Senior pitcher Dominic Cancellieri tossed 7.1 scoreless innings to lead Creighton to a 6-3 victory over Xavier Friday night.
The game marked the start of Ed Servias’ final home stand as head coach after 21 seasons.
Friday night also served as the Chris Gradoville memorial game.
Gradoville was a former Creighton player and director of operations who was tragically shot and killed in 2021. His father Ron threw out the first pitch in his son’s memory.
With all of the emotions of the night, Creighton began its scoring with three runs in the bottom of the second with a two-RBI single from Tate Gillen. Nick Venteicher then stole home to make it 3-0.
With no answer from the Musketeers, the Jays added insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Nolan Sailors delivered a single to right field and brought home Venteicher. A pair of Xavier errors allowed the Jays to plate two more, giving a 6-0 lead.
Xavier breathed life in the top of the ninth when Aedan Anderson plated one run for the Musketeers off his double. Jason Jelic followed him up with a 2-RBI single to make the score 6-3, all done with two outs.
Bluejay closer Noah Klein shut the door on the visitors with a swinging K to end it.
With this 6-3 win over Xavier, Creighton secured a spot in the Big East Tournament after not making the postseason since 2022. Servais said he is glad to be back.
“That’s where we belong,” Servais said in his press conference. “I told the team a couple, three or four weeks ago that that may be the hardest thing we have to accomplish all season, is getting there. Because of what we weren’t able to accomplish last year.”
Servais said that he was very proud of Cancellieri’s performance, who missed nearly all of last season with an arm injury. Cancellieri allowed zero earned runs on six hits allowed and accounted for seven strikeouts and only one walk.
“I just can’t say enough about Dom tonight,” Servais said. It’s one of the better outings I’ve seen Dom in all the years he’s been with us. Xavier’s a really good offensive ball club and Dom was able to shut them down for the seven plus innings.”
With this being the Jays’ last home stand of the season, it’s also Servais’ last time coaching at home, barring a MCWS run. He said that he has enjoyed taking it all in.
“It’s pretty cool,” Servais said. “I just visited with another eight or 10 players. That’s probably been the best thing about this little bit of a run you know farewell tour if you want to call it that.
I’ve ran into so many former players, and just having conversations with them it’s just really cool for me.”
