St. John’s Falls in Final Frame to Creighton

Sunday, April 23

Omaha, Neb. (Charles Schwab Field Omaha)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

19-18, 2-7

Creighton

18-14, 6-3

St. John's

Creighton

4/23/2023 4:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Bluejays score two in the ninth to knock off Johnnies

OMAHA, Neb. – Despite a career-high four RBIs from Austin Machado, the St. John's baseball team fell to Creighton, 8-7, in walk-off fashion at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on Sunday.

The sophomore catcher continued to find his way on base, reaching base safely for the 21^st straight game with his 2-for-3 day at the dish and a pair of walks. He also chipped in two runs scored on the afternoon to go with his second home run of the season.

Tate Ballestero also put forth a multi-hit showing, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Jace Jeremiah, Jimmy Keenan and Jackson Tucker each registered an RBI in the contest.

The Johnnies (19-18, 2-7 BIG EAST) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. After back-to-back singles from Luke Orbon and David Glancy to start the first, Machado roped a 1-2 pitch into the left-center gap for a two-run double.

Creighton (18-14, 6-3 BIG EAST) cut the Red Storm lead in half, 2-1, with an RBI single in the home portion.

Following an empty second inning, the Johnnies posted a three-spot in the third inning after loading the bases on a single to Ballestero and consecutive walks to Mann and Machado. Keenan slapped an RBI single to right, bringing Ballestero in from third and lifting St. John's edge back to two, 3-1. After Jeremiah drew a five-pitch walk with the bases juiced, Tucker knocked home another on a sacrifice fly to left for a 5-1 advantage.

The Red Storm continued to pour it on in the fourth as Machado belted a two-run homer to right field for a six-run lead, 7-1.

The Bluejays stifled the Johnnies over the final five innings as the tandem of Tommy Steier and Marc Lidd allowed just two baserunners combined. While managing to hold the Red Storm at bay, Creighton posted one in the fourth, another in the fifth and a pair of runs in the sixth to pull within two, 7-5. Andrew Meggs rattled off three-straight run-producing singles over the last four frames, including the walk-off single that put the Bluejays on top, 8-7, in the ninth.

St. John's will look to rebound with a pair of midweek matchups at Jack Kaiser Stadium, facing Rutgers on Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday showdown with Fairleigh Dickinson, both slated for 3 p.m.