Jacks come up short at Creighton

Tuesday, March 17

Omaha, Neb. [TD Ameritrade Park]

6:30 PM

South Dakota State University

7-10

Creighton (Neb.)

10-7

South Dakota State

Creighton

3/17/2015 11:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton took the lead with two runs in the sixth inning and the Bluejay bullpen pitched six shutout innings to defeat South Dakota State, 4-2, in college baseball action Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Bluejays improved to 10-7 overall, while SDSU dropped to 7-10.

After Kevin Connolly gave Creighton a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a run-scoring single, the Jackrabbits took their lone lead of the game with a two-run top of the third. Cody Sharrow opened the inning with a single through the left side and advanced to second base on a base hit by Zach Coppola. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, and Sharrow later tied the game by scoring on another wild pitch. Coppola scored the go-ahead run on an RBI groundout by Tony Kjolsing.

SDSU starter Ryan Froom allowed only one run over five innings before the Jackrabbit bullpen surrendered the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Reagan Fowler and Brett Murray began the game-winning rally with successive singles to open the frame, and both runners advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Harrison Crawford loaded the bases, the Bluejays tied the game on a groundout by Connolly that scored Fowler, and Murray crossed with what would be the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

Creighton added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back triples by the top two hitters in the Bluejay lineup, Daniel Woodrow and Nicky Lopez.

Seven different Bluejay pitchers combined to shut out SDSU over the final six innings in relief of starter Connor Miller. The Jackrabbits stranded 10 runners in the game, including leaving the bases loaded after three consecutive two-out hits in the sixth, and couldn't capitalize in the seventh inning with runners at second and third with one out.

Nick Highberger was credited with the win, while David Gerber pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save.

Froom struck out three, walked four and allowed three hits in his five innings for the Jackrabbits. Ethan Kenkel took the loss for the Jackrabbits.

SDSU's nine hits came from eight different players, with Newt Johnson leading the Jackrabbits by going 2-for-3. Crawford was 2-for-2 to pace Creighton's eight-hit effort.

The Jackrabbits return to Summit League play Friday at Western Illinois.

CREIGHTON (Neb.) 4, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 2
SDSU 002 000 000 2-9-0
CU 010 002 10x 4-8-0
SDSU: Ryan Froom, Ethan Kenkel (6), Derringer Huff (7), Blake Fiedelman (7), J.D. Moore (8) and Trey Lapke, Luke Ringhofer. CU: Connor Miller, Rollie Lacy (4), Taylor Elman (5), Nick Highberger (6), Max Ising (7), Will Bamesberger (7), Ethan DeCaster (7), David Gerber (9) and Luke Horanski, Kevin Lamb.
W-Highberger (2-0). L-Kenkel (0-1). Save-Gerber (3).
HR: none.