Recap: Creighton defeats Butler 2-1

Part of me was hoping Butler could lay down a nice bunt so I could call them 'Buntler.'

It didn't happen. In fact, they whiffed on a half dozen bunt attempts.

Instead, we were treated to an all out bunt fest from the Bluejays of Creighton. It seemed like every time I turned my head someone else was bunting, whether it be Kevin Connolly, Keith Oren or the ultimate buntmaster Ryan Fitzgerald. Man did the Jays drop some delicious bunts tonight.

The first inning featured six outs - as usual - but two of them by way of would-be thieves getting caught on the basepaths. In the top of the first it was Drew Small taking a big risk and attempting to run on Rollie Lacy and Keith Oren which turned out to be a huge mistake. In the bottom of the first Danny Woodrow attempted to steal on Bobby Napoleon and Chris Marras, but was gunned down due to the earth's rotation slowing down.

For the next two innings I ate some food and checked my email - two things I was able to do because Bobby Napoleon was dealing for the Bulldogs and Rollie Lacy was torturing the poor Butler offense into making weak contact.

The top of the fourth arrived and Chris Marras decided to get the offense going for Butler by slicing a liner to Brett Murray in left field. Murray uncharacteristically misplayed the ball and allowed Marras safe passage into second base. Jordan Lucio then drove Marras home on a seeing-eye single through the middle of the field.

The Jays answered back in the bottom of the fourth because they're just so vengeful and will do anything to destroy the morale of their opponents. Ryan Fitzgerald led off the inning with, you guessed it, a bunt and reached safely on first after the Butler defense fell into a black hole and were transported to a world with a hellish landscape of bats and balls being bunted at them for eternity, causing confusion until the universe swallowed itself whole and exploded all over Morgan Freeman's bathroom sink. Nicky Lopez was next up and he bunted to move Fitzgerald to second base. Reagan Fowler then doubled in Fitzgerald and the Bluejays - who refuse to die - tied the game up at one a piece.

Reeling from their historic comeback in the 4th inning, the Bluejay offense went back to work in the bottom of the 5th. Kevin Connolly led off the inning by bunting grounding to the shortstop Hartnagel who proceeded to throw the ball as hard as he could towards the media well down the first baseline. This left Connolly safe at first base and the Creighton offense beginning to cook with gas. Keith Oren then laid down an absolutely gorgeous bunt and managed to both move Connolly to third and end up on first while the pitcher Napoleon was left with a baseball in his hand and dreaming about Waterloo. With runners on first and third Danny Woodrow advanced Oren to second on a fielder's choice, leaving Ryan 'Buntmaster' Fitzgerald at the dish with only one out. Fitzgerald hammered a ball to the right field corner, coming within a few feet from breaking the game wide open with a massive dong. Instead, Fitzgerald ended up on second, Connolly scored and Oren ended up taking one single base in the affair.

No other runs were scored for the rest of the game.

Rollie Lacy was phenomenal, the offense was seemingly missing, and David Gerber slammed the door shut to earn himself a save for the night.

Stats!

BUTLER

CREIGHTON