Creighton University
3-2
UC Riverside
0-2
Softball Defeats UC Riverside 5-2 to End Kajikawa Classic
2/7/2015 6:30:00 PM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Creighton softball team defeated UC Riverside 5-2 in its final game of the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State University on Saturday.
Creighton (3-2) jumped out to an early two-run lead over UCR (0-2) in the top of the first inning. Riverside tied the game in the third before the Jays took the lead for good in the fourth and added two insurance runs in the sixth frame to secure the victory.
Seven different Bluejays posted a hit against the Highlanders; senior Liz Dike again led the offense with a pair.
Junior Micaela Whitney started in the circle for Creighton.
Junior Michelle Trulin drew a one-out walk to start the Jays' rally in the first. Dike also reached in the next at-bat and both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Junior Blake Ringle tapped first on a fielder's choice to score Trulin and put CU up 1-0.
A single off the bat of sophomore Jen Daro scored Dike from third to double the Bluejay lead to 2-0 before UCR regrouped to get out of the inning.
After a scoreless second inning, UC Riverside tied it up in the bottom of the third.
UCR's leadoff hitter drew a walk and then stole second before a ground out moved her to third. A hit by pitch put runners on the corners before a CU fielding error on a hard ball down the left field line resulted in two unearned runs.
Tied at 2-2, sophomore Allie Reinhart smacked a one-out single to center field in the CU fourth. A sacrifice bunt from senior Bri McMahon advanced the runner to second. Reinhart stole third and later scored on another wild pitch to give the Bluejays a 3-2 advantage.
Creighton finished the scoring in the top of the sixth. Daro drew a walk to open the inning and freshman Sam Crowley came on to pinch run at first. A single by McMahon moved Crowley to third base. Freshman Paige Nekola pinch ran for McMahon at first base.
Junior Erin McGonigal connected on an RBI single to center field to score Crowley and force a UCR pitching change at 4-2. A two-out single from junior Kelsey Allender scored Nekola to yield the final score.
UCR threatened the Creighton lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Highlanders opened the frame with a single and ground rule double with no outs. A two-out walk later loaded the bases but the UC Riverside batter's foul fly was tracked down and caught by McGonigal to end the contest.
Whitney earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Creighton returns to action at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. on Feb. 20.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Whitney, Micaela (3-1)
L: Rebecca Faulkner (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Allender, Kelsey 1 ; Ringle, Blake 1 ; Daro, Jen 1 ; McGonigal, Erin 1
SH: McMahon, Bri 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Trulin, Michelle 1 ; Dike, Liz 1 ; Crowley, Sam 1 ; Reinhart, Allie 1 ; Nekola, Paige 1
SB: Reinhart, Allie 1
CS: Dike, Liz 1
PO: Trulin, Michelle 1
Batting:
2B: Karina Romero 1
SH: Stephanie Tickemyer 1 ; Haley Harris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jenna Curtan 1 ; Shylene Helms 1
SB: Jenna Curtan 1 ; Shylene Helms 1 ; Haley Harris 1
HBP: Natalie Sanchez 1
