Softball Falls 4-2 to La Salle

TUCSON, Ariz. ? Creighton softball dropped its third straight game in Arizona Friday afternoon, falling to La Salle 4-2 at the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Arizona. The Explorers (3-4) scored twice in the first inning and never trailed, as the Bluejays dropped to 12-8 on the season in defeat.

Bluejay starter Emily Humpal walked the La Salle leadoff hitter and allowed a one-out double to put two runners in scoring position. After fanning La Salle's cleanup hitter, Michelle Sullivan ripped a two-out, two-run double to give the Explorers a 2-0 lead before the Jays would bat.

Creighton cut the lead in half with a tally in the bottom of the third inning. Tucson native TJ Eadus led off the inning with a double and would come around to score on a two-out single by Laura Kratochvil.

La Salle regained the two-run lead in the top of the fourth inning, chasing Humpal from the game. The Explorers added an unearned run in the sixth inning to push ahead 4-1.

A seventh-inning Bluejay rally fell short with the tying run on base. Jessi Jadlowski led off with a single down the left field line and moved to second on a one-out hit by Eadus. The pair moved up a base on a wild pitch. After La Salle hurler Gina Massaro struck out Renae Sinkler, Michelle Graner's RBI single made the score 4-2 and brought the winning run to the plate. Massaro induced a ground out to end the game and leave two Bluejay runners stranded.

Massaro (1-2) went the distance for La Salle, allowing eight Bluejay hits and two runs.

Humpal (2-2) lasted 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out four. Tara Oltman closed out the game, hurling 3.2 innings of two-hit ball and surrendering just one unearned run to go along with four Ks.

Eadus, Graner and Kratochvil each finished the game 2-for-4.

Creighton takes on seventh-ranked Arizona tonight with a scheduled 7 p.m. (CST) first pitch.

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Players Mentioned

TJ Eadus

Michelle Graner

Emily Humpal

Jessi Jadlowski

Laura Kratochvil

Tara Oltman

Renae Sinkler