MINNEAPOLIS — Jonas Dufek’s nine-strikeout performance carried Creighton to a 4-2 victory over South Dakota State in the first game of the Metrodome Tournament on Friday.

Dufek pitched 7.2 innings, including 4.1 perfect frames to start the game, to move to 3-0. South Dakota native Jack VanLeur finished up for his first save.

Elliot Soto doubled, tripled and scored twice to pace a balanced Creighton attack.

Creighton (7-3) gave Dufek a quick lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. A two-out bloop single into center field from Carson Vitale and a jam-shot single down the third-base line by Jimmy Swift put the Jays up 2-0.

In the fifth, Soto tripled and scored on Trever Adams’ single.

The Jackrabbits (6-4) scored two runs in the fifth on two Dufek wild pitches and Zack Briggs’ 410-foot home run.

Creighton answered as Scott Thornburg led off the sixth with a double — one of his three hits — and scored on Ian Dike’s single for the final 4-2 margin.

Creighton will next play Minnesota at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday.

Creighton (7-3)..........................200 011 000—4 12 0

So. Dakota State (6-4)............................000 020 00x—2 6 1

W: Dufek (3-0). L: Robinson (0-2). Sv: VanLeur (1). HR: SDSU, Briggs (1).

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