Creighton University
22-21, 7-12
Providence
16-23, 8-11
Softball Dashes Friars' Postseason Hopes with 6-3 Win in Season Finale
5/3/2015 2:39:00 PM | Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – One day after Providence dashed the postseason hopes of the Creighton softball team, the Bluejays returned the favor with a 6-3 win in its season finale at the Friars' Raymond Field on Sunday.
Creighton (22-21, 7-12 BIG EAST) quickly built a 4-0 lead over Providence (16-23, 8-11) and never looked back. The Bluejays salvaged a win in its first visit to Rhode Island and helped eliminate the Friars from postseason contention. A win by Villanova later in the afternoon, coupled with PC's downfall, gave the Wildcats the final spot in the BIG EAST Softball Championship next weekend.
In her final game in a Bluejay uniform, senior Liz Dike went 3-for-4 at the plate and batted in a run. Junior Kelsey Allender posted two hits from the leadoff spot and sophomore Allie Reinhart made her hit count with her third home run of the season in the first inning. Reinhart's three-run bomb proved to be the game-winning hit for the Jays.
Sophomore Sydnee Eck went the distance for Creighton to earn the win in her final start of the season. Eck held the Friars to two hits and one earned run on the day to finish the year at 11-10.
Creighton opened the scoring in the top of the first. Junior Michelle Trulin reached on an error with one out on the board to begin the rally. Senior Liz Dike and sophomore Jen Daro came up with back-to-back singles to score Trulin for an early 1-0 edge. Reinhart then stepped up to the plate to blast her third home run of the season to put the Jays up 4-0.
The Bluejays added a run in the fourth inning after a leadoff single by senior Bri McMahon in her final contest. Freshman Tash Coffiel-Nelson reached on a fielder's choice before Allender singled through the left side to put two on with one out. Two batters later a single off the bat of Dike pushed a run across to give CU a 5-0 lead.
Creighton added a final run in the top of the sixth. Coffiel-Nelson reached on a PC error. A sacrifice bunt from Allender moved the runner to third before a sacrifice fly from Trulin made it 6-0 in favor of the Jays.
Providence rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. A CU error and a pair of PC home runs helped three runs cross the plate for the Friars before the Jays ended the threat. PC put one on in its final at-bat on another CU error, one of four for the Jays on the day, but Creighton closed out the victory on a pop-up.
The Creighton victory marked its final game of the 2015 season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Eck, Sydnee (11-10)
L: HUNTLY, (12-11)
Batting:
HR: Reinhart, Allie 1
RBI: Trulin, Michelle 1 ; Dike, Liz 1 ; Daro, Jen 1 ; Reinhart, Allie 3
SH: Allender, Kelsey 1
SF: Trulin, Michelle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Allender, Kelsey 1 ; Trulin, Michelle 1 ; Dike, Liz 1 ; Daro, Jen 1 ; Reinhart, Allie 1 ; Coffiel, Tash 1
HBP: Trulin, Michelle 1
PO: Dike, Liz 1
Batting:
HR: DEDERICK 1 ; VELER 1
RBI: DEDERICK 2 ; VELER 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HARRELL 1 ; DEDERICK 1 ; VELER 1
