Creighton University
6-4
Southern Illinois
4-9-1
Softball Wins Two on Second Day of Rebel Spring Games
3/9/2015 5:57:00 PM | Softball
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Creighton softball team won both of its games on day two of the Rebel Spring Games by defeating Southern Illinois 3-1 and blanking Lehigh 4-0 in Winter Haven on Monday afternoon.
Creighton (7-4) has allowed just one run during its current three-game win streak. Former conference rival Southern Illinois (4-9-1) scored that lone run in the bottom of the sixth in the Bluejays' opening win on Monday. Lehigh (8-2) held the CU bats at bay until a four-run explosion by the Jays in the bottom of the sixth secured their second win of the day.
Senior Liz Dike continued to produce for Creighton on offense with two hits Monday including a three-run blast over the left center fence against Lehigh. She batted in four more runs in games on day two, part of her impressive total of 10 through four contests at the Rebel Spring Games.
Junior Michelle Trulin led the Bluejays with three hits on the day. Classmate Kelsey Allender also posted a base hit including a game-winning RBI single against Lehigh.
Creighton received a pair of excellent efforts in the circle from its starting pitchers. Sophomore Sydnee Eck and junior Micaela Whitney each posted complete-game victories. Neither pitcher allowed an earned run and allowed just 11 hits combined on the day.
Eck started game one for CU against SIU.
Creighton, the designated visitor, broke open the game with pair of runs in the top of the first frame. Allender led off the contest with a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt by Trulin moved Allender to second. A single by Dike up the middle scored the Jays' opening run and advanced to second on the throw. A two-out single by senior Bri McMahon pushed across another run to put Creighton out front 2-0.
Through the first four frames, Eck allowed just one two singles to the Salukis.
The Bluejays added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Blake Ringle drew a one-out walk and freshman Paige Nekola came on to pinch run at first. A sacrifice bunt from sophomore Allie Reinhart moved Nekola to second.
Eck entered the game at the plate for her first at-bat as a Bluejay. She made it count with an RBI double to right center to score Nekola from second and helped her cause by extending the CU lead to 3-0.
SIU scored a late run in the bottom of the sixth inning after a Creighton error and an RBI single up the middle to make it a 3-1 CU advantage.
The Salukis opened the bottom of the seventh with a deep double to center field but Eck struck out the next batter then drew an infield ground out and caught the final lineout to end the game.
With the win, Eck improved to 2-1 on the season.
Whitney pitched the second game of the day for the Bluejays against Lehigh.
Neither team scored a run through the first five innings of a defense-oriented contest.
The Mountain Hawks opened the first inning with a pair of hits and placed two runners in scoring position with one but could not bring them across the plate as the Jays forced a ground out to hold the runners and a fly out to end the inning.
Creighton did not post a hit until the fifth frame on a single from Ringle.
Lehigh made another threat in the top of the sixth frame by opening with an infield single. The runner later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk with two outs, the Bluejays held Lehigh off the scoreboard by forcing an infield ground out to end the inning.
The Bluejays scored all of four runs of the contest in the bottom of the sixth frame. Tash Coffiel-Nelson walked to open the inning. A sacrifice bunt from freshman Sam Crowley moved the runner to second. Coffiel-Nelson moved to third on a wild pitch with just one out.
Next up Allender punched a bouncing single through the right side of the defense to score the game-winning tally for the Jays.
With the Bluejays up 1-0, Trulin put down a perfect bunt single that dribbled down to first base. That set up Dike to add to the Jays lead in the next at-bat. The senior battled through a long count fouling off several foul balls at a 2-2 count before finally getting a ball to make the count full. Dike then saw a pitched she liked and drilled it over the left center fence to put the Bluejays up 4-0.
Lehigh opened its final at-bat with a single to left. But with one out on the board Dike finished off the Mountain Hawks by turning a double play to end the contest.
Whitney pitched her second complete-game shutout of the year to improve to 5-2.
Creighton returns to action Tuesday morning against St. Peter's and later battles Fairfield at the Rebel Spring Games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Eck, Sydnee (2-1)
L: Dover,Savanna (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Eck, Sydnee 1
RBI: Dike, Liz 1 ; McMahon, Bri 1 ; Eck, Sydnee 1
SH: Trulin, Michelle 1 ; Reinhart, Allie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Allender, Kelsey 1 ; Dike, Liz 1 ; Nekola, Paige 1
SB: Trulin, Michelle 1
Batting:
2B: Womack,Brook 1
RBI: Jones,Sydney 1
SH: Wilson,Meredith 1 ; Thomas,Jessa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harre,Shaye 1
HBP: Harre,Shaye 1
