Saturday, April 21
CU Sports Complex
TBA
Creighton University
5
vs
3
#19/18 Illinois State
Bluejays Power Past No. 19 Illinois State in Twin Bill Sweep
4/21/2007 3:00:00 AM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. Tara Oltman picked up two wins and eight of Creighton's nine offensive starters had an RBI on the day as the Bluejays swept a doubleheader from 19th-ranked Illinois State Saturday afternoon at a windy Creighton Sports Complex. Creighton took game one 5-3 and exploded for an 8-6 victory over the nationally-ranked foe in the night cap to improve to 32-10 overall and 14-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Bluejays set the tone for the day in the bottom of the first inning of game one. Jamie Reiss led off the game with a bunt single and was moved to second on a sacrifice by Jessica Wakasugi. Bailey Dawson followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Reiss with the day's first run, as Dawson advanced to second on the throw home. She would come around to score with two outs when Caitlin Marcano ripped a single to center field and the Jays led 2-0 after one.
CU used the same formula for a run in the third inning. Reiss led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Wakasugi and scored on an RBI single by Dawson. The Jays pushed ahead 4-0 on a Michelle Koch RBI single in the fourth inning.
Illinois State (37-12, 13-6 MVC) cut the Bluejays lead in half in the fifth inning, as Kaprice Williams hit a solo home run and Kelsey Warning added an RBI single. The Jays responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a chopping infield single by Lau Emmsley-Chang to put the Jays up 5-2 after six. Kara Nelson, who went 4-for-4 in the opener, finished her perfect game at the plate with a solo homer to lead off the seventh inning and pull ISU within two.
But Oltman struck out the side after the blast to finish the game with a career-high tying 14 strikeouts. The rookie went the distance, allowed eight hits, three runs, walked one and recorded her fourth game of at least 10 strikeouts this spring.
Reiss finished game one 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Dawson was 2-for-4 with with two RBI and a run scored.
ISU opened game two with an unearned run in the first inning off of CU starter Amanda Hess. A four-run second inning quickly erased the deficit. Marcano started the frame with a single and Jessica German followed with a push bunt hit over Nelson at third base. After a failed bunt attempt and fielder's choice, the Jays strung together three two-out hits and plated four runs in the inning. Koch collected the first RBI of the inning, scoring German. Koch and Emmsley-Chang, who reached on the fielder's choice, then executed a double steal as Koch drew a throw to second and when she escaped from the run-down, Emmsley-Chang sprinted home with CU's second run of the inning.
Reiss followed the double steal with an RBI single, advancing to second on a throwing error by Warning in right field. Wakasugi joined the RBI parade with a single scoring Reiss and the Jays led 4-1 after two innings.
TJ Eadus and Caitlin Marcano hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the third inning and knock ISU starter Stacy Birk from the circle. Eadus smashed her team-best 12th home run of the year and Marcano hit her sixth homer of the year, which was the 44th of the season by the Bluejays, a new single-season school record for the team.
A three-run top of the fourth chased Hess and Oltman relieved to make her 17th appearance in 17 MVC games this year. Oltman came in and stranded two runners on base as the Bluejays led 6-4 after four innings.
CU scored one in the fifth and ISU answered with two in the sixth inning, making it a one-run game as ISU was down 7-6. An RBI double by German in the bottom of the sixth provided an insurance run and the final two-run margin.
Oltman tacked on two strikeouts in the seventh and nailed down her 20th victory of the season. The rookie is now 20-5 on the year, becoming the fourth Bluejay to record 20 wins in a season, just the second freshman. She went 3.2 innings of relief, allowed two hits and two runs, walking one and striking out four in the night cap. Hess recorded 3.1 innings, seven hits, three earned runs, walked two and fanned six.
German went 3-for-3 in the second game and finished the doubleheader 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Wakasugi was 2-for-3 in the second game, while Marcano finished the night cap 2-for-2.
Every offensive starter for the Bluejays had at least one hit, while eight of the nine had multiple hits in the twin bill. Eight of the nine starters also had at least one RBI in the two games. Koch led the Bluejays with three RBI in the doubleheader.
Four different Redbirds had two hits in the second game, with Nelson going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored after her perfect game at the plate in the opener.
Birk (18-6) suffered the loss for ISU as the starter lasted two innings, allowed seven hits and six runs, five of which were earned. Shannon Nicholson (16-5), who pitched the final inning of game two following three by Amber Smith, pitched a complete game in the opener and allowed 10 hits, five runs, walked none and struck out three in defeat.
The Bluejays and Redbirds will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at noon at the CU Sports Complex.
The Bluejays set the tone for the day in the bottom of the first inning of game one. Jamie Reiss led off the game with a bunt single and was moved to second on a sacrifice by Jessica Wakasugi. Bailey Dawson followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Reiss with the day's first run, as Dawson advanced to second on the throw home. She would come around to score with two outs when Caitlin Marcano ripped a single to center field and the Jays led 2-0 after one.
CU used the same formula for a run in the third inning. Reiss led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Wakasugi and scored on an RBI single by Dawson. The Jays pushed ahead 4-0 on a Michelle Koch RBI single in the fourth inning.
Illinois State (37-12, 13-6 MVC) cut the Bluejays lead in half in the fifth inning, as Kaprice Williams hit a solo home run and Kelsey Warning added an RBI single. The Jays responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth on a chopping infield single by Lau Emmsley-Chang to put the Jays up 5-2 after six. Kara Nelson, who went 4-for-4 in the opener, finished her perfect game at the plate with a solo homer to lead off the seventh inning and pull ISU within two.
But Oltman struck out the side after the blast to finish the game with a career-high tying 14 strikeouts. The rookie went the distance, allowed eight hits, three runs, walked one and recorded her fourth game of at least 10 strikeouts this spring.
Reiss finished game one 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Dawson was 2-for-4 with with two RBI and a run scored.
ISU opened game two with an unearned run in the first inning off of CU starter Amanda Hess. A four-run second inning quickly erased the deficit. Marcano started the frame with a single and Jessica German followed with a push bunt hit over Nelson at third base. After a failed bunt attempt and fielder's choice, the Jays strung together three two-out hits and plated four runs in the inning. Koch collected the first RBI of the inning, scoring German. Koch and Emmsley-Chang, who reached on the fielder's choice, then executed a double steal as Koch drew a throw to second and when she escaped from the run-down, Emmsley-Chang sprinted home with CU's second run of the inning.
Reiss followed the double steal with an RBI single, advancing to second on a throwing error by Warning in right field. Wakasugi joined the RBI parade with a single scoring Reiss and the Jays led 4-1 after two innings.
TJ Eadus and Caitlin Marcano hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the third inning and knock ISU starter Stacy Birk from the circle. Eadus smashed her team-best 12th home run of the year and Marcano hit her sixth homer of the year, which was the 44th of the season by the Bluejays, a new single-season school record for the team.
A three-run top of the fourth chased Hess and Oltman relieved to make her 17th appearance in 17 MVC games this year. Oltman came in and stranded two runners on base as the Bluejays led 6-4 after four innings.
CU scored one in the fifth and ISU answered with two in the sixth inning, making it a one-run game as ISU was down 7-6. An RBI double by German in the bottom of the sixth provided an insurance run and the final two-run margin.
Oltman tacked on two strikeouts in the seventh and nailed down her 20th victory of the season. The rookie is now 20-5 on the year, becoming the fourth Bluejay to record 20 wins in a season, just the second freshman. She went 3.2 innings of relief, allowed two hits and two runs, walking one and striking out four in the night cap. Hess recorded 3.1 innings, seven hits, three earned runs, walked two and fanned six.
German went 3-for-3 in the second game and finished the doubleheader 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Wakasugi was 2-for-3 in the second game, while Marcano finished the night cap 2-for-2.
Every offensive starter for the Bluejays had at least one hit, while eight of the nine had multiple hits in the twin bill. Eight of the nine starters also had at least one RBI in the two games. Koch led the Bluejays with three RBI in the doubleheader.
Four different Redbirds had two hits in the second game, with Nelson going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored after her perfect game at the plate in the opener.
Birk (18-6) suffered the loss for ISU as the starter lasted two innings, allowed seven hits and six runs, five of which were earned. Shannon Nicholson (16-5), who pitched the final inning of game two following three by Amber Smith, pitched a complete game in the opener and allowed 10 hits, five runs, walked none and struck out three in defeat.
The Bluejays and Redbirds will conclude their three-game series on Sunday at noon at the CU Sports Complex.
Players Mentioned
SS
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OF
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1B
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P
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IF
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IF
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P
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IF
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OF
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