A tough midweek loss to Nebraska in Lincoln didn’t slow the Creighton baseball team’s momentum as the Bluejays arrived in the Philadelphia area having won four of their last five games before starting a weekend road series against the Villanova Wildcats. 

The Bluejays went into the game with an overall record of 18-16 and a Big East record of 4-2, while the Wildcats had an underwhelming record of 12-20 and were winless in Big East play at 0-6.  

The first game of the series was played on Friday. This contest had a relatively slow start with the score being tied at 0 going into the bottom of the fourth, but the Wildcats quickly changed this. Villanova scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking advantage of two hit-by-pitches and a Creighton throwing error. After putting two runners on, the error moved both into scoring position, and a subsequent hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. A two-run single up the middle opened the scoring, and after a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, another two-run single grew the Wildcats lead to 4-0.  

Creighton fought back and scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead. Graduate student outfielder Teddy Deters led off with a single, and after graduate student infielder/outfielder Chris Baillargeon doubled to put two in scoring position, a walk loaded the bases after a Villanova pitching change. Sophomore infielder Nick Venteicher delivered a two-run single to get Creighton on the board, and after a strikeout, senior catcher Nate McHugh added an RBI single to cut the deficit to one. Graduate student infielder Ben North followed with another RBI single to tie the game at 4-4. 

Creighton then took the lead on a fielder’s choice that brought in one run, while a throwing error on the play allowed two more to score. Deters capped the inning with an RBI single, plating an unearned run to make the score 7-4 in favor of the Bluejays going into the seventh inning stretch. 

Creighton put on a couple more runs in the ninth thanks to a two-run homer by Baillargeon. The Wildcats failed to answer in the bottom of the inning, and the Bluejays earned the win by a final score of 9-4.  

Due to weather concerns in the Philadelphia area, the second and third games of the series were played in a double-header on Saturday. First pitch was at 10:30 a.m., and soon it turned into an absolute blowout; Creighton scored five runs in the top of the second inning. After an early out, Deters doubled to center field and scored on Baillargeon’s two-run homer. The Bluejays kept things going with a hit-by-pitch and a single. After a walk loaded the bases, North cleared them with a three-run double to right center to give the Bluejays a 5-0 lead.  

Creighton extended their lead to 7-0 in the top of the fourth due to a two-run home run by Venteicher. Despite recording just one hit, Villanova showed some life and scored two runs in the bottom of the inning, cutting the Bluejay lead to 7-2. Creighton eventually responded when graduate-student outfielder Lew Rice had an RBI double that made the score 8-2 in favor of the Bluejays.  

The top of the seventh is when the game got out of control; Creighton had five hits and nine runs which built the Bluejays’ lead to 17-2.   

Creighton continued to show their offensive prowess and added three runs in the top of the eighth inning. After Venteicher walked and moved to third on Rice’s single, McHugh drove him in with an RBI double to left. Later in the inning, redshirt-sophomore infielder Jaxon Goldberg delivered a two-run single through the right side, scoring both McHugh and Rice. This gave Creighton a commanding 20-2 lead. Neither team scored in the ninth inning, and Creighton earned the victory by a final score of 20-2.  

The third game of the series started at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Villanova took an early lead with a home run in the bottom of the first inning. However, Creighton built a decent lead by scoring five runs in the top of the second. After loading the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch and a single, a hit-by-pitch brought in the first Bluejay run of the game. A sacrifice fly gave Creighton the lead, and later a groundout drove in another run. With the bases still loaded, a walk and another hit-by-pitch each forced in a run to give the Bluejays a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the second.   

Creighton broke the game open with five more runs in the top of the fourth. After putting runners on and moving them into scoring position on a wild pitch, Capece cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center. Later in the inning, Venteicher added an RBI single to bring in another run, and an error by the catcher on a steal attempt allowed an additional unearned run to score. This gave the Bluejays a commanding 10-1 lead.  

The Bluejays had no mercy and added two more runs in the top of the fifth. North doubled to start the inning, and Wachsmann was hit by a pitch. The two then pulled off a double steal to move into scoring position, and Capece brought them both home with a two-run single to right field. This extended Creighton’s lead to 12-1. 

The Wildcats were not ready to give up, though. Villanova scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, taking advantage of aggressive baserunning and a Creighton error. After putting runners on, freshman shortstop Larry Hotaling stole home to score the first run. Later in the inning, freshman outfielder Jack Roventini came around to score on a single by sophomore utility JoJo Montgomery, aided by a throwing error, resulting in an unearned run. This cut Creighton’s lead to 12-3.  

Even with a big lead, the Bluejays kept their feet on the gas. Creighton added two runs in the eighth. Gump led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch, and later in the inning, McHugh drove in another run with an RBI single after Venteicher walked and advanced to third on Rice’s single. This made the score 14-3 in favor of the Bluejays. Neither team would score another run, and Creighton earned the win and the series sweep.  

The series improved Creighton’s overall record to 21-16 and 7-2 in Big East play. The Bluejays are back in action this evening as they take on the cross-town rival Omaha Mavericks at Tal Anderson field.