Saturday, April 4
CU Sports Complex
12:00 PM
Creighton University
0
vs
1
Bradley
Bradley Edges Softball, 1-0, in Game One
4/4/2009 5:00:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. - Bradley used a Creighton defensive miscue to take a 1-0 pitcher's duel from the Bluejays in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex. Following a rain delay in the top of the seventh, the Braves blooped in the game-winning RBI single to provide the lone run of the game, handing CU its first home Missouri Valley Conference loss since 2007.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Amanda Clack lifted a fly ball to shallow right field. Right fielder Sara Loeffelholz and second baseman Michelle Koch miscommunicated and let the ball drop between them and Clack ended up at second base. With two outs, CU starter Tara Oltman hit Denise Jilka with a pitch to put two on with two out just before the rains came. A lightning strike was followed by a one hour and 25 minute delay.
When play resumed, Bradley used pinch-hitter Jacqueline Vitale. The left handed batter blooped a single into center field, scoring Clack with the game's only run.
The Bluejays saw an early scoring opportunity squandered in the bottom of the first inning. Koch singled to center field and Renae Sinkler followed with a single of her own to put two on with one out. With two outs, Michelle Graner was hit by a pitch to load the bases for freshman catcher Lauren Larson. Larson, who is now the only active catcher on the Bluejay roster due to a season-ending injury to Laura Kratochvil, battled before striking out to leave the bases full.
Creighton left one runner on base in both the third and fourth innings, before leaving a pair on in the fifth. In the fifth inning, Bailey Dawson reached on a one-out base hit and was at second when Sinkler walked. Bradley starter Ashley Birdsong again got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Bradley left two runners on base in both the second and fourth innings and ran itself out of a scoring opportunity in the fifth. With the league's hottest hitter at the plate in Miriam Wegmann (.524 in MVC play) and two runners on, Anne Creighton was gunned down trying to steal third base to end the inning.
The Bluejays had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but stranded the game-tying run at third base to end the game. Liz McKewon smacked a one-out ground-run double to right field and moved to third on the second out of the inning. Koch was Birdsong's 10th strikeout victim to end the game.
The loss was CU's first in MVC play this year, dropping them to 6-1 in league play and 18-9 overall. BU won its fifth straight MVC game to improve to 6-3 in The Valley and 15-14 overall. The defeat also snapped CU's 13 game MVC winning streak and its 17 game home MVC winning streak. CU had not lost at home in Valley play since Bradley defeated the Jays on May 5, 2007.
Oltman fell to 15-6 in defeat, allowing just five hits and one run. The right-hander had won 19 straight decisions at home and her last nine decisions overall this year.
Birdsong struck out 10 to move to 9-6 on the year, tossing her sixth shutout of the season.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Amanda Clack lifted a fly ball to shallow right field. Right fielder Sara Loeffelholz and second baseman Michelle Koch miscommunicated and let the ball drop between them and Clack ended up at second base. With two outs, CU starter Tara Oltman hit Denise Jilka with a pitch to put two on with two out just before the rains came. A lightning strike was followed by a one hour and 25 minute delay.
When play resumed, Bradley used pinch-hitter Jacqueline Vitale. The left handed batter blooped a single into center field, scoring Clack with the game's only run.
The Bluejays saw an early scoring opportunity squandered in the bottom of the first inning. Koch singled to center field and Renae Sinkler followed with a single of her own to put two on with one out. With two outs, Michelle Graner was hit by a pitch to load the bases for freshman catcher Lauren Larson. Larson, who is now the only active catcher on the Bluejay roster due to a season-ending injury to Laura Kratochvil, battled before striking out to leave the bases full.
Creighton left one runner on base in both the third and fourth innings, before leaving a pair on in the fifth. In the fifth inning, Bailey Dawson reached on a one-out base hit and was at second when Sinkler walked. Bradley starter Ashley Birdsong again got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Bradley left two runners on base in both the second and fourth innings and ran itself out of a scoring opportunity in the fifth. With the league's hottest hitter at the plate in Miriam Wegmann (.524 in MVC play) and two runners on, Anne Creighton was gunned down trying to steal third base to end the inning.
The Bluejays had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but stranded the game-tying run at third base to end the game. Liz McKewon smacked a one-out ground-run double to right field and moved to third on the second out of the inning. Koch was Birdsong's 10th strikeout victim to end the game.
The loss was CU's first in MVC play this year, dropping them to 6-1 in league play and 18-9 overall. BU won its fifth straight MVC game to improve to 6-3 in The Valley and 15-14 overall. The defeat also snapped CU's 13 game MVC winning streak and its 17 game home MVC winning streak. CU had not lost at home in Valley play since Bradley defeated the Jays on May 5, 2007.
Oltman fell to 15-6 in defeat, allowing just five hits and one run. The right-hander had won 19 straight decisions at home and her last nine decisions overall this year.
Birdsong struck out 10 to move to 9-6 on the year, tossing her sixth shutout of the season.
Players Mentioned
OF/1B
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UT
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