Creighton University
19-13, 4-7
DePaul
16-20, 7-2
Softball Sweeps Second-Place DePaul on the Road in Saturday Twin Bill
4/18/2015 10:17:00 PM | Softball
CHICAGO – The Creighton softball team swept DePaul in a Saturday doubleheader by blanking the Blue Demons 2-0 in the series opener and halting a late comeback bid by a 5-3 score in eight innings at Cacciatore Stadium.
Creighton (20-13, 5-7 BIG EAST) held the BIG EAST's second-place team, DePaul (16-20, 7-2 BIG EAST) in check throughout the twin bill. The Bluejays blasted 16 hits but held the Blue Demons to just six on the day. The CU pitching staff combined to allow just two earned runs and notched 15 strikeouts against DePaul batters.
In the series opener, Creighton posted six hits and junior Blake Ringle was responsible for half of those and both runs batted in. Ringle went 3-for-3 at the plate after connecting on a single, double and the game-winning home run. In game two it was the middle of the lineup that produced all the CU hits as batting positions three through seven connected on all 10 knocks.
Sophomore Sydnee Eck pitched her second straight complete-game shutout in game one, her fifth of the season. She struck out six Blue Demon batters and held DePaul to just eight hits. Eck also posted a hit of her own in game one. She later earned the win in game two, striking out five in the final four frames in relief.
Eck earned the start in the circle in game one.
After a scoreless first inning, sophomore Allie Reinhart opened the second frame with a single to center field. Ringle then followed with a two-run shot over the fence in left center that stood as the difference in the game.
DePaul could only manage three hits and two walks against Eck who improved to 8-5 overall with the victory.
Junior Micaela Whitney earned the starting nod in the circle for game two.
DePaul scored its leadoff hitter to begin the first inning after a CU error, steal and a ground out to put the Blue Demons up 1-0 early.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Creighton got on the board in the top of the fourth. Senior Liz Dike started the rally with a one-out single. Reinhart followed with a single of her own to put two runners on. Sophomore Jen Daro then smacked a two-out RBI single to score Dike and knot the game at 1-1.
Eck came on to pitch in the bottom of the fifth for Whitney who gave up just one unearned run on one hit through four innings of work.
Creighton jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth due to the same hitting lineup that scored the Jays' first run. Dike placed a one-out single to right center and again Reinhart followed with a single of her own. A walk to Ringle loaded the bases. Sophomore Anna O'Gorman doubled down the right field line to score two runs and put the Jays up by two.
DePaul closed to within one on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 3-2.
After a 1-2-3 inning by the Bluejays, the Blue Demons were down to their final strike with two outs on the board before another solo home run stunned CU to tie the game at 3-all and send it into extra innings.
The Bluejays rallied for the win behind the middle of their lineup. Dike opened the inning with her third straight single. Reinhart hit a sacrifice bunt to move Dike to second. A single from Ringle put runners on the corners as freshman Sam Crowley came into run at first base. Daro came through with another RBI single to score Dike and move Crowley to third with the Jays up 4-3.
O'Gorman then hit a squeeze sacrifice bunt down to score the game's final run.
Eck racked up two big K's to begin the bottom of the eighth and forced a pop fly to end the contest. She improved to 9-5 with her second win of the day.
With the win in game one, Creighton halted a seven-game win streak by DePaul in the all-time series. The CU victory handed the Blue Demons their first loss at home since April 27, 2013 when DePaul fell 5-2 to Notre Dame. The last time the Blue Demons were shutout at home was a week earlier that same season when USF posted a 3-0 victory.
Creighton finishes its road swing at DePaul with the BIG EAST series finale on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Eck, Sydnee (8-5)
L: CONNOLLY (10-11)
Batting:
2B: Ringle, Blake 1
HR: Ringle, Blake 1
RBI: Ringle, Blake 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Reinhart, Allie 1 ; Ringle, Blake 1
SB: Webb, Allie 1
Batting:
SH: KUCHTA 1
Base Running:
SB: LENTI, A. 1
