BOX SCORE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Two-out hits resulted in all six runs for visiting Creighton Friday night at Braun Stadium, as the Bluejays claimed in a 6-1 victory over the University of Evansville baseball team in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.  The two sides combined to leave 24 runners on base, as CU outhit the Purple Aces, 15-7.
 
Evansville (8-13, 0-1 MVC) scored its only run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single off the bat of redshirt junior Johnny Day, while redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski led the Aces by going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and a run scored.  Senior Chris Pearson also recorded multiple hits for UE, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk.
 
Sophomore starter Kyle Freeland (2-4) took the loss on the mound, allowing four runs, all earned, on 11 hits in 6.2 innings.  Freeland notched just one strikeout and issued a season-high five walks.  Junior reliever Tyler Miller tossed the final 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, while recording two strikeouts.
 
Creighton (11-4, 1-0 MVC) took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as it tallied two hits and took advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batter.  Federico Castagnini started the Bluejay rally with a one-out single, before Mike Gerber was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs.  Alex Staehely drove in CU’s first run with a single back up the middle and Brennan Murphy capped the inning by coaxing a two-out walk to bring home Creighton’s second run of the frame.
 
Evansville got one of the two runs back in its half of the first, as Kaczmarski led off the inning with a double and later scored on Day’s two-out single to the right side.  However, Tommy Strunc shut down the Aces over his next 5.0 innings on the mound to pick up the victory and improve to 4-0.
 
The Bluejays opened up their lead in the fourth with another two-out rally.  Kevin Lamb led off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate following a two-out single by Jake Peter.  Staehely recorded his second RBI of the night with a single to left that plated Peter and gave CU a 4-1 lead.
 
Creighton added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out, two-run single by Lamb that allowed Reagan Fowler and Brenna Murphy to score to make the final tally 6-1.
 
Strunc completed his line by tossing 6.0 innings and allowed just one run on six hits for the Bluejays.  Nick Highberger allowed just one hit in 0.2 innings on the hill for CU, while Mark Winkelman and Peter combined to allow just two Evansville baserunners over the final 2.1 innings.
 
The Aces and Bluejays will wrap up the series with a doubleheader tomorrow that is scheduled for 1 p.m.  Senior Kyle Lloyd (2-2) and junior Cole Isom (1-3) are slated to start for UE.