Somehow, Creighton pulled off the stunning comeback in the 9th inning (Spomer / WBR)
Corvallis, OR
I don’t know what to put in this space.
This is supposed to be a canvas and I’m supposed to fill it with words and tell you what happened during this game. I’m typically pretty good at this. I’m typically good enough to do this, but this team keeps doing miraculous things that blow my mind.
Let’s just start in the ninth inning.
Creighton trailed 7-4. They trailed 6-4 in the 8th but Bobby Kametas allowed a huge home run to Jimmy Kerr to right field, his second dongshot of the day, and it seemed like the air had been completely let out of the balloon.
Anyways, Will Hanafan led off the ninth inning. He hit the first home run of his collegiate career in the the third inning. He said it felt good, but that’s beside the point.
Will Hanafan had a career night with his first homer of the season (Spomer / WBR)
Will worked a walk. He took the first pitch for a strike and then proceeded to take the next four and trotted to first base. This is a sophomore standing at the plate, calm as a cucumber, taking pitches and working a walk while just three outs away from going home and preparing for summer ball.
Isaac Collins then proceeded to take a ball, a strike, another ball, and then fouled off four straight pitches before taking another pitch to work the count full. It was then that he barrelled up a ball and mashed a single between third and short, just a magnificent piece of hitting.
So the Jays had the tying run at the plate in Parker Upton, who worked a walk after working the count full. They were taxing these kids on the mound.
Now, get this, the bases are loaded now. Truly, they are. And the best homerun hitting option is standing at the plate, batting in front of the other really quite good home run hitting option, and this particular batter represented the lead run. In the top of the ninth inning. With no one out.
You’re following this so far, right? I mean, Jake Holton has every kid’s dream scenario at the plate and he’s due. Past due. So naturally he puts a charge into a full count pitch and sent it way deep into center field. This thing was blasted to the deepest part of the park and, had the wind played right, it would’ve been gone for a grand slam.
Issac Collins ability to get on base all season has been important to the Bluejays (Spomer / WBR)
Instead, it was caught at the wall, so Hanafan tagged and scored from third, Collins and Upton moved up 90′ to second and third, and Will Robertson took the torch of having every kid’s dream scenario. Naturally, he went oppo, smashing a ball against the left field wall, scoring Collins with ease, but Upton stayed back and made sure that he didn’t get doubled off. Call it bad base running. Call it too much hesitation. He was the tying run and that’s what’s important.
With the score at 7-6, Michigan changed pitchers and immediately walked Jack Strunc with first base unoccupied. Jordan Hovey came to the plate and, well, he drew a four pitch walk. Which, yeah, means that Upton scored from third. Upton. The tying run. Walked in.
With the bases still loaded, Jason Allbery came to the plate and blooped a single into right field, scoring another run, giving the Jays the lead at 8-7.
8-7. With one out.
Four runs already in.
The lead solidified.
Then there was a passed ball that was nowhere close, skittering away into the void of the panicked night. This allowed Will Robertson to score and it gave the Jays runners on 2nd and 3rd still with one out.
9-7.
Garrett Gilbert, who came in to catch for David Vilches after Andrew Meggs pinch hit for him in the 8th inning, grounded into a fielder’s choice out that ended with Hovey getting tagged out between third and home. No score in this altercation, but it didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter because Will Hanafan was up to bat again. This time, Hanafan blasted a single to center and scored two more for the Jays, upping the score to 11-7.
Seven runs.
Seven. In the top of the ninth. To stave off elimination, to give Bluejay fans another game, to get within one game of a Super Regional.
Bobby Kametas closed things out in the bottom of the ninth. He walked the first batter, but it didn’t matter, because, well Bobby Fucking Kametas.
I don’t know what else to say. The game itself was like a fever dream. The entire day was. To think that the Jays played two on this day is something that seems like a tall tale. Yet these Jays don’t have quit. They only have fight. When the Baseball Gods tell them that death is upon them, they simply say, “Not today.”
Creighton will play Michigan again Monday at 6pm CT on ESPN2 for a Super Regional berth on the line.
