to a fast start and never looked back en route to a 15-10 victory over the Iowa baseball team Wednesday night in front of 1,803 fans at a windy Rosenblatt Stadium. The Hawkeyes scored all 10 of their runs in the final three innings after Creighton scored the first 14 runs.
Iowa’s one-five hitters collected eight of its 12 hits and seven of its 10 RBI. Zach McCool, Ryan Durant and Tyson Blaser all had two hits for the Hawkeyes. McCool and Blaser registered three and two RBI, respectively. Durant also worked two walks. Trevor Willis had a single, a walk, an RBI and three runs scored in defeat.
Senior Michael Jacobs got the loss, throwing only one inning. The Hawkeye bullpen featured Jeff Pacha, Zach Kenyon, Ricky Sandquist and Patrick Schatz. Creighton starter Greg Hellhake earned his first victory throwing five innings, allowing no runs and two singles and two walks. Mike Nihsen was credited with his first save.
“We came back and made a run, but it wasn’t enough,” said Iowa Head Coach Jack Dahm. “We had great support from the Hawkeye fans that came out and watched us tonight. They were loud the last few innings, which helped re-energize our guys. We need to carry the offensive momentum we had the last three innings into this weekend.”
Creighton (19-17) jumped on the Hawkeyes early, sending 10 batters to the plate in its first at-bat, plating six runs on five hits and two Iowa errors. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, Jacobs induced a double play ball that would have limited the damage, but the home plate umpire ruled catcher’s interference that loaded the bases and enabled the Bluejays to break the game open in the first frame.
The Bluejays tallied three more runs in the second inning on a Carson Vitale three-run homer to center field off Pacha, who relieved Jacobs after one-plus inning of work. Vitale, who entered tonight’s contest with three home runs on the year, powered his second of the game in the bottom of the fourth off Kenyon for a two-run homer to left field. Vitale finished the game a perfect 5-for-5, three runs score and seven of Creighton’s 15 RBI.
After collecting only three hits the first six innings, Iowa’s bats finally awoke. Iowa (17-22) matched Creighton’s first-inning offensive output, sending 10 hitters to the plate itself, scoring six runs on seven hits in the top of the seventh inning. The Hawkeyes scored all six runs with two outs. Blaser recorded a two-RBI double, Dallas Burke clubbed a pinch-hit RBI double to left, McCool and Mike McQuillan registered RBI singles, while Kurtis Muller had an RBI groundout.
Creighton added one run in the seventh, while Iowa finished with one tally in the eighth and three in the ninth inning. McCool had an RBI groundout in the top of the eighth. Willis was credited with a bases-loaded fielder’s choice RBI, Mike Corbeil sliced an RBI double down the left field line and McCool collected his third RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. The game ended on a McQuillan deep fly ball to center field with the bases loaded.
Iowa returns to action this weekend when it hosts Minnesota in a three-game series beginning Friday night at 6:05 p.m. at Duane Banks Field. Admission is $3 for adults and free for UI students and youths.