After dropping a pair of games in a disappointing road series against the St. John’s Red Storm, Creighton baseball looked to earn a signature victory when it took on the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks Tuesday at Charles Schwab Field.
Graduate student Ben North delivered the biggest swing of the night in the bottom of the 13th inning, launching a walk-off solo home run into right-center field to give Creighton a 9-8 upset victory over the Jayhawks.
“Outstanding ballgame,” Creighton head coach Mark Kingston said. “When you bring a top-10 team into your ballpark, that’s the kind of game you want to see. It’s great for the fans, great for both teams. [It’s a] big win for us.”
The win capped off a back-and-forth game that featured multiple lead changes and extended into extra innings before North’s 13th-inning heroics sealed it for the Bluejays.
Creighton struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs on three hits. After redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Max McClellan struck out two and stranded a pair in the opening half inning, graduate student infielder Rocco Gump worked a six-pitch walk to put the leadoff man aboard for the Bluejays. Redshirt junior outfielder Isaac Wachsmann then singled to center field, moving Gump to second. After North grounded out to third base, both runners advanced into scoring position. Kansas recorded the second out when senior catcher Nate McHugh popped up to third base. With two outs, junior designated hitter Connor Capece delivered a two-RBI double down the right-field line, bringing home Gump and Wachsmann to give the Bluejays a 2-0 lead. Creighton added another baserunner when graduate student outfielder Teddy Deters singled and advanced Capece to third, but the inning ended when graduate student outfielder Lew Rice grounded out unassisted to first base.
Kansas stormed back in the top of the second inning to take the lead. Junior infielder/outfielder Cade Baldridge tied the game with a two-RBI single to left field that scored senior first baseman/right-handed pitcher Josh Dykhoff and junior catcher Augusto Mungarrieta before junior infielder/outfielder Tyson LeBlanc followed with an RBI single to center field that brought home junior infielder Dylan Schlotterba, giving Kansas a 3-2 advantage.
The Jayhawks’ lead did not last long, however. Creighton answered with three runs of its own on four hits in the bottom of the second inning. After graduate student infielder/outfielder Chris Baillargeon struck out looking and sophomore infielder Nick Venteicher flew out to center field, Gump doubled to right field to keep the inning alive. The two-out rally continued as Wachsmann followed with an RBI single to left field that scored Gump and tied the game at 3-3. North then singled to center field before McHugh walked to load the bases. Capece delivered his second two-RBI hit of the day with a single to right field, scoring North and Wachsmann to put Creighton back in front. The Bluejays carried a 5-3 lead into the third inning.
The ballgame continued to go back and forth as Kansas scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Senior infielder Dariel Osoria tied the game at 5-5 with a two-RBI double to left-center field that scored LeBlanc and Baldridge. Later in the inning, Dykhoff reached on a fielder’s choice to center field that scored Ballinger and gave Kansas a 6-5 lead. Schlotterba then reached on a pitcher fielding error that allowed Osoria to score an unearned run and extend the Jayhawks’ lead to 7-5.
Creighton continued to battle back against the No. 7 Jayhawks with a run in the bottom half of the inning. After Gump was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Wachsmann’s single and a throwing error by the shortstop, North reached on a fielder’s choice to third base that allowed Gump to score an unearned run. The Jayhawks’ lead was cut to 7-6 going into the fifth inning. Kansas added another run in the top of the sixth thanks to a solo home run from Dykhoff.
Trailing 8-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Creighton scored two runs to even the game. McHugh struck out swinging to begin the inning before Capece singled through the right side and Deters was hit by a pitch. Rice then reached on a fielder’s choice to first base as Deters was forced out at second. Capece advanced to third on the play and scored on a throwing error by the shortstop to cut the deficit to 8-7. Baillargeon followed with a single to right field that moved Rice to third, and Venteicher tied the game with an RBI single to right field that scored Rice. After Ritter replaced Scheidt on the mound, Venteicher stole second, but Gump popped up to shortstop to end the inning. The score remained tied at 8-8 heading into the eighth inning.
The next five innings featured stellar pitching and defense from both clubs. The Creighton bullpen turned in an excellent performance as senior left-handed pitcher Shane Curtin and sophomore right-hander Anthony Unga, who earned his first career win, combined for nine strikeouts while allowing only one hit across six innings. Strong defense from both sides sent the game into extra innings, and the score remained tied at 8-8 entering the bottom of the 13th inning.
“Their two best outings of the year collectively and couldn’t have come at a better time,” Kingston said on Curtin and Unga. “Three each three innings each, one hit, no earned runs, nine strikeouts and zero walks, [and] against one of the better offenses in the country. [I am] really, really happy for those guys.”
Almost five hours after the first pitch was thrown, Creighton had another opportunity to finish the game and upset the visiting Jayhawks. After leaving the winning run stranded on third base in both the 11th and 12th innings, the Bluejays were set to send up three of their most dangerous hitters in Wachsmann, North and McHugh.
After Wachsmann flew out to right field on six pitches, North stepped to the plate. The Minnesota native was just one-for-six on the night entering the at-bat, but with a .354 batting average and nine home runs on the season, he remained a threat. North watched the first three pitches miss the zone before Kansas redshirt freshman Jeremy Allen battled back to make the count 3-1. In a hitter’s count, North drove a ball deep into right-center field and out of the park for a walk-off solo home run, lifting Creighton to a 9-8 victory over No. 7 Kansas in 13 innings.
The win marked the program’s first victory over a top-10 team since defeating No. 5 Wichita State in 2008.
“We played and showed that we can compete with [Kansas] and any team in the country,” North said.
Games like this, featuring extra innings and several lead changes, are known to create an electric atmosphere for players, coaches and fans alike.
“These are the kind of games you want to be a part of as a ballplayer. Competitive games are always the most fun. When you’re the underdog against a big team, that’s always a ton of fun, and to win the game is the cherry on top,” North said.
The win improved Creighton’s overall record to 27-19. The Bluejays return to action tonight against the Georgetown Hoyas in their final home series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
