Creighton University
Evansville
Ruf Homers Twice, Changstrom Shuts Down Aces in 4-0 Win
3/20/2011 2:26:00 PM | Softball
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - For the second straight day, freshman pitcher Becca Changstrom carried a no-hitter deep into the game and finished with a complete game shutout victory over Evansville. Christa Ruf provided the offense, hitting two, two-run home runs in a 4-0 Creighton victory and Changstrom allowed just one hit - with two outs in the seventh - in helping the Bluejays win the opening Missouri Valley Conference series of the season. The win was the 564th victory for head coach Brent Vigness at the helm of the Bluejays, tying Creighton Hall of Famer Mary Higgins' school record for wins.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when Ruf connected for her first home run of the game. With two outs, Jennifer Bohle reached on a single and Ruf followed with a blast over the center field fence to give the Bluejays a 2-0 lead.
Despite not having a hit, the Purple Aces (5-17, 1-2 MVC) threatened to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Changstrom walked the lead off hitter and then issued two more free passes with two outs to load the bases. Taylor Perry was brought on to pinch-hit with the bases full, but Changstrom struck her out to escape the self-inflicated jam.
Ruf padded the Bluejay lead with her second home run of the game in the top of the seventh inning, again driving in Bohle, who was at first base after getting hit by a pitch with two outs. Ruf's third hit of the day and sixth home run of the season moved her team-leading RBI total to 20 and her team-leading batting average to .328.
Changstrom, who had carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in her first MVC start on Saturday, moved into the seventh inning with a no-hitter on Sunday. The rookie walked the lead off hitter in the seventh, but retired the next two UE hitters to get within one out of her first collegiate no-hitter. UE pinch-hitter Maggie Little broke up the no-no with a double. Changstrom retired Katie Sears on a grounder to short to notch her second shutout of the weekend.
Changstrom struck out nine and walked six in the one-hit shutout. She is now 8-5 on the season and owns five shutouts in her first 13 career starts.
Kendall Kautz (2-4) lasted 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs in the loss.
Ruf finished the game 3-for-4 with her two home runs and four RBI - her second four-RBI game of the season. Only Bohle and Ellen Homan joined Ruf in the hit column.
Vigness, who has 712 career wins, notched his 564th as Creighton's head coach on Sunday. Now in his 18th season at CU, the most tenured softball coach in school history has tied CU Hall of Famer Mary Higgins' school-record for wins.
Creighton improved to 11-13 on the season and 2-1 in MVC play with the victory. The Bluejays play a doubleheader at Iowa State on Tuesday, before finally opening their home schedule next weekend with a three-game series against pre-season MVC co-favorite Southern Illinois.
