Saturday, March 17
Omaha, Neb.
2:30 PM
Creighton University
10-7
3
vs
4
Iowa
12-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Iowa
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
4
8
1
Creighton
0
0
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0
3
0
3
7
0
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Softball Outlasts Wichita State In Extra Innings, Falls To Iowa During Day One of Creighton Tourney
3/17/2018 8:53:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays defeated the Shockers 12-11 in extra innings after falling 4-3 to Iowa
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton softball team defeated Wichita State 12-11 in eight innings and fell to Iowa, 4-3, during day one of the Creighton Tournament on Saturday.
The Bluejays moved to 11-8 on the season after their pair of one-run games.
Creighton's Kelli Finan delivered her team-leading fourth game-winning RBI with a single down the left-field line to drive in Ashley Cantu from second base to lift the Bluejays past the Shockers in the bottom of the eighth during Saturday's night cap.Â
Wichita State took a 11-10 edge in the top of the eighth with a run-scoring single, but Sam Crowley tied the game at 11-11 with a single up the middle to drive in Tash Coffiel who started the inning at second base because of the international tiebreaker rule. Finan followed Crowley by lacing a 1-1 delivery over the first base bag that allowed Cantu to score without a throw.Â
The Shockers opened the game with a run in the top of the first before Jordyn Sturgeon singled up the middle to drive in one, and Mileah McKelvy plated two more with a double into the left-center field gap to give Creighton a 3-1 edge after the opening frame.
Wichita State responded with five runs in the top of the second, including a grand slam to deep left-center field with two outs that gave the Shockers a 6-3 lead.Â
Creighton cut the deficit to a single run with a two-run home run from Jayci McGill during the bottom of the third. McGill lifted a 2-2 delivery over the left-field wall for her first homer of the season to pull the Bluejays within 6-5.
The Shockers countered with a four spot in the top of the fourth. A single followed by two consecutive doubles gave Wichita State a comfortable 10-5 lead during the middle stages of the game.Â
The Bluejays used a five-run fifth inning that lasted nearly 30 minutes to tie the game.
Finan led off the inning with a double off the center field wall and Hope Moreno walked before two wild pitches allowed Finan to cross home plate. Sturgeon recorded her second RBI of the game with a single to right-center field to plate pinch-runner Courtney Sandell to make it 10-7 in favor of Wichita State. Following a walk and fly out to right field, Creighton head coach Brent Vigness called on Mikaela Pechar to pinch hit with runners at first and third and one out. Pechar responded by lifting her first career home run well over the left-field wall to tie the game at 10-10.Â
After both teams went quietly during the sixth frame, Wichita State put runners at second and third with two outs before reliever Bryana Clark induced a ground out back to the circle to keep the game tied.Â
The Bluejays did not put a runner on base during the last of the seventh to set the stage for extra innings before Creighton outlasted Wichita State during the additional frame.
Sturgeon recorded a team-high three hits and had two RBIs and two runs scored, while McKelvy, McGill and Pechar also finished with multiple RBIs against the Shockers.
Clark allowed one unearned run during three innings of work for her third victory of the season.
Prior to the Bluejays' dramatic victory, Creighton opened its Saturday afternoon with a one-run loss against Iowa.
Both the Bluejays and Hawkeyes did not score during the first five innings as Clark and Lauren Shaw each put up zeros.Â
The Bluejays broke into the scoring column with an RBI single from McKelvy during the bottom of the sixth. Crowley scored the first run after leading off the inning with a single down the left-field line.Â
Creighton extended its lead to 3-0 as both Pechar and Courtney Sandell scored on an error after pinch-hitter Nikki McNeil hit a ground ball towards the Hawkeyes' shortstop.
Iowa countered with four runs in the top of the seventh with one swing of the bat. McKenzie Schneider unloaded the bases with a grand slam just inside the right-field foul pole to give the Hawkeyes a 4-3 lead.Â
The Bluejays went down in order during the bottom of the seventh.
Crowley went 3-for-4 as Creighton recorded seven hits against Iowa.
The Bluejays are back in action on Sunday afternoon for the final game of the Creighton Tournament. The Jays will play Wichita State at 2:30 p.m.Â
The Bluejays moved to 11-8 on the season after their pair of one-run games.
Creighton's Kelli Finan delivered her team-leading fourth game-winning RBI with a single down the left-field line to drive in Ashley Cantu from second base to lift the Bluejays past the Shockers in the bottom of the eighth during Saturday's night cap.Â
Wichita State took a 11-10 edge in the top of the eighth with a run-scoring single, but Sam Crowley tied the game at 11-11 with a single up the middle to drive in Tash Coffiel who started the inning at second base because of the international tiebreaker rule. Finan followed Crowley by lacing a 1-1 delivery over the first base bag that allowed Cantu to score without a throw.Â
The Shockers opened the game with a run in the top of the first before Jordyn Sturgeon singled up the middle to drive in one, and Mileah McKelvy plated two more with a double into the left-center field gap to give Creighton a 3-1 edge after the opening frame.
Wichita State responded with five runs in the top of the second, including a grand slam to deep left-center field with two outs that gave the Shockers a 6-3 lead.Â
Creighton cut the deficit to a single run with a two-run home run from Jayci McGill during the bottom of the third. McGill lifted a 2-2 delivery over the left-field wall for her first homer of the season to pull the Bluejays within 6-5.
The Shockers countered with a four spot in the top of the fourth. A single followed by two consecutive doubles gave Wichita State a comfortable 10-5 lead during the middle stages of the game.Â
The Bluejays used a five-run fifth inning that lasted nearly 30 minutes to tie the game.
Finan led off the inning with a double off the center field wall and Hope Moreno walked before two wild pitches allowed Finan to cross home plate. Sturgeon recorded her second RBI of the game with a single to right-center field to plate pinch-runner Courtney Sandell to make it 10-7 in favor of Wichita State. Following a walk and fly out to right field, Creighton head coach Brent Vigness called on Mikaela Pechar to pinch hit with runners at first and third and one out. Pechar responded by lifting her first career home run well over the left-field wall to tie the game at 10-10.Â
After both teams went quietly during the sixth frame, Wichita State put runners at second and third with two outs before reliever Bryana Clark induced a ground out back to the circle to keep the game tied.Â
The Bluejays did not put a runner on base during the last of the seventh to set the stage for extra innings before Creighton outlasted Wichita State during the additional frame.
Sturgeon recorded a team-high three hits and had two RBIs and two runs scored, while McKelvy, McGill and Pechar also finished with multiple RBIs against the Shockers.
Clark allowed one unearned run during three innings of work for her third victory of the season.
Prior to the Bluejays' dramatic victory, Creighton opened its Saturday afternoon with a one-run loss against Iowa.
Both the Bluejays and Hawkeyes did not score during the first five innings as Clark and Lauren Shaw each put up zeros.Â
The Bluejays broke into the scoring column with an RBI single from McKelvy during the bottom of the sixth. Crowley scored the first run after leading off the inning with a single down the left-field line.Â
Creighton extended its lead to 3-0 as both Pechar and Courtney Sandell scored on an error after pinch-hitter Nikki McNeil hit a ground ball towards the Hawkeyes' shortstop.
Iowa countered with four runs in the top of the seventh with one swing of the bat. McKenzie Schneider unloaded the bases with a grand slam just inside the right-field foul pole to give the Hawkeyes a 4-3 lead.Â
The Bluejays went down in order during the bottom of the seventh.
Crowley went 3-for-4 as Creighton recorded seven hits against Iowa.
The Bluejays are back in action on Sunday afternoon for the final game of the Creighton Tournament. The Jays will play Wichita State at 2:30 p.m.Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Erin Riding (2-0)
L: Clark, Bryana (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Mallory Kilian 1 ; Taylor Libby 1
HR: McKenzie Schneider 1
RBI: McKenzie Schneider 4
SH: Sarah Kurtz 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lea Thompson 1 ; Mallory Kilian 1 ; McKenzie Schneider 1 ; Cheyenne Pratt 1
HBP: Sarah Kurtz 1
Batting:
RBI: McKelvy, Mileah 1 ; McNeil, Nikki 1
SH: Finan, Kelli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Crowley, Sam 1 ; Sandell, Courtney 1 ; Pechar, Mikaela 1
SB: Hunt, Kaitlynn 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
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