Bradley 3, Creighton 1
Creighton’s weekend series in Peoria started like so many others have in 2012. The Bluejays received a solid pitching performance but were handcuffed by the opposing hurler on the mound. Ty Blach (3-5) threw eight innings of six-hit, three-run baseball while not allowing a walk and throwing just 111 pitches. But his teammates couldn’t muster much offense against Bradley starter and Omaha native Joe Bircher.
Creighton's Ty Blach pitches against the Bradley Braves (Mike Spomer/WBR)
Bircher threw a complete game in the victory, marking the third a Valley opponent’s Friday starter recorded a complete game win against CU this season. He scattered three hits and three walks while striking out nine Bluejays to move to 7-1 on the season.
The Braves got all the runs they would need in the bottom of the third inning, as Chris Godinez connected on a two-run home run off Blach. BU would add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to a two-out double by Bob Schuch.
Creighton’s lone tally came in the ninth after Nick Judkins reached via an error and Anthony Bemboom walked. That brought the tying run to the plate in Alex Staehely, who singled in Judkins from second base. But Mike Gerber flied out and Scott Thornburg popped into a strange game-ending double play, Creighton’s comeback bid falling short.
Judkins had two of CU’s three hits, with Staehely’s run-scoring single rounding out the offense for Ed Servais’ Bluejays.
Creighton 7, Bradley 4
Saturday’s second game in the series was a back and forth affair. The Bluejays got on the board first, plating a run in the first inning on a leadoff home run by Chance Ross. The Jays got runners to second and third with no outs in the second inning but couldn’t build on the lead, as Thornburg, Jake Peter, and Jordan Makovicka failed to bring Staehely and Gerber in from the base paths.
Chance Ross rounds second base after his leadoff home run against Bradley (Mike Spomer/WBR)
The Braves took that defensive momentum into their half of the second as Jerrod Eigsti connected on a two-run homer to take the lead. The Jays got those two runs back in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a leadoff double by Bemboom, a run-scoring single by Staehely, and an RBI sacrifice groundout by Thornburg. Bradley tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a two-out RBI single, then took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a bases loaded walk by Mark Winkelman, who had relieved starter Erik Mattingly after four innings.
Leading 4-3 in the ninth inning, Bradley brought Danny Gifford in to close out the Bluejays. But Creighton rallied for four runs in the inning, as Staehely led off the frame being hit by a pitch. Gerber walked next, and Thornburg bunted both men over a base. Peter picked up Staehely from third with a run-scoring single, and pinch hitter Brennan Murphy reached on an RBI sac bunt to score Gerber for the go-ahead run. Ross then came through with a RBI double to score Peter, and Murphy crossed home thanks to a throwing error on the play. Reese McGraw set the Braves down in order in the ninth to complete Creighton’s comeback.
Creighton 4, Bradley 2
The two teams locked into a close game again Sunday, and for the second straight game CU started the scoring. The Bluejays plated a run in the third thanks to a single by Ross. That brought Peter in after he reached to lead off the inning with a single and Murphy sacrificed him to second base. The Jays added a run in the fourth, thanks to a two-out triple by Gerber. He scored after Thornburg singled with two outs, and CU led 2-0.
The Braves greeted new CU pitcher Winkelman, who relieved starter Shane Liska after five innings, with a two-out RBI single by Austin Jarvis in the sixth, and BU tied the game at 2-2 two innings later thanks to a run-scoring double by Jason Leblebijian. But one inning later Creighton completed yet another comeback thanks to sloppy play by the home team.
Peter walked with one out and Murphy attempted to bunt him to second base. But BU pitcher Jacob Booden committed an error, Peter ended up at third base, and Murphy reached second. Booden then released a wild pitch, scoring Peter and advancing Murphy to third. Murphy scored after Godinez committed an error on a fielder’s choice by Ross. McGraw picked up his second win of the weekend by pitching a perfect ninth inning, and the Jays won their first conference series of the season a day after picking up their first MVC road win in 2012.