Saturday, May 3
Omaha, Neb.
12:00 PM
Creighton University
6
vs
1
Missouri State
Softball Sweeps Bears for MVC Crown
5/3/2008 5:00:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. ? Creighton claimed sole possession of its second straight Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a doubleheader sweep of Missouri State Saturday afternoon at the CU Sports Complex. The Bluejays slugged past the Bears 6-1 in game one before blanking MSU 4-0 in the nightcap. The Bluejays have now established a school record with 20 conference victories, improving to 20-3 in Valley play and 42-14 overall with the sweep.
The Bluejays broke up a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth inning of game one with back-to-back home runs. Amanda Hess singled to start the inning, Cassidy Nee was walked with one out and then Laura Kratochvil was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases for Bailey Dawson. Dawson ripped the first pitch she saw over the right center field fence for her second grand slam of the season and her 10th homer of the year, giving the Jays a 4-0 lead. Renae Sinkler then hit Lauren McGinley's (7-5) next pitch just inside the left field foul pole and over the fence to give the Jays a five-run inning.
Missouri State's (25-20, 11-12 MVC) Jessie Smith hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, but the Jays answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Dawson crushed a ball through the infield and into left center field for an RBI double.
Dawson finished 3-for-4 with five RBI in the opener, while Sinkler was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Sophomore Tara Oltman became the first player in school history and just the second in MVC history to record 30 wins in a season as she moved to 30-6 on the year in the four-hit victory. She walked three and struck out eight as she added to her CU single-season win record and crept within one victory of the single-season MVC mark.
Hess and Oltman then combined on a shutout in game two, limiting MSU to five singles in the 4-0 win.
CU scored single tallies in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings to capture their 20th Valley victory.
Sinkler lofted an 0-2 pitch from Melissa Porche over the right field fence for her second home run of the day and her eighth of the year to give the Jays a 1-0 lead after one.
Hess then ripped an RBI single in the second inning to drive in fellow senior Mary Egan for the game's second run.
Jessi Jadlowski dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt in the fourth inning to drive in CU's third run of the game. Jadlowski also drove in the fourth run of the game with a two-out single up the middle in the sixth inning.
Hess (7-6) tossed the first 5.1 innings of the game to earn her seventh win of the year, striking out five, walking none and allowing just four hits. She was lifted with runners on first and third and one out in the sixth inning. Oltman came in to close the door and pick up her seventh save of the year, the most by a Bluejay since Candi Letts set the school record with nine saves in 1982.
Porche (16-14) took the loss, allowing six hits and four earned runs, while fanning eight for the Bears.
Jadlowski went 1-for-2 with two RBI in the nightcap, while Jessica Wakasugi was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored in the game.
CU is now 11-0 at home in Valley play this year, while it is 18-2 at home on the season. The Bluejays will look to wrap up a perfect MVC home season, their first since 1997, in their regular-season finale Sunday at noon at the CU Sports Complex.
The Bluejays broke up a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth inning of game one with back-to-back home runs. Amanda Hess singled to start the inning, Cassidy Nee was walked with one out and then Laura Kratochvil was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases for Bailey Dawson. Dawson ripped the first pitch she saw over the right center field fence for her second grand slam of the season and her 10th homer of the year, giving the Jays a 4-0 lead. Renae Sinkler then hit Lauren McGinley's (7-5) next pitch just inside the left field foul pole and over the fence to give the Jays a five-run inning.
Missouri State's (25-20, 11-12 MVC) Jessie Smith hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, but the Jays answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. Dawson crushed a ball through the infield and into left center field for an RBI double.
Dawson finished 3-for-4 with five RBI in the opener, while Sinkler was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Sophomore Tara Oltman became the first player in school history and just the second in MVC history to record 30 wins in a season as she moved to 30-6 on the year in the four-hit victory. She walked three and struck out eight as she added to her CU single-season win record and crept within one victory of the single-season MVC mark.
Hess and Oltman then combined on a shutout in game two, limiting MSU to five singles in the 4-0 win.
CU scored single tallies in the first, second, fourth and sixth innings to capture their 20th Valley victory.
Sinkler lofted an 0-2 pitch from Melissa Porche over the right field fence for her second home run of the day and her eighth of the year to give the Jays a 1-0 lead after one.
Hess then ripped an RBI single in the second inning to drive in fellow senior Mary Egan for the game's second run.
Jessi Jadlowski dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt in the fourth inning to drive in CU's third run of the game. Jadlowski also drove in the fourth run of the game with a two-out single up the middle in the sixth inning.
Hess (7-6) tossed the first 5.1 innings of the game to earn her seventh win of the year, striking out five, walking none and allowing just four hits. She was lifted with runners on first and third and one out in the sixth inning. Oltman came in to close the door and pick up her seventh save of the year, the most by a Bluejay since Candi Letts set the school record with nine saves in 1982.
Porche (16-14) took the loss, allowing six hits and four earned runs, while fanning eight for the Bears.
Jadlowski went 1-for-2 with two RBI in the nightcap, while Jessica Wakasugi was 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored in the game.
CU is now 11-0 at home in Valley play this year, while it is 18-2 at home on the season. The Bluejays will look to wrap up a perfect MVC home season, their first since 1997, in their regular-season finale Sunday at noon at the CU Sports Complex.
Players Mentioned
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