Creighton University
North Dakota
Baseball Defeats North Dakota 13-6
3/24/2009 8:30:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - Robbie Knight led the way offensively, going 4-5, as the Creighton baseball team defeated North Dakota 13-6, in the first of two games to be played against the Fighting Sioux this week at the CU Sports Complex.
Knight jumpstarted the CU offense in the bottom of the first lining a leadoff double to right center. Elliot Soto brought him in as he hit a single to right. Soto was on third with just one out, but couldn't come across as Vicente Cafaro grounded out to the pitcher, before T.J. Roemmich grounded out to short to leave the Bluejay lead at 1-0 after one.
The Bluejays tacked on two more in the second. The first run scored when Knight lined a single to left scoring Jimmy Swift. Creighton's lead became 3-0 courtesy of a catcher's interference, bringing home Carson Vitale.
CU's lead extended to 5-0 in the third when Ian Dike started a two-out rally with a walk. Vitale singled to put runners at first and second and Becker brought in Dike with his single to center. Vitale then scored on Knight's infield single for the second run of the inning.
North Dakota got on the board in the fifth as the first three batters all reached base. Leadoff man Josh Nelson scored on Omaha native Jabby Bakhit's single. It became 5-2 when Jake Magner singled to score Joe Krivarchka.
The Bluejays got their two runs back the bottom of the inning as Nick Becker and Robbie Knight hit back-to-back triples, for the first time this season. Becker's triple brought in Dike who had led off the inning with his team-high sixth hit-by-pitch this season.
North Dakota refused to go away as it answered with another two runs of their own in the sixth, this time off Bluejay reliever Matt Patterson to make it a 7-4 game. It was the first two runs Patterson has allowed this year in 13.2 innings.
Again CU responded by scoring the first two of six unanswered runs, to put the game away. Runners were on second and third with one out when Dike singled to right to bring in Roemmich. After Vitale walked to load the bases, Becker drew a walk as well to bring in the second run of the inning.
Creighton put together its final scoring threat of the day in the seventh when Darin Ruf launched his fourth home run of the season, this time a solo shot to left. After two straight walks, Roemmich singled to right, but had the ball get behind the left fielder, allowing him to advance to third and have the two runners in front of him score, to make it 13-4 after eight.
North Dakota would then get its final two runs of the day off Bluejay freshman Kurt Spomer, who was making just his second career appearance, for a final of 13-6.
Creighton's game tomorrow has been moved from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the CU Sports Complex. The team will take on North Dakota.
NOTES: Creighton scored in the first inning for the fifth straight game...It accumulated 18 hits, its second most on the year, and the most that North Dakota has allowed in 2009...Vicente Cafaro had his 14-game hit streak snapped, as he went 0-4...Patterson has now allowed one earned run in his 13.2 innings, good for a 0.66 ERA...Vitale went 3-3, tying his career high...Knight was 4-5, just a home run short of the cycle...Starter Mike Nihsen had his longest outing of the year, going 5.0 innings...Becker had a career-high three RBI...Ian Dike had a career-high three RBI.
