Creighton University
17-13
South Dakota State
13-20
Softball Shuts Out South Dakota State to Earn Split
4/15/2015 10:20:00 PM | Softball
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Creighton softball team shut out South Dakota State 9-0 in five innings in game two of doubleheader to earn a split on a blustery day at the Jackrabbit Softball Stadium on Wednesday.
Creighton (18-13) built big leads in both contests against South Dakota State (13-21). The Bluejays led 6-1 in the opener before the Jackrabbits fought back to score six unanswered to complete their comeback win in the bottom of the seventh at 7-6. CU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in game two then exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to put the game out reach for SDSU.
The Bluejays scored 15 runs after totaling double-digit hits in both games of the twin bill – 10 in game one and 13 in game two. Senior Liz Dike led the way going 5-for-8 at the plate with a three-run home run. Junior Blake Ringle hit .500 on the day with three singles. Sophomore Jen Daro blasted her sixth home run of the season in a 2-for-5 outing. Eight Bluejay starters had multiple hits on the day.
Sophomore Sydnee Eck pitched her fourth complete-game shutout in the nightcap. She struck out seven Jackrabbit batters - including three K's to end an inning - and held SDSU to just five hits.
CU junior Micaela Whitney earned the start in the circle in game one.
The Bluejays opened the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first.
Junior Kelsey Allender led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from classmate Michelle Trulin. Dike singled up the middle to put runners on the corners and later stole second.
Ringle's knock scored a run and put runners on the corners again. Freshman Sam Crowley came on to pinch run at first for Ringle. A passed ball by SDSU allowed Dike to score and Crowley to move to third to give CU a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore Allie Reinhart drew a walk and later stole second to put two in scoring position. A fielder's choice off the bat of Anna O'Gorman and a Jackrabbit error put Creighton up 3-0.
Another fielder's choice from Daro caused an out at home and moved O'Gorman to third. A walk by senior Bri McMahon loaded the bases. Another walk to freshman Tash Coffiel-Nelson pushed across the final run of the inning for a 4-0 CU lead.
South Dakota State scored a run in the bottom of the first without a hit. A couple walks, a wild pitch and a Creighton error led to the Jackrabbit score.
The Bluejays added a pair of runs in the top of the second. Trulin reached on an error to start the frame. Dike singled up the middle before Ringle was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Reinhart reached on an error to score Trulin and make it 5-1. A single by O'Gorman scored Dike for a 6-1 Creighton lead.
The Jackrabbits scored another run in the bottom of the third on a solo homer over the fence in left field to cut the CU lead to 6-2 after three.
Neither team scored in the fourth but South Dakota State scored two runs on a home run to center to cut the Creighton lead to 6-4 after five.
SDSU closed to within one at 6-5 after an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
The Jackrabbits capped off the come-from-behind win after a bases-loaded single plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Whitney took the loss to fall to 9-7 on the year.
Eck earned the starting nod in the circle for game two.
After a scoreless first inning, Daro blasted her sixth home run of the season. Her two-run shot put the Bluejays up 2-0 in the top of the second frame.
Ringle put the Jays up 3-0 with an RBI single in the top of the third.
Creighton exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away. The Jays opened the inning with six straight hits, forcing an SDSU pitching change.
Allender and Trulin hit singles to open the inning to set up the long ball from Dike that made it 6-0 in favor of the Jays with no outs. Ringle, Reinhart and O'Gorman then hit three consecutive singles to score a run for a 7-0 lead. McMahon finished the scoring with a one-out single that plated the two final runs of the game.
Eck improved to 7-5 with the victory.
Creighton continues its six-game road swing at DePaul for a BIG EAST series beginning with a Saturday doubleheader slated for noon CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bender (8-9)
L: Whitney, Micaela (9-7)
Batting:
RBI: Ringle, Blake 1 ; O'Gorman, Anna 1 ; Coffiel, Tash 1
SH: Trulin, Michelle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Allender, Kelsey 1 ; Trulin, Michelle 1 ; Dike, Liz 2 ; Crowley, Sam 1 ; O'Gorman, Anna 1
SB: Dike, Liz 1 ; Reinhart, Allie 1
HBP: Ringle, Blake 2
Batting:
2B: Vlot 1
HR: Larsen 1 ; Chirnside 1
RBI: Markanich 1 ; Larsen 1 ; Chirnside 2 ; Vlot 2
SH: D'Agostino 1 ; Miller 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Larsen 2 ; Lang 1 ; D'Agostino 1 ; Chirnside 2 ; Chavez 1
SB: Markanich 1
HBP: D'Agostino 1 ; Sturgeon 1
