Saturday, March 29
Omaha, Neb.
12:00 PM
Creighton University
4
vs
2
Northern Iowa
Homer Happy Bluejays Sweep Softball Twin Bill from UNI
3/29/2008 7:00:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. ? TJ Eadus and Michelle Graner each swatted three home runs in a Creighton softball doubleheader sweep of Northern Iowa Saturday afternoon at the Creighton Sports Complex. Eadus hit a two-run, walk-off home run to help CU to a 4-2 10-inning victory in the opener and the Jays used an eight-run fourth inning to topple the Panthers 11-6 in game two. The Jays have now won a season-best nine straight games, including four consecutive doubleheader sweeps, to move to 24-10 on the year and 4-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
A tightly-contest first game saw the Panthers (11-15, 0-5 MVC) twice battle back from one-run deficits to force extra innings. Graner's first home run of the game gave the Bluejays a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but UNI's Jen Larsen hit a solo shot of her own in the fourth inning to pull the Panthers even.
Creighton again went ahead by one run with a tally in the bottom of the fifth. Jessica Wakasugi reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning and advanced to second with two outs following a Jessi Jadlowski sacrifice bunt. Bailey Dawson followed with a single to center to plate Wakasugi from second and give the Jays a 2-1 lead after five.
Again UNI would respond to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. A fieder's choice off the bat of Morgan Paulson nearly resulted in a putout at third base, but instead scored the tying run.
The game would remained tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the 10th inning. Jadlowski, who finished game one 3-for-4, led off the frame with a ground-rule double to left center field. One out later Eadus smashed the game-winning home run over the right center field fence to give the Jays a 4-2 victory.
Sophomore Tara Oltman pitched all 10 innings for the Bluejays, allowing only four hits and two runs in the win. The right-hander improved to 16-4 with the win, as she walked six and struck out 11 in the complete game.
Ashley Lepley (6-5) took the loss for UNI, tossing 4.1 innings in relief of starter Larsen in the circle.
Eadus smacked her second home run of the day in her first at bat of game two to give the Jays an early 1-0 lead. UNI's Michelle Phillips then gave UNI a 2-1 lead by lifting her first career home run over the left field wall in the top of the second inning. Bluejay starter Amanda Hess then walked the next two UNI batters before getting lifted in favor of freshman Emily Humpal in the circle. Humpal escaped the two-runner, no-one out jam and kept the Jays within one.
Graner led off the second inning with her second home run of the day to keep pace with Eadus and knot the score at 2-2. UNI would then take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning as Megan Machovec's single drove in Brittney Balduf.
An explosive eight-run fourth inning for the Jays put the game out of reach for UNI. Graner walked to lead off the inning and Cassidy Nee followed with a single off of UNI pitcher Sarah Bakey's leg, and Graner would score on the play as Bakey recovered but threw the ball wildly to first. Mary Egan would pinch-run for Nee and score on a Wakasugi fielder's choice. Wakasugi later scored on a single by Liz McKewon, and McKewon would cross the plate on a bunt single by Dawson. After an RBI single by Eadus, Renae Sinkler would smack an RBI double off the top of the wall and Graner hit a towering high fly ball over the left field fence for her second round-tripper of the game and third of the day to conclude the eight-run frame and give CU a comfortable 10-3 after four.
After UNI plated three runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 10-6, Eadus concluded scoring in the game with her third long ball of the day in the bottom of the sixth. She now leads the team and MVC with 10 home runs on the year.
Humpal (4-2) picked up the win, allowing four runs on seven hits in three innings. Oltman logged her fourth save of the year, tossing the final three innings, while allowing no runs and just two hits in relief. Bakey (2-3) lasted 3.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and 10 earned runs in the loss for UNI.
Eadus finished game two 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Not to be outdone, Graner also homered twice, to push her season total to six, and finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored in the night cap. Nee also went 2-for-2 in game two.
Creighton pitching limited the top two hitters in the MVC to a combined 1-for-17 showing on Saturday, as league-leader Stephanie Aguero finished 0-for-8 and Machovec was 1-for-9 in the doubleheader.
The Bluejays will look for the three-game sweep of UNI on Sunday, first pitch is set for noon at the CU Sports Complex.
A tightly-contest first game saw the Panthers (11-15, 0-5 MVC) twice battle back from one-run deficits to force extra innings. Graner's first home run of the game gave the Bluejays a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but UNI's Jen Larsen hit a solo shot of her own in the fourth inning to pull the Panthers even.
Creighton again went ahead by one run with a tally in the bottom of the fifth. Jessica Wakasugi reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning and advanced to second with two outs following a Jessi Jadlowski sacrifice bunt. Bailey Dawson followed with a single to center to plate Wakasugi from second and give the Jays a 2-1 lead after five.
Again UNI would respond to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. A fieder's choice off the bat of Morgan Paulson nearly resulted in a putout at third base, but instead scored the tying run.
The game would remained tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the 10th inning. Jadlowski, who finished game one 3-for-4, led off the frame with a ground-rule double to left center field. One out later Eadus smashed the game-winning home run over the right center field fence to give the Jays a 4-2 victory.
Sophomore Tara Oltman pitched all 10 innings for the Bluejays, allowing only four hits and two runs in the win. The right-hander improved to 16-4 with the win, as she walked six and struck out 11 in the complete game.
Ashley Lepley (6-5) took the loss for UNI, tossing 4.1 innings in relief of starter Larsen in the circle.
Eadus smacked her second home run of the day in her first at bat of game two to give the Jays an early 1-0 lead. UNI's Michelle Phillips then gave UNI a 2-1 lead by lifting her first career home run over the left field wall in the top of the second inning. Bluejay starter Amanda Hess then walked the next two UNI batters before getting lifted in favor of freshman Emily Humpal in the circle. Humpal escaped the two-runner, no-one out jam and kept the Jays within one.
Graner led off the second inning with her second home run of the day to keep pace with Eadus and knot the score at 2-2. UNI would then take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning as Megan Machovec's single drove in Brittney Balduf.
An explosive eight-run fourth inning for the Jays put the game out of reach for UNI. Graner walked to lead off the inning and Cassidy Nee followed with a single off of UNI pitcher Sarah Bakey's leg, and Graner would score on the play as Bakey recovered but threw the ball wildly to first. Mary Egan would pinch-run for Nee and score on a Wakasugi fielder's choice. Wakasugi later scored on a single by Liz McKewon, and McKewon would cross the plate on a bunt single by Dawson. After an RBI single by Eadus, Renae Sinkler would smack an RBI double off the top of the wall and Graner hit a towering high fly ball over the left field fence for her second round-tripper of the game and third of the day to conclude the eight-run frame and give CU a comfortable 10-3 after four.
After UNI plated three runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 10-6, Eadus concluded scoring in the game with her third long ball of the day in the bottom of the sixth. She now leads the team and MVC with 10 home runs on the year.
Humpal (4-2) picked up the win, allowing four runs on seven hits in three innings. Oltman logged her fourth save of the year, tossing the final three innings, while allowing no runs and just two hits in relief. Bakey (2-3) lasted 3.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and 10 earned runs in the loss for UNI.
Eadus finished game two 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Not to be outdone, Graner also homered twice, to push her season total to six, and finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs scored in the night cap. Nee also went 2-for-2 in game two.
Creighton pitching limited the top two hitters in the MVC to a combined 1-for-17 showing on Saturday, as league-leader Stephanie Aguero finished 0-for-8 and Machovec was 1-for-9 in the doubleheader.
The Bluejays will look for the three-game sweep of UNI on Sunday, first pitch is set for noon at the CU Sports Complex.
Players Mentioned
OF/1B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
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