ISU @ Creighton--Game 3 (4/4)

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bluepower

Baseball Mod
The Sycamores will be looking to take the series in a sweep this afternoon under great playing conditions. At game time (2:00 p.m. ET) temps will be near 63-degrees...rising to about 66 by game's end. For the first time this series, winds will NOT be a factor as they will be from the north/northwest at 5-10 mph.

Today's game switches from historic Rosenblatt Stadium to CU's campus stadium.

Taking the bump for the Sycamores will be Jason Van Skike (3-0, 4.11 ERA) against Creighton's freshman starter Ty Blach (0-0, 2.33 ERA in 19.1 innings). Making his fifth appearance this season, Blach appears to have good command, giving up just four doubles and seven walks and an opposing batting average of .247. It will be up to Straus, Ort, Fieser and Graham (along with the rest of the line-up) to shake him up early...test him on the base paths and get on the scoreboard in the first or second.

The Sycamores are riding high after yesterday's second straight victory in Rosenblatt Stadium...but they have to maintain their composure, keep the Bluejays on the ropes and play another solid ballgame. It won't be easy. Its too early to say what the mental frame of mind of the Bluejays is. ISU has got to watch their backs!

Today's game will be back on WBOW 1130 & 1300 and online. We'll also have Live Stats service (actually Gametracker). Links to both are below:

http://www.gosycamores.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&KEY=&SPID=7256&SPSID=65130

History is being re-written this weekend. Here's a repeat of another thread on the past domination Creighton has held over ISU:

As ISUCC said in the game thread for game two, this was the first time ISU has won a series against Creighton since 2001 and before that, 1993. It was the first time since 1992 that ISU has won a series from Creighton in Omaha! Friday's win broke a string of 12 straight losses to Creighton in Omaha.

Another BIG thing is that Saturday night's come from behind win for ISU breaks a string of 39 straight games where Creighton wins when they are ahead after six innings.
 

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WBOW Pre-Game Show comments: Brian Fritz said winning today would be the first time since 1986 that ISU had swept Creighton in Omaha...the year ISU made the College World Series Tournament. Coach Heller says there were some big time individual performances. Called Strausborger's performance "pro" level. Talked about how well the relievers are attacking the zone. Van Skike coming off a solid outing last week. The guys having fun on the bus and have a lot of energy this afternoon. He says Creighton will battle today. Freshman pitcher Ty Blach throws 88-91 on his fastball. Both the games in this series have had a playoff atmosphere. Moving Fieser to the three hole and Graham to fourth in the line-up as they are facing a left-hander today.

Brian Fritz said three of Blach's five appearances were starts.
 
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In top of the first, first pitch at 1:59 ET...Straus (.520 in conference games) grounds out to third... Burnam gets a single and an error to the left field corner, with Burnam ending up on second...Fieser (.372) doubles to score Burnam...ISU leads 1-0...third straight game ISU has gone into the lead in the first ...Blach has trouble settling in as Graham (.344) comes to the plate...Graham goes to 2-2 and fouls offthree more strikes before count goes full...Graham grounds out to first...Fieser advances to third...looking for a two-out RBI from Ort...Ort (.368) produced the game-winning RBI's last night... Ort in the hole 1-2 and then fouls off three more times, then goes to 3-2...Ort flies out to Knight in deep center. ISU leads 1-0

Going to the bottom of the first...Van Skike faces Soto, Knight and Adams...Soto will lead-off today and Knight (0-8 in series) moves into the second slot...Soto quickly goes to a 3-0 count, then count goes full then Ort (right field today) catches ball down the right field line in foul territory... Knight (.311) grounds out to Fieser at third...top two in the CU line-up are 2 for 18 in this series... Adams (.384) chops to Fieser at third for final out. ISU up 1-0.
 
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Into the top of the second...Blach will face Grgurich, Lucas (catching today) and Liniger... Grgurich (.362) had four RBI's in Friday night's win and went 0-4 yesterday...Grgurich goes to 1-2 and strikes out swinging...Lucas (.293) had a couple of key hits yesterday...Lucas flies out to Roemmick in right for second out...Liniger (.265) goes to a 1-2 count and then grounds out to third. ISU leads 1-0.

Going to the home half of the second...Van Skike deals with Roemmick, Vitale and Dike... Roemmick (.329, 4 for 9 in series) hit a ball in the 9th that looked like it would be the game-winner last night, but Straus made a great catch...Roemmick grounds out to Grgurich at second...Vitale (.270 and 1 for 9 this weekend) goes to a 3-1 count before walking...Sycamore pitchers have a 2.37 ERA through first two games in the series...Dike (.286) hit a three-run homer in Friday's game...Dike goes to 2-2 before striking out swinging...Swift (.225) goes to full count and fouls off a couple of times and then pops out to Straus in center. Sycamores lead Bluejays 1-0.
 
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Both pitchers are being forced to throw a lot of pitches as batters go deep in the count and produce lots of fouls.

In the top of the third, Blach will face Ferrell, Straus and Burnam...Ferrell (.275) hits a double down the right field line...Strausborger hits a single though the right side...Ferrell goes to third...runners on the corners with no outs...four hits so far for ISU...good speed on the bases for ISU...Straus steals second after almost getting picked off...runners at second and third...Burnam sac flies out to center...Both runners advance with Ferrell scoring...Sycs lead 2-0 with just one out and runner at third...Fieser grounds out to second...Strausborger speeds into home...Sycs lead 3-0...doing a good job of executing and making productive outs...Graham grounds out to short. Sycs lead 3-0.

Going into the bottom of the third frame...Van Skike faces Cuno, Staehely and Soto...Cuno grounds out...Staehely grounds out to third...two outs...Soto grounds out to second. ISU leads 3-0
 
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Moving to the top of the fourth...Blach faces Ort, Grgurich and Lucas...Ort grounds out to first... Grgurich goes to 1-2 and strikes out swinging...Lucas goes to 2-2 count and fouls off twice, then
flies out to right-center. ISU leads 3-0.

Going to the bottom of the fourth...Van Skike has not allowed a hit and the only CU baserunner was on a walk...Van Skike facing the meat fo the order, Knight, Adams and Roemmick...Knight is being replaced after injuring himself on the last catch in the top of the inning, perhaps re-injuring his hamstring ...replaced by Zane Hinkel (.111 with only nine plate appearances)...Hinkel goes to 1-2 count and strikes out swinging...Adams flies out to Ort in deep right on the warning track... Roemmick goes to 1-2 then 2-2 before striking out swinging. ISU up 3-0.
 
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And, into the top of the fifth...Liniger, Ferrell and Straus face Blach...Liniger grounds out to third for his second time today...Ferrell is 3 for 8 in series and has had a solid weekend on defense...Ferrell goes to 3-1 count and fouls out down right-field line...Strasborger is 6 for 12 in series...the story on gocreighton.com said the last thing they wanted to see today is more of Ryan Strausborger... Straus flies out to center. ISU leads 3-0.

Gametracker is now working through four innings...but stalled again. It had been out since the middle of the first.

In the bottom of the fifth...Van Skike one walk short of perfect so far today...Vitale grounds out to third...14 of 15 Bluejays have failed to reach base...Dike strikes out swinging...Swift hits a triple off left field wall...two outs, runner on third...Cuno (0-5 in series) goes to 1-2 count before grounding out to first. ISU leads 3-0.
 
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In the top of the sixth...Burnam, Fieser and Graham facing Blach...he has allowed three runs on four hits... Burnam singled and scored back in the first... Burnam chops it back to Blach for out number one... Fieser has one of the RBI's today in the third...Fieser walked...Ort grounds to first, and gets the out at second. Sycs leads 3-0.

Gametracker working again...for a while at least!

Into the bottom of the sixth...Van Skike will see if he can remain strong against Staehely, Soto and Hinkel (in for injured Knight)...Staehley is four for seven this weekend as Creighton's best hitter...CU has yet to get a lead-off batter on in this ball game...Staehely goes to 3-0 before walking on four pitches... Soto grounds to Ferrell who makes a sliding stop and gets lead runner at second... Hinkel hits a home run to center to close game to 3-2...Hinkel had been 1 for 10 at the plate this season...ironic that the weak-swinging Hinkel gets the job done after replacing Knight, who until three games ago, was CU's sprark plug... lefty and righty warming in ISU pen...Adams goes to 1-2 count and then strikes out swinging...Roemmick goes to 3-1 count and then grounds out to Van Skike. ISU lead cut to 3-2 after six.
 
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Going to the seventh...Blach has received some run support, that might take a little pressure off of him... ISU will send Grgurich, Lucas and Liniger...Grgurich has struck out twice so far today... Matt Patterson throwing in CU bullpen...Grgurich strikes out looking...Lucas, 0-2 with a couple of fly-outs today, goes to 1-2 and then fouled off three pitches, then goes 3-2, then grounds out to second during an 11 pitch at-bat...Blach now at 100 pitches...Liniger goes to 1-2 count and grounds out to first. ISU leads CU, 3-2.

Going to the bottom of the seventh...Van Skike remains on the mound and will face Vitale, Dike and Swift... Vitale goes to 3-0 count...two pitchers, Mann and Stenftenagel warming in the pen...Vitale gets a base hit to left...Dike, 0-2 with two strike-outs today, goes to 1-2 count grounds through right side for base hit...runners on first and second with no outs...Coach Heller talks to infield at the mound and leaves Van Skike in game... Swift bunts to Van Skike who throws wildly to first..Vitale scores, Swift stays at first and Dike to third...score tied 3-3...new pitcher is LHP Kevin Mann... go-ahead runner at third with no-one out...Cuno hits a fly off the center field wall for a double to score two...5-3 in favor of CU...first pitch to Staehely gets away from Lucas and Cuno goes to third...Staehely grounds out to short...Cuno stays at third...one out...Soto goes to 1-2 count and grounds back to mann for second out...Cuno holds at third with two outs... Hinkel, who had a homer to drive in CU's first two runs today, goes to a 3-1 count and walks...runners on the corners with two outs...Adams goes to 0-2 and strikes out looking. After seven Creighton leads 5-3.
 
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In the top of the eighth, Ferrell, Straus and Burnam will bat against starter Ty Blach, who should be tiring by now with nearly 110 pitches thrown...Ferrell goes to 3-0 then to 3-2 before Ferrell flies out to center...Strausborger, who has one of four ISU hits today...Straus flies out to deep center... Burnam gets a single through right side for his second hit today...Fieser, who has two RBI's today, goes to 3-2 count and then strikes out swinging. Blach now close to 125 pitches. CU leads 5-3.

In the bottom of the eighth...Roemmick faces Mann...Roemmick (0-2 on the day) goes to 2-2 count then hits a ball off Mann's leg and Roemmick reaches first safely for a single...two righties loosening in Sycamores bullpen...Mann throws a couple of pitches to make sure he's O.K. to proceed...Mann stays in game...Vitale (1 for 2 with a walk today) sac bunts to Mann...Roemmick reaches second... Mann throws wild pitch to advance Roemmick to third...Dike hits a ball over Straus' head in center for a double...Roemmick scores taking the score to 6-3...pitching change...new pitcher for ISU is Brett Merkley (8.0 ERA in 9 innings of work)...Swift grounds out to Ferrell at ss...Cuno, who had the key RBI's in the seventh, goes to 1-2 count and strikes out swinging. Jays lead 6-3.
 
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The Sycamores need three runs to stay alive here in the 9th frame...new pitcher for CU is RHP Matt Patterson (5.65 ERA in 12 appearances and 14.1 innings)...Graham goes to 3-2 count and walks... Ort (0 for 3 today and 3 for 12 in series) fouls out down left field line...Pearson, who came in for Grgurich defensively at second last inning, goes to 3-2 count and then walks...two straight walks... two on with one out...Lucas goes to an 2-2 count before getting a single through the left side...bases loaded with one out...new pitcher is closet Jack Van Leur, making his third appearance of the weekend...Liniger, who has power, is 0-8 in the series, is at the plate...Liniger goes to 1-2 count strikes out looking...Ferrell will look to keep things alive...Straus on deck...Ferrell has a bases clearing double to tie game!...Straus gets intentional walk...Van Leur will face Burnam with runners on first and second...Burnam goes to 2-2 count and strikes out swinging. Score tied 6-6!

Moving to the bottom of the ninth...Sycamores won 5-3 in extra innings yesterday...and Brett Merkley will look to send us to the tenth...Staehely goes to a 3-0 count, then to 3-1, then full count, and Staehely gets a double to the wall...no outs, runner on second...Soto will be intentionally walked...Flora and Stenftenagel warming for ISU...Heller holds a conference on the mound and returns to dugout...Hinkel expected to bunt...Hinkel sac bunts to advance runners to second and third...double play possibility erased...Adams will be intentionally walked to retore the double play possibility and a force at home...Roemmick, leading RBI man, looking to get one more... Sycs playing DP depth up the middle...single through the right side wins game for Jays by a score of 7-6.
 
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This was a series charged with playoff energy. Lots of positives today. Van Skike was nails through five...started to falter in sixth and probably shouldn't have started the seventh. But, Van Skike has what it takes. Ferrell's clutch double in ninth to clear the bases was huge. Both teams played good ball today.

We took two of three this weekend at Creighton. Coach Brian Smiley on the post-game show. He said winning two of three was big. First time since '92 ISU has one a series at Creighton. Team has been urged to be a tough out. They did that. CU, as expected hit 65-70% sliders and hitters were told to "keep the right fielder busy" and they did that. Ferrell, who got the game-tying double in the ninth, is a good nine-hole guy and a great defender. Strausborger was sensational this weekend.

Van Leur gets the win and Brett Merkley gets the loss.
 
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it's great they did not give up and fought back to tie it in the 9th, I think this is a good sign that they'll compete pretty well in the MVC this season!

Need to win the series vs. WSU, that would be a great morale boost!

(note to Valley Fanatic: that comment isn't a slam towards WSU either)
 

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