Creighton University
1-0
Pacific
0-1
Whitney Throws First Career No-Hitter in Bluejays? Season Opener
2/5/2015 7:53:00 PM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Creighton softball junior Micaela Whitney hurled a no-hitter in her first career start for the Bluejays in a 2-0 season-opening victory over Pacific while classmate Blake Ringle hit the game-winning homer against the Tigers and later launched a solo shot in a 7-4 setback at No. 16 Arizona State's Farrington Stadium Thursday night.
Creighton (1-1) posted six runs on 12 hits and committed just one error in the doubleheader at the Sun Devils' Kajikawa Classic. Besides Ringle's pair of homers, classmate Kelsey Allender also sent one out against the Sun Devils. The Bluejays pitching staff and defense held Pacific (0-1) and No. 16 ASU (1-0) to just seven runs on 10 hits and forced two errors.
Whitney started her first career game in a Creighton uniform in the season lid lifter against Pacific.
The CU junior allowed two Tiger base runners in the top of the first but then settled down to end the inning with a strikeout. Whitney then struck out the side in the second inning and added three more K's over the next two frames – part of her career high 11 strikeouts on the day.
Junior Liz Dike ripped a one-out double down the left field line in the Creighton fourth. Ringle followed with her first home run of the year that sailed over the right field wall.
That two-run margin held as Whitney and the Creighton defense kept the Tigers at bay. Pacific only had one base runner in each of the last three innings. Whitney committed an error in the top of the seventh frame on a pop fly back to the circle to put the leadoff batter on but fittingly ended the game with her final strikeout of the day to secure the 2-0 victory.
The no-hitter is the first by a Bluejay since departed senior Becca Changstrom's effort against Amry last year on March 15.
MICAELA WHITNEY ON NO-HITTER
Sophomore Sydnee Eck started in the circle for the Jays in game two against No. 16 Arizona State.
The Sun Devils scored in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from All-American Amber Freeman to put the hosts in front 1-0.
Creighton evened the score in the top of the third. Allender hit a two-out single and later scored on an RBI triple from Dike that bounced off the wall in right to make it 1-1 heading to the bottom of the frame.
The Sun Devils scored on an RBI single in the bottom of the third to move ahead for good at 2-1. A three-run homer by ASU's Haley Steele put the home team up 5-1 after four.
Ringle opened the sixth inning with a solo shot to left field for her second homer of the day to cut the ASU lead to 5-2.
The Sun Devils responded with a pair in bottom of the frame on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 7-2.
CU junior Michelle Trulin hit a one-out single in the seventh before Allender sent the ball out of the park for a two-run homer that cut the ASU advantage to 7-4.
Dike and sophomore Jen Daro each posted singles to force an ASU pitching change with two outs and the tying run at the plate but the Sun Devils held on to secure the victory.
The Jays return to action at the Kajikawa Classic on Friday against Cal Poly and Western Michigan.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Whitney, Micaela (1-0)
L: BONNET (0-1)
Base Running:
HBP: ZAPOTOCZNY 1
Batting:
2B: Dike, Liz 1
HR: Ringle, Blake 1
RBI: Ringle, Blake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Dike, Liz 1 ; Ringle, Blake 1
SB: Daro, Jen 1
HBP: Daro, Jen 1
