Creighton Rallies for 8-5 Win over Nebraska

Omaha, Neb. – Nebraska received a solid start from Casey Hauptman, but Creighton overcame a 5-1 deficit to rally for an 8-5 victory over the Huskers Tuesday night at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium.

Nebraska (18-19) had a 5-3 lead after six innings, only to see Creighton tie the score with two runs in the seventh and take the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, handing the Huskers’ their sixth last at-bat loss of the season.

In the eighth, pinch-hitter Robbie Knight stated the rally with a pinch-hit double to right center before Elliot Soto was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second. Jimmy Swift provided the Bluejays with the go-ahead hit, as his single to center scored pinch runner Michael Blatchford and made it a 6-5 game. After a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk loaded the bases, two wild pitches by reliever Chase Adams gave Creighton some insurance runs.

Freshman Chris Williams (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits over 0.2 innings of work to take the loss, while Jack VanLeur (2-3) tossed a scoreless top of the eighth to collect the win, as Creighton (17-13) used eight pitchers in the win.

Despite the last two innings, Nebraska had a chance in the ninth, getting runners on second and third with no outs after a Josh Scheffert single and a double by Cody Asche off of VanLeur. NU was unable to capitalize, as Bob Lackovic struck out Chad Christensen and Cade Thompson before Tyler Farst lined out to left, giving the Bluejays their first series win over the Huskers since 2007.

Soto keyed the Creighton attack, going 3-for-4 and scoring four of Creighton’s eight runs, while Scheffert and DJ Belfonte had two hit apiece in a losing effort

Hauptman pitched well in his first start since March 26, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings, as he retired the last eight Bluejays he faced, but could not earn his second win of the season.

After Creighton pushed a run home in the first, Nebraska erupted for four runs in the second off of Bluejay reliever Mike Nihsen to take a three-run lead. The Huskers loaded the bases with singles by Scheffert and Christensen sandwiched around a walk to Cody Asche. Thompson was hit by a pitch to score one run before Farst drove in another with a fielder’s choice to give NU its first lead of the evening. Two batters later, Belfonte plated a run with a sharp single to center before Kale Kiser capped the rally with an RBI single to right.

NU extended the lead to 5-1 in the third, as Bailey opened the frame with a triple and scored on Scheffert’s groundout to shortstop. Bailey’s triple – his first since Feb. 28, 2009 - would be the Huskers’ last base hit until Scheffert opened the ninth with a single to center.

Creighton began to chip away at NU’s four-run lead, getting single runs in the third and sixth innings to make it a two-run game. In the third, Adams’ RBI double scored Soto, who singled and moved to second on TJ Roemmich’s one-out single. In the sixth, a two-out RBI single by Carson Vitale off of reliever Luke Bublitz scored Scott Thornburg, who doubled to right center earlier in the frame.

Creighton took advantage of some wildness by Husker pitching in the seventh, pushing across a pair of runs on only one hit. After Clay Cuno was hit to open the inning, Soto singled to left to put runners on first and second before a sacrifice moved runners into scoring position. Jordan Roualdes came in and got Roemmich to fly out to shallow center, but Chris Williams walked Adams to load the bases before hitting Thornburg and walking Ian Dike to knot the score at five, setting up the Bluejays’ eighth-inning heroics.

The Huskers return to action this weekend, as they travel to Waco, Texas, for a three-game series with the Baylor Bears. Friday’s first pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be carried on the Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com.