Windham and Canales lift baseball to Minnesota’s 5-2 victory

Omaha, Neb. — Senior Ryan Windham was perfect for 6.1 innings, while the junior Colby Canales crushed his first home run as a Bluejay in Creighton Baseball’s 5-2 win over Minnesota on Friday, March 24th.

With the win, Creighton went 9-7 on the season, while the Golden Gophers fell to 4-19.

Locked in a pitcher’s duel heading into the bottom of the fifth, Canales blasted a solo home run to left field to give the Bluejays a 1-0 lead. Creighton added four more runs in the sixth as the score moved Tyler Lozano laced double double to left and older Sterling Hayes as well as a freshman Tate Gillen delivered RBI singles.

Senior Andrew Meggs reached on a wild pitch to open the inning, then Sr Nolan Clifford hit a single to left. Meggs went to third on Clifford’s single and the throw allowed the Bluejay first baseman to advance to second. Lozano followed with a two-run double to left, then one out later, Hayes drove an RBI single into left-center. With two outs in the frame, Gillen greeted Minnesota reliever Noah Rooney with an RBI single through the left side.

After striking out the first 19 hitters he faced, WIndham saw Brady Counsell, son of Milwaukee Brewer Manager Craig Counsell, end the bid for a complete game with a double to left-center. Windham retired one more Gopher before giving way to a senior Paul Bergstrom in the frame.

Windham earned the win (1-1), allowing two runs on three hits in 6.2 innings. Closer to Creighton Tommy Steier worked a flawless ninth for his second save of the season.

Minnesota starter Hunter Novotny (0-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings.

Gillen and Lozano led the Bluejay offense with three hits and Lozano with two.

Creighton and Minnesota will conclude their two-game series on Saturday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m