OMAHA, Neb. - Creighton (40-13) benefitted from a pair of unearned runs in the first inning en route to a 4-1 victory versus Bradley (22-31) in the final opening-round game of the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship Wednesday morning at TD Ameritrade Park.
Bradley is scheduled to return to action today when the Braves face Southern Illinois in the Game 6 elimination game, which will immediately follow the Game 5 elimination game at 11:30. Creighton will take on Missouri State in the Game 8 winner's bracket game, which will be the day's fifth game.
Creighton starter Jonas Dufek (10-1) scattered six hits and struck out eight to earn the win for the top-seeded Bluejays. Omaha native Joe Bircher (6-6) suffered the loss despite allowing just five hits in his 7.0 innings of work. The 6-foot-4 Bradley lefthander matched his career-high with six walks, however, while also hitting a batter and balking home a run.
Following a leadoff single by Michael Mutcheson, the Bluejays took advantage of a pair of Bradley miscues to plate two runs in the bottom of the first. Nick Judkins followed Mutcheson's single with a bunt, but Bradley shortstop Jason Leblebijian missed Bircher's attempt to get the lead runner at second. Jimmy Swift executed a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third. In an attempt to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Trever Adams, Bircher was called for a balk that scored Mutcheson. Adams then grounded out to score Judkins for a 2-0 lead.
The Braves loaded the bases in the third on a Josh Camalick leadoff single, a one-out walk to Brian Martin and a two-out pass to Mike Tauchman, but Creighton leftfielder Anthony Benboom made a diving catch on Brad Kimball's sinking line drive to keep the Braves off the board.
Adams came through with a 2-out, RBI single in the third inning, pushing Creighton's lead to 3-0, but the Braves got the run back in the top of the fifth when Kimball delivered a 2-out, RBI single of his own to pull Bradley within 3-1.
Creighton regained its 3-run advantage, 4-1, with one out in the seventh inning when Mutcheson lined Bircher's 101st pitch of the game into the first row of seats beyond the left field wall for his second home run of the season. After Dufek worked a perfect eighth inning, Creighton closer Kurt Spomer earned his 11th save of the season by retiring the Braves in order in the ninth to close out the game.
