OMAHA – The San José State bats came alive on Sunday but the effort ultimately fell just short as Creighton earned a 6-4 victory at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.
The Spartans (3-7) totaled six hits on the day and played eight innings of error-free baseball. The game marked the second of three contests this weekend that are being held at the home of the College World Series.
Freshman Jackson Forbes enjoyed the best performance of his collegiate career on the day, going 1-for-2 at the plate with three RBI.
Trailing 4-0 in the top of the fifth, right fielder James Shimashita led off the frame with a triple to deep center. Shimashita would then come in to score one at-bat later, the RBI coming via senior Ruben Mercado.
The visitors from San José weren't done, however, and would add to their tally later in the frame when Forbes picked up his first RBI of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly to center.
Down 5-2 and needing to hit the comeback trail in the seventh, it was the Shimashita-Mercado-Forbes connection that once again did some damage for SJSU. Shimashita and Mercado each reached safely to lead off the inning on consecutive hit-by-pitches, and it was Forbes who would clear the bases with two outs on a triple to the wall that carried over the head of the Bluejay center fielder.
bartender, triple! @jacksonforbes01 plates a pair with this three-bagger ?? pic.twitter.com/m61gzrC6XX
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) April 18, 2021
The San José State offense continued to show signs of life in each of the final two frames as the club was able to get its leadoff batter aboard safely in both the eighth and ninth, but it was Creighton (11-7) that eventually emerged with the 6-4 win.
Just two pitchers toed the rubber for the Spartans on Sunday. Senior Spencer Long got the start and struck out five in six innings of work while sophomore Corey Sanchez impressed in relief, striking out two without allowing a hit or earned run in his two frames on the bump.
SJSU will look to end its road trip on a high note in the series finale on Monday at TD Ameritrade. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. (CT) against the Big East opponent.