April 8, 2006
Box Score
OMAHA, Neb. -
In the first game of a Saturday baseball doubleheader with the No. 23 Creighton Bluejays, the Illinois State Redbirds put up six runs on the nationally ranked Bluejays. However, the Jays (19-7) scored eight runs in the game and defeated the Redbirds (9-18) by a score of 8-6 at the CU Sports Complex.
Kitt Kopach (1-5) suffered the loss for the Redbirds after giving up three runs, two of which were earned, and walking seven Creighton hitters. Tony Bilek (3-0) earned the win for the Bluejays in relief of CU starter Adam Schaecher, who left the game in the first inning after being hit by a line drive off the bat of Ryan Anetsberger. Bilek pitched 4.1 innings and gave up two earned runs on two hits in his work on the mound.
The Bluejays jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second. With runners at first and third with one out, Chad Ogden hit a sharp ground ball to Blake Schoonover at third base that he fielded cleanly and threw out Darin Ruf at second base. However, Jay Molina could not squeeze the ball at first base in an attempt to turn the double play and Chris Gradoville scored from third base on the error to make the score 1-0.
Creighton added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, both on bases loaded walks surrendered by Kopach, to widen the lead to 3-0 after four innings of play. A RBI double by Ogden that scored Gradoville gave the Bluejays their fourth run of the day and pushed the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ogden scored later in the inning after Kevin Dubler threw the ball into left field as he broke for third base on a wild pitch by Dan Sorce, which extended the Creighton lead to 5-0.
ISU would put two runs of its own on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning to cut the CU lead at 5-2. A lead-off double by Molina, his second of the day, was followed by a double by Matt Bolt which scored Molina from second to make the score 5-1. After Bolt advanced to third on a wild pitch, Jesse Griswold drove in Bolt with a sacrifice fly to right field to close the gap at 5-2.
Creighton scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the third inning in row in which they scored two runs, to push the lead to 7-2 and have a five run lead for the second time in the game. In the top of the eighth inning, however, Kris Jenkins lined a single through the middle of the infield to score Anetsberger from third base and Jesse Griswold from second base to cut the lead to three at 7-4.
Creighton would get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning, though, to make the lead 8-4 going into the ninth inning. A two-run double by Anetsberger in the top of the ninth got the `Birds closer at 8-6, but the attempt at the comeback fell short and Creighton held on for the 8-6 victory.
The second game of the doubleheader will begin at approximately 4 p.m. Freshman Jim Sajewich (1-2) will be the starter for the Redbirds in game two and will be making his seventh start of the year.
