ROCK HILL, S.C. – Gardner-Webb rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh, but Creighton held on for a 4-3 win over the Diamond 'Dogs in both teams' season opener at the 2007 Winthrop Classic.

Playing against a program with the tradition of College World Series’ appearances, and Hall of Fame alumni like Bob Gibson, Gardner-Webb (0-1) put up three runs in the seventh to cut a 4-0 deficit to just one run, but fell after going scoreless in the final two innings.

Creighton (1-0) went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first, as slugger Chris Gradoville pounded a Jonathon Ban changeup deep out of the park for a two-run bomb. Ban worked out of the jam, but allowed five singles in the bottom of the second – including an RBI knock to Gradoville – as Creighton pushed its lead to 4-0.

Blue Jay ace Marc Lewis had an easy time of it on the mound, watching his bats build a lead while he mowed through the Gardner-Webb lineup. Lewis, a 26th round draft pick last June by Milwaukee, allowed just an infield single through three complete.

Ban lasted 3.0 innings, fanning three, but allowing eight hits – seven singles – and four earned runs. Only two of the eight hits, one single and the home run, were hard hit balls off of Ban (0-1), who took the loss.

With it’s ace having a rough outing, Gardner-Webb needed a big performance from its bullpen to have a chance. The Bulldogs got it. Wes Cogdill came on to hurl two scorless innings, and Tim Thomas followed with three scoreless innings – allowing Gardner-Webb to get comfortable at the plate and make a run at the Blue Jays’ lead.

Still trailing 4-0 in the top of the seventh, GWU cut the lead to one. Joey Testa got it started with a single to left, moved to third on a Chase Bubley double – then got the ‘Dogs on the board on a Tyler Johnson base hit with one out. Daniel Cooke trimmed the lead to 4-2 with a pinch-hit RBI single to plate Bubley – then moved to third himself on a single by Brock Miller. Slugger Jay McConnell then ripped a single off the foot of Creighton All-AmericanScott  Reese, driving in Cooke to trim the lead to 4-3 – before Reese, a 12-game winner two seasons ago out of the bullpen, got out of the jam.

Thomas scattered a pair of hits in the seventh and eighth, keeping Creighton from opening up its lead, but Gardner-Webb (0-1) couldn’t muster any more offense. The Blue Jays’ closer, Auburn transfer Andy Masten, fanned a pair of Bulldogs in the ninth to end the game.

Brock Miller paced a nine-hit Gardner-Webb attack with two hits (2-for-5) and a run. Gradoville led four Creighton players who had two hits, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run. The Blue Jays finished with 11 safeties, but managed just three hits against an effective GWU bullpen (Cogdill, Thomas).

Gardner-Webb will continue its participation in the 2007 Winthrop Classic on Saturday, when sophomore RHP Josh Drewery takes the mound against ACC member Maryland at 4:30 pm ET in Rock Hill.

NOTES: Gardner-Webb lost its season opener for the first time since 2004, a 14-2 loss at No. 16 Florida … Creighton used a weapon that it is believed Gardner-Webb has never seen before in its 33 years of senior college baseball, a switch pitcher. The Blue Jays’ ambidextrous reliever, Pat Vindette, came on in the sixth and promptly retired a batter with his right arm. Vindette then pitched to a batter using his left arm, and got out of the inning by getting an out as a righty. The Omaha, Neb., native touched 91 mph from the right side, and touched 84 mph from the left. He is one of just three known pitchers at the Division I level with ambidextrous abilities on the mound.