Saturday, April 7
Indianapolis, Ind.
11:30 AM
Creighton University
at
Butler
Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Softball Resumes BIG EAST Play With Series At Butler
4/5/2018 3:30:00 PM | Softball
A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday before the series finale on Sunday
Download Complete Notes
Up Next
Creighton continues BIG EAST play with its first conference road trip to Indianapolis for three games against Butler.
Matchup
Saturday, April 7 • Creighton (14-11, 2-1 BIG EAST) at Butler (11-17, 2-1 BIG EAST) • 11 a.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 8 • Creighton at Butler • 11 a.m.Â
Follow The Games
Live stats for all three contests can be found at Creighton.Statbroadcast.com.
Sunday's game will be will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network which can be found at FOXSportsGo.com and on the FOX Sports Go app.
Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.
Scouting Creighton (13-11, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays play at Butler following a 2-1 showing last week during Creighton's first BIG EAST games of the year and a 10-2 five-inning victory against South Dakota on Wednesday.
Creighton leads the conference in batting average (.312), on-base percentage (.402) and scoring (5.60 runs per game).
Senior Sam Crowley leads the team and with a .379 batting average and is second on the squad with  25 hits. She also paces the Bluejays and entered the week ranked third in the league with a .613 slugging percentage (.591 entering Saturday), which includes a team-best (tied) four home runs.
Ashley Cantu leads the team in  hits (30), runs scored (23) and walks (11), and is one of two Bluejays to start all 25 games this season.Â
Hope Moreno has also started each game this season after playing the first three seasons of her collegiate career at UTEP, and is tied for the team lead with 19 RBIs. She also paces the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with a .476 on-base percentage (9 walks, 7 HBP).Â
The Bluejays own a 3.49 team-ERA, led by Bryana Clark who boasts a 2.75 ERAÂ during a team-high 68.2 innings pitched.
Freshman Kiele Miller leads the team with 69 strikeouts during 66.2 innings, owns a 3.68 ERA and has a Bluejay-best seven victories.Â
Scouting Butler (11-17, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Bulldogs enter the weekend after a 2-1 showing last weekend at home against Seton Hall.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Kaitlin Doud finished last weekend with .400 on-base percentage at the plate with four RBIs and went 1-0 with a 1.11 ERA during 12.2 innings of work in the circle.
Doud leads Butler in home runs (3), RBIs (15) and slugging percentage (.488), and owns a 3.54 ERA during 57.1 innings pitched.
Jenna Foreman paces the squad and ranks in the top five of the BIG EAST with a .415Â batting average from a team-best 39 hits. She also owns 24 stolen bases (8th nationally with .86 per game) and has scored 15 times.Â
Outside of Foreman, no other Bulldog is hitting better than .300, as the team is owns a .233 batting average through 28 games. Alyssa Garcia owns a .286 average and ranks second on the team with 20 hits.Â
Alyssa Graves owns a BIG EAST-best 1.76 ERA during 79.1 innings of work with 68Â strikeouts and 44 walks.
Scott Hall is in his 8th year as head coach at Butler.Â
Series History Against Bulldogs
Creighton leads the all-time series against Butler 7-5.Â
The Bluejays defeated the Bulldogs two out of three games last season in Omaha.
Each of Creighton's victories came in walk-off fashion.Â
Bluejays Conclude Home Stretch
Creighton travels to Indiana after playing 10 of its last 11 games at home and finishing 6-4 during those contests, including 2-1 in BIG EAST play.Â
The only game of those 11 not played at the Creighton Sports Complex was on March 21 against Nebraska in Lincoln (about 59 miles from Creighton's campus).
Additionally, the Bluejays did not travel by plane during the month of March.Â
Cantu Continues To Lead-off Off The Jays
Sophomore Ashley Cantu has hit in the lead-off position of the batting order for each of Creighton's 25 games.
Cantu went 3-for-3, and matched a career-high with four RBIs during the Bluejays' 10-2 five-inning victory against South Dakota on Wednesday. She also scored twice, walked once and launched her second career home run.Â
Cantu is 10-for-22 (.455) with six runs scored and six RBIs during her current six game hitting streak.
The sophomore hold a .370 batting average and leads the Bluejays in hits (30), runs (23), walks (11) and stolen bases (3-3). Additionally, Cantu has reached based because of an error four different times and on a fielder's choice five times.Â
She has failed to record a hit only six times this season and only had one game (March 4 at Missouri) in which she has not reached base at least once.
Cantu is hitting .529 (18 hits) as the lead-off hitter of an inning.Â
The Frisco, Texas native opened the BIG EAST schedule with three hits and three runs scored during three games against Providence (March 28-29).
Miller Shines In the Circle
Freshman Kiele Miller opened her BIG EAST career with two victories and followed those performances by allowing only one hit during Creighton's five-inning victory over South Dakota on Wednesday.Â
She pitched 13.0 innings during two appearances against Providence (March 28), including a complete game, and allowed only one earned run while striking out 16 and not walking a batter.Â
Miller struck out a season-high 10 during 6.0 innings of relief work as the Bluejays defeated Providence 7-6 in extra innings during the first game of Creighton's BIG EAST schedule (March 28).
The Dripping Springs, Texas native struck out six, walked two batters and did not allow a run during four innings of work against South Dakota on Wednesday.
After surrendering six earned runs during three innings on March 17 against Wichita State, Miller has allowed only four earned runs during her last 22.1 innings (1.25 ERA).
Crowley Named To BIG EAST Honor Roll
Senior  center fielder Sam Crowley earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the league announced on Monday afternoon.
Crowley finished the Bluejays' opening BIG EAST series against Providence 5-for-7 with three RBIs and four runs scored.Â
She opened the weekend by reaching base three times and scoring twice as Creighton defeated the Friars 7-6 in extra innings.Â
The Green Bay, Wisconsin native, wrapped up the series with a 3-of-4 performance, including a two-run homer during an 8-5 loss to the Friars (March 29).
The senior entered this season with only 20 hits during 106 career at-bats (.189). This year she has 25 hits and paces the squad with a .379 batting average.
McGill's Walk-Off Leads To First BIG EAST W
Junior Jayci McGill's walk-off home run on the second pitch of the 10th inning propelled the Bluejays to a 7-6 extra-innings victory over Providence during Creighton's BIG EASTÂ opener.
McGill finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Bluejays Prepare For More Home Games
Creighton is scheduled to play 22 home games this season, which would be the most for the program in a single-season since 2007 (15-6-1 mark during 22 games).
The Bluejays are 6-4 at home this season.
Creighton played only 12 home games during the 2017 season, the fewest since the 1994 season when it played only 10.Â
Creighton's First BIG EAST WeekendÂ
March 24-25 marked the start of the BIG EAST schedule. All eight teams were scheduled to play three games, but Creighton and St. John's, as well as Butler and Villanova, were unable to play because of snow.
The Bluejays opened BIG EAST play on March 28-29 at home against Providence and went 2-1.Â
The top four teams in the final regular-season standings will advance to the BIG EAST Championship which will be held in Rosemont, Illinois, May 11-12.Â
St. John's won last season's regular-season title before DePaul earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with the conference tournament title.
The Bluejays have qualified for the four-team postseason tournament once (2014) since joining the BIG EAST in 2014.Â
NCAA RPI Update
Creighton ranked 140th in the latest RPIÂ rankings released on Monday.Â
The Bluejays are the second-highest ranked BIG EAST school as DePaul checked in at No. 54.
South Dakota is No. 197 in this week's RPIÂ rankings (296 Division I softball programs ranked).
Midweek Games
The Bluejays' matchup against Nebraska (March 20) marked the first midweek game of Creighton's 2018 scheduled.Â
The Bluejays were scheduled to play at UMKC on Tuesday, March 6 but weather forced the cancellation of that game.Â
Creighton downed South Dakota 10-2 on Wednesday during the Bluejays' second midweek nonconference game of the season.
Creighton is scheduled to play four midweek games on three different dates during the remainder of the season.
The Jays finished 2-3 during midweek games last season.Â
Bad Weather Blues
Creighton has had three tournaments and two weekend sets adjusted because of weather.
Most recently the Bluejays canceled their trip to play St. John's in New York (March 24-25) because of a snow storm along the east coast.
In total, so far this season five games of Creighton's originally scheduled games have been canceled, two have switched dates and three have yet to be rescheduled.Â
Jays Keeping It Close
Creighton did not play any one-run games during the first three weeks of the season before playing three at the Mizzou TournamentÂ
in Columbia, Missouri (March 2-4). Â
The Bluejays defeated Drake 2-1, and lost to Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 and Drake 2-1.Â
Creighton has played in seven one-run games overall this season (all during the month of March) and is 4-3 during those contests, including 2-0 during BIG EAST play.
The Bluejays played in 14 one-run games in 2017, and went 7-7.
Creighton also finished 4-1 during one-run BIG EAST contests.Â
The Bluejays owned two walk-off one-run victories last season.Â
Small-ball Bluejays
Creighton owns 23 sacrifice bunts and six sac flies through 25 games this season.Â
Sam Crowley leads the team and the BIG EAST with six sacrifice bunts while Victoria Alvarez and Ashley Cantu each have three.Â
The Bluejays had a total of seven sacrifice flies and 44 sac bunts during 2017. Creighton led the BIG EAST in sacrifice bunts for the second consecutive season.
The Jays finished with five sacrifice flies and led the league with 48 sacrifice bunts during the 2016 season, including 15 from senior Kelsey Allender. Â
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Up Next
Creighton continues BIG EAST play with its first conference road trip to Indianapolis for three games against Butler.
Matchup
Saturday, April 7 • Creighton (14-11, 2-1 BIG EAST) at Butler (11-17, 2-1 BIG EAST) • 11 a.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 8 • Creighton at Butler • 11 a.m.Â
Follow The Games
Live stats for all three contests can be found at Creighton.Statbroadcast.com.
Sunday's game will be will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network which can be found at FOXSportsGo.com and on the FOX Sports Go app.
Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.
Scouting Creighton (13-11, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays play at Butler following a 2-1 showing last week during Creighton's first BIG EAST games of the year and a 10-2 five-inning victory against South Dakota on Wednesday.
Creighton leads the conference in batting average (.312), on-base percentage (.402) and scoring (5.60 runs per game).
Senior Sam Crowley leads the team and with a .379 batting average and is second on the squad with  25 hits. She also paces the Bluejays and entered the week ranked third in the league with a .613 slugging percentage (.591 entering Saturday), which includes a team-best (tied) four home runs.
Ashley Cantu leads the team in  hits (30), runs scored (23) and walks (11), and is one of two Bluejays to start all 25 games this season.Â
Hope Moreno has also started each game this season after playing the first three seasons of her collegiate career at UTEP, and is tied for the team lead with 19 RBIs. She also paces the Bluejays and the BIG EAST with a .476 on-base percentage (9 walks, 7 HBP).Â
The Bluejays own a 3.49 team-ERA, led by Bryana Clark who boasts a 2.75 ERAÂ during a team-high 68.2 innings pitched.
Freshman Kiele Miller leads the team with 69 strikeouts during 66.2 innings, owns a 3.68 ERA and has a Bluejay-best seven victories.Â
Scouting Butler (11-17, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Bulldogs enter the weekend after a 2-1 showing last weekend at home against Seton Hall.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Kaitlin Doud finished last weekend with .400 on-base percentage at the plate with four RBIs and went 1-0 with a 1.11 ERA during 12.2 innings of work in the circle.
Doud leads Butler in home runs (3), RBIs (15) and slugging percentage (.488), and owns a 3.54 ERA during 57.1 innings pitched.
Jenna Foreman paces the squad and ranks in the top five of the BIG EAST with a .415Â batting average from a team-best 39 hits. She also owns 24 stolen bases (8th nationally with .86 per game) and has scored 15 times.Â
Outside of Foreman, no other Bulldog is hitting better than .300, as the team is owns a .233 batting average through 28 games. Alyssa Garcia owns a .286 average and ranks second on the team with 20 hits.Â
Alyssa Graves owns a BIG EAST-best 1.76 ERA during 79.1 innings of work with 68Â strikeouts and 44 walks.
Scott Hall is in his 8th year as head coach at Butler.Â
Series History Against Bulldogs
Creighton leads the all-time series against Butler 7-5.Â
The Bluejays defeated the Bulldogs two out of three games last season in Omaha.
Each of Creighton's victories came in walk-off fashion.Â
Bluejays Conclude Home Stretch
Creighton travels to Indiana after playing 10 of its last 11 games at home and finishing 6-4 during those contests, including 2-1 in BIG EAST play.Â
The only game of those 11 not played at the Creighton Sports Complex was on March 21 against Nebraska in Lincoln (about 59 miles from Creighton's campus).
Additionally, the Bluejays did not travel by plane during the month of March.Â
Cantu Continues To Lead-off Off The Jays
Sophomore Ashley Cantu has hit in the lead-off position of the batting order for each of Creighton's 25 games.
Cantu went 3-for-3, and matched a career-high with four RBIs during the Bluejays' 10-2 five-inning victory against South Dakota on Wednesday. She also scored twice, walked once and launched her second career home run.Â
Cantu is 10-for-22 (.455) with six runs scored and six RBIs during her current six game hitting streak.
The sophomore hold a .370 batting average and leads the Bluejays in hits (30), runs (23), walks (11) and stolen bases (3-3). Additionally, Cantu has reached based because of an error four different times and on a fielder's choice five times.Â
She has failed to record a hit only six times this season and only had one game (March 4 at Missouri) in which she has not reached base at least once.
Cantu is hitting .529 (18 hits) as the lead-off hitter of an inning.Â
The Frisco, Texas native opened the BIG EAST schedule with three hits and three runs scored during three games against Providence (March 28-29).
Miller Shines In the Circle
Freshman Kiele Miller opened her BIG EAST career with two victories and followed those performances by allowing only one hit during Creighton's five-inning victory over South Dakota on Wednesday.Â
She pitched 13.0 innings during two appearances against Providence (March 28), including a complete game, and allowed only one earned run while striking out 16 and not walking a batter.Â
Miller struck out a season-high 10 during 6.0 innings of relief work as the Bluejays defeated Providence 7-6 in extra innings during the first game of Creighton's BIG EAST schedule (March 28).
The Dripping Springs, Texas native struck out six, walked two batters and did not allow a run during four innings of work against South Dakota on Wednesday.
After surrendering six earned runs during three innings on March 17 against Wichita State, Miller has allowed only four earned runs during her last 22.1 innings (1.25 ERA).
Crowley Named To BIG EAST Honor Roll
Senior  center fielder Sam Crowley earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the league announced on Monday afternoon.
Crowley finished the Bluejays' opening BIG EAST series against Providence 5-for-7 with three RBIs and four runs scored.Â
She opened the weekend by reaching base three times and scoring twice as Creighton defeated the Friars 7-6 in extra innings.Â
The Green Bay, Wisconsin native, wrapped up the series with a 3-of-4 performance, including a two-run homer during an 8-5 loss to the Friars (March 29).
The senior entered this season with only 20 hits during 106 career at-bats (.189). This year she has 25 hits and paces the squad with a .379 batting average.
McGill's Walk-Off Leads To First BIG EAST W
Junior Jayci McGill's walk-off home run on the second pitch of the 10th inning propelled the Bluejays to a 7-6 extra-innings victory over Providence during Creighton's BIG EASTÂ opener.
McGill finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Bluejays Prepare For More Home Games
Creighton is scheduled to play 22 home games this season, which would be the most for the program in a single-season since 2007 (15-6-1 mark during 22 games).
The Bluejays are 6-4 at home this season.
Creighton played only 12 home games during the 2017 season, the fewest since the 1994 season when it played only 10.Â
Creighton's First BIG EAST WeekendÂ
March 24-25 marked the start of the BIG EAST schedule. All eight teams were scheduled to play three games, but Creighton and St. John's, as well as Butler and Villanova, were unable to play because of snow.
The Bluejays opened BIG EAST play on March 28-29 at home against Providence and went 2-1.Â
The top four teams in the final regular-season standings will advance to the BIG EAST Championship which will be held in Rosemont, Illinois, May 11-12.Â
St. John's won last season's regular-season title before DePaul earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with the conference tournament title.
The Bluejays have qualified for the four-team postseason tournament once (2014) since joining the BIG EAST in 2014.Â
NCAA RPI Update
Creighton ranked 140th in the latest RPIÂ rankings released on Monday.Â
The Bluejays are the second-highest ranked BIG EAST school as DePaul checked in at No. 54.
South Dakota is No. 197 in this week's RPIÂ rankings (296 Division I softball programs ranked).
Midweek Games
The Bluejays' matchup against Nebraska (March 20) marked the first midweek game of Creighton's 2018 scheduled.Â
The Bluejays were scheduled to play at UMKC on Tuesday, March 6 but weather forced the cancellation of that game.Â
Creighton downed South Dakota 10-2 on Wednesday during the Bluejays' second midweek nonconference game of the season.
Creighton is scheduled to play four midweek games on three different dates during the remainder of the season.
The Jays finished 2-3 during midweek games last season.Â
Bad Weather Blues
Creighton has had three tournaments and two weekend sets adjusted because of weather.
Most recently the Bluejays canceled their trip to play St. John's in New York (March 24-25) because of a snow storm along the east coast.
In total, so far this season five games of Creighton's originally scheduled games have been canceled, two have switched dates and three have yet to be rescheduled.Â
Jays Keeping It Close
Creighton did not play any one-run games during the first three weeks of the season before playing three at the Mizzou TournamentÂ
in Columbia, Missouri (March 2-4). Â
The Bluejays defeated Drake 2-1, and lost to Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 and Drake 2-1.Â
Creighton has played in seven one-run games overall this season (all during the month of March) and is 4-3 during those contests, including 2-0 during BIG EAST play.
The Bluejays played in 14 one-run games in 2017, and went 7-7.
Creighton also finished 4-1 during one-run BIG EAST contests.Â
The Bluejays owned two walk-off one-run victories last season.Â
Small-ball Bluejays
Creighton owns 23 sacrifice bunts and six sac flies through 25 games this season.Â
Sam Crowley leads the team and the BIG EAST with six sacrifice bunts while Victoria Alvarez and Ashley Cantu each have three.Â
The Bluejays had a total of seven sacrifice flies and 44 sac bunts during 2017. Creighton led the BIG EAST in sacrifice bunts for the second consecutive season.
The Jays finished with five sacrifice flies and led the league with 48 sacrifice bunts during the 2016 season, including 15 from senior Kelsey Allender. Â
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Players Mentioned
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