WICHITA, KS – ECK STADIUM
Despite four fantastic innings from senior starter Mitch ‘Raygun’ Ragan, the Bluejays gave up a deciding four runs in the sixth inning to give Wichita State the dub in game one of a Friday night double header.
It appeared that this unbelievably potent offense that the Jays have placed on the diamond this year wouldn’t cool off as Isaac Collins took the second pitch of the first at bat into deep right field for a double. Unfortunately, Parker Upton, Will Robertson, and Jake Holton were unable to get the second baseman home, and left him stranded on the pillow up the middle.
It happened again in the second inning except with different personnel. Jack Strunc – that man – doubled into left center with the lead-off at-bat. Jordan Hovey advanced Strunc to third with an absolutely dynamite sac bunt that sent the men and women at Eck Stadium swooning, giving the Jays an indelible opportunity to push across the game’s first run.
It didn’t work out.
After Jason Allbery walked, Garrett Gilbert struck out. Allbery stole second without a throw, giving the Jays with runners in scoring position, but Jared Wegner failed to produce contact and struck out. With a whimper, the Jays failed to score even with three men in scoring position in the first two innings.
It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the game would see its first run scored. The crowd watched in awe as the bottom half of Creighton’s lineup churned out three runs, starting with a Hovey triple to deep right center that one-hopped the wall. Allbery then doubled down the left field line and scored Hovey with ease.
With two outs Wegner sent a liner to left to score Allbery. Wegner then stole second and Collins sent him home on a gap single through the right side.
3-0, Bluejays.
It’s at this point that RAYGUN gave up a bunch of contact, letting the Wichita baserunners run amok on the diamond, and eventually the dam broke and a single Shocker crossed the plate to cut into Creighton’s lead.
The sixth inning saw the Jays score their fourth run as they loaded the bases for All-American Will Robertson. Robertson hadn’t had the best day at the dish but he had a golden opportunity to shine.
He did just that.
By acquiring a MEAT UNIT*. (*a meat unit is a hit by pitch)
This sent Robertson to first, sent a run home, and put budding star Jake Holton at the plate waving the aluminum pipe. He struck the baseball with a modicum of might which turned into a very disappointing double play.
Then the bottom of the sixth came and RAYGUN ran out of plasma in which to inject the baseball with. After doling out two MEAT UNITS, RAYGUN got a helper in a fielder’s choice to second, giving him one out and runners on the corners. Double play still a viable option. Except, well, he balked. It was an obvious balk. It was a sad balk.
It balked a runner home.
4-2, Jays clinging to a lead.
RAYGUN’s last batter took five pitches and advanced to first for no cost at all. Ryan Connolly came in to relieve RAYGUN and promptly gave up a double and a single, giving the Shockers a grand total of four runs in the inning, allowing them to take a 5-4 lead.
RAYGUN’s final line: 5.1 ip, 5 hits, 4 runs (1 unearned), 6 K’s, 1 BB, 79 pitches & 50 strikes.
The only notable item from the scoreless seventh inning came when that man Jack Strunc drew a walk and was gifted second base because the pitcher threw the ball so poorly that his first baseman just shook his head in shame. It made me smile but it made the rest of the people in the press box groan with an intense nature that only a disappointed father could match.
John Sakowski took over for Connolly in the 7th inning and pitched a clean slate. To start the bottom of the 8th he gave up a single up the middle and was pulled for Jonah ‘The Prophet‘ Smith. Smith had a bad time on the anthill, giving up a walk, a RBI base hit, and a fielder’s choice to score another. It wasn’t an ideal situation for The Prophet but he managed to dig deep and finish out the inning.
7-4, Shockers lead.
These Jays are pretty good at late game comebacks.
They did it against Arkansas Little Rock. They did it again against McNeese State.
In the top of the ninth, it looked like they were going to do it to the Shockers.
Even with two outs.
After Hovey struck out and Allbery lined out, Coach Servais went to his bench and pulled Andrew Meggs out to hit for Garrett Gilbert. Meggs did his best Joey Votto impression and drew a six pitch walk. Wegner then singled up the middle, giving the Bluejays the tying run at the plate.
That tying run was Isaac Collins.
Collins took an outside pitch and slapped it – hard – just to the left of the third baseman. It was a rocket off his bat and the glove of the third baseman wasn’t quick enough to field it, but it ricocheted off the leather and trickled into left field.
This gave Meggs all the time in the world to score. It also gave Wegner time to get to third. Collins would take second with nary a throw, giving the Jays an opportunity to tie the game up on a basehit.
Parker Upton got to the plate. He worked a full count. The strikezone ate the final pitch of the game, an inside fastball that was just outside the white line of the batter’s box. Upton thought it was ball four and pitched his bat towards the dugout. The umpire, after seeing this maneuver, promptly threw his fists in the air and called strike three.
Game over, man.