April 8, 2006
Box Score
Omaha, Neb. -
An 8-6 win in the first game of a double header on Saturday for the No. 23 Creighton Bluejays must have been too close for comfort, as the Jays' bats got hot in the second game and produced 14 runs on 17 hits to ensure a 14-4 win over the Illinois State Redbirds at the CU Sports Complex. It was the first time in 2006 that the Redbirds (9-19, 3-5 MVC) have been defeated by the "mercy rule", while the Bluejays (20-7, 5-3 MVC) picked up two important conference wins in one day.
Freshman Jim Sajewich (1-3) was saddled with the loss for the Redbirds as he gave up seven runs, six of which were earned, on eight hits in 2.2 innings of work. Creighton's Zak Moore (1-1) earned the win in relief of starter Marc Lewis. Moore threw 1.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits before Trevor Benson came on to finish the last inning and a half to preserve the win.
Creighton jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Redbirds would cut the lead in half at 2-1 in the top of the third inning on a RBI double by Matt Bolt that scored Jay Molina from first base. But, the Jays would answer back in large fashion in the bottom of the third with five runs on four hits.
With runners on second and third base and two outs, Darin Ruf singled to center field scoring John Nowaczyk and Zach Daeges and extending the Jays' lead to 4-1. Following a Chad Ogden single, Andrew small belted a three-run home run over the left field wall to extend the lead to 7-1 after three innings.
Creighton would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Chase Odenreider home run to make the score 9-1, before the Redbirds put more runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning. Kris Jenkins' RBI double to left field scored Ryan Anetsberger from second base for the first run of the inning and Kevin Dubler followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Jesse Griswold to bring the score closer at 9-3.
However, Creighton would answer with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth inning to widen the gap to 11-3. A Redbird run in the top of the sixth inning from a Griswold bases-loaded walk would make the score 11-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Jays put the game out of reach.
A three-run sixth inning by the Jays, highlighted by a two-run triple from Nowacyzk and a two-out RBI double by Daeges, extended the lead to 14-4 heading into the seventh. ISU could not score in the seventh and Creighton won via the 10-run mercy rule in the seven-inning game.
Jenkins finished 2-for-4 with a RBI while Molina added two hits and scored a run for the Redbirds in the loss. Nowaczyk was the star for the Jays, finishing 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three RBI. In addition, Daeges and Small each had three hits in the game and collected two and three RBI, respectively.
ISU returns to action for the finale of the three-game weekend set against the Jays at 1 p.m. Sunday. Freshman Ian Berger (2-4) will take the mound for the Redbirds, trying to prevent his team from being swept in the critical Missouri Valley Conference road series.
