BELLEVUE, Wash. — Seattle U baseball (1-1) opened the 2020 campaign on Friday with a doubleheader against Creighton (1-1) at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, Wash. The Redhawks struggled in the opener falling, 7-0, to the Bluejays, but bounced back for a 7-2 victory in game two.
The Redhawks and Bluejays are scheduled to wrap-up the series on Saturday, with first pitch slated for 2 pm, weather pending.
Game 1 / Seattle U 0, Creighton 7
Redhawks Dylan Gerard and Gavin Rork accounted for the only hits in the season opener. It was the first career knock for both Seattle U freshman as Gerard (1-2) had a two-out double in the third, while Rork (1-3) singled though the right side in the sixth, however both were left stranded.
Creighton got on the board early with a solo home run in the second, before pushing six across in the fifth.
Seattle U starter Jarrod Billig (0-1) was dealt the loss as he surrendered five runs, all earned, on two hits. The left-hander worked 4.0 innings and tallied three strikeouts in the outing. Relief appearances were made by Max Cuenca, Marvus Guarin and Desmond Parisotto who was scoreless in the final three frames.
The Bluejays starter Dylan Tebrake meanwhile threw five scoreless innings and allowed just one hit.
Game 2 / Seattle U 7, Creighton 2
In the nightcap, the Seattle U offense woke up to push seven runs across on 11 hits.
The Redhawks broke a scoreless tie in the third as Connor O'Brien (1-5) singled to left allowing Rork (1-3) to cruise in from third, after reaching on a single and advancing to the third on an error. Nolan Jekich (3-5) then drove in O'Brien for his first career RBI, after O'Brien moved to third on a Kyle Sherick (2-4) single. Chase Wells (1-4) and Drake Maningo (1-4) then each drove in a run during the third, bumping the Redhawk margin to 4-0.
The offensive surge continued for Seattle U in the fourth, stretching its lead to 6-0 with runs from Trevor Antonson (0-2) and Sherick.
Seattle U tallied its final run in the seventh as Justin Mazzone (1-4) scored from second on a Wells single.
Creighton erased the Redhawks' shutout bid with one run in the seventh, before scoring once more in the ninth to make it 7-2.
Seattle U starter Ethan Christianson (1-0) was credited with the win after working 5.0 scoreless innings. Christianson's final stat line also included five hits against, one walk and six strikeouts. Alex Jemal made a three-inning relief appearance allowing one run on four hits and three strikeouts, before Brandon Jenkins made his SU debut in the ninth.
Bluejays' starter Ryan Windham suffered the loss, giving up four runs, two earned, on six hits.