Creighton had to wait an extra day to take the field for the first time since 1978 as host of the Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament. Mother Nature proved too tough to handle Tuesday, as thunderstorms caused the Bluejays’ 7:30 p.m. scheduled first pitch Tuesday to occur bright and early Wednesday morning.
No matter. Jonas Dufek did what most Creighton fans expected he would, shutting down the last-place Bradley Braves and chewing up innings while he was at it. Because of the rainout Tuesday, and depending on just how long CU lasts in this week’s championship, Tuesday’s win could have been the last time the home fans saw the senior All-MVC honoree pitch. If it was, Dufek left a great memory in a season full of them.
Dufek allowed six hits and walked three Braves in 8 innings, but gave up just one run. Bradley left 7 runners on base and had a few opportunities to cut into Creighton’s early 3-0 lead after three innings. The Jays got a lead-off single from Michael Mutcheson, and in true Ed Servais small-ball fashion Nick Judkins came up to bunt him to second base. But the Braves defense couldn’t handle the sacrifice, putting two Jays on for the heart of the order. Jimmy Swift gave himself up to move the runners over, but he also gave BU a chance to intentionally walk Trever Adams.
Bradley couldn’t do that without issuing a balk, though, as catcher Josh Camalick set up outside the batters box before one of the free pass pitches. Mutcheson scored, and then the Braves decided to pitch to Adams. He grounded out, bringing Judkins home from third base and giving the Jays a 2-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Mutcheson was at it again in the third inning, coaxing a one-out walk and coming home on a two-out single by Adams. And he added to a great day with a solo home run in the seventh inning. That would be all the scoring Creighton would need, as Dufek and Kurt Spomer held the Braves in check. Dufek’s only blemish came after he gave up a two-out single to Rob Elliot, then a walk to Mike Tauchman, and then a run-scoring single by Brad Kimball.
Adams was again the offensive star for the Jays, reaching base three times and driving in two of Creighton’s three runs. Mutcheson finished 2 for 2 and scored three runs. But the Bluejays only collected five hits all day, benefiting from a Bradley error and six walks issued by Braves pitchers.
Missouri State 10, Creighton 3
The Jays jumped out to an early lead in their second game Wednesday, as well. Trever Adams opened the second inning with a base hit, and Anthony Bemboom blasted a one-out triple down the right field line to bring Adams home for the game’s first run. After a Scott Thornburg strikeout, Mike Gerber came through with a two-out base hit to drive Bemboom home.
But the good vibes wouldn’t last long for the Bluejays. Ty Blach, one of the Valley’s best pitchers, issued walks to two of the next inning’s first three Bears batters. The heart of the MSU order made Blach pay, as Kevin Medrano slapped a two-run triple, Luke Voit brought home a run with a double, and Derek Mattea scored two with a two-out single. Blach left without finishing the third inning, suffering arguably his toughest outing in an otherwise stellar sophomore campaign.
Chase Webb held the Bears at bay for a few innings, but Missouri State put up another 5-run inning off Reese McGraw and Jack VanLeur in the top of the seventh. Meanwhile, Creighton couldn’t muster much more than a random base runner here or there. An eighth inning double by Gabriel Thibodeaux led to a late CU run, but the Jays couldn’t solve Blake Barber and the Bears.
The result? Creighton faces Southern Illinois in an elimination game Thursday at 12:30 p.m. A win would extend their tournament stay a few more hours, sending the Jays to a Thursday night game against Missouri State. A loss would end their championship hopes and put their possible NCAA Tournament chances in the hands of the selection committee. The road to the NCAA Tournament is tough now, though, as Ed Servais and his players must win four straight games to hoist the Valley Tournament Championship trophy.