Creighton University
15-11, 3-1
Butler
11-18, 2-2
Softball Picks Up Victories During Both Games Of Doubleheader at Butler
4/7/2018 4:56:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays down Bulldogs 8-3 and 5-3
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Creighton softball team recorded a pair of victories against Butler during a BIG EAST doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Bluejays downed the Bulldogs 8-3 in the first game before tallying a 5-3 win during the second at the Butler Softball Field.
Creighton improved to 16-11 (4-1 BIG EAST), while Butler fell to 11-19 (2-3 BIG EAST).
Senior center fielder Sam Crowley ended the day 4-for-7 with four RBIs, three runs scored, a home run and a double, while senior Bryana Clark recorded two victories during a pair of relief appearances (four total innings pitched) and moved her season record to 5-4.Â
The Bluejays scored eight runs during the final three innings to defeat Butler, 8-3, during the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
The Bulldogs held a 2-0 lead after a RBI triple during the first frame and a solo home run during the third inning before Creighton scored three runs during the top of the fifth to take its first lead of the game.
Tash Coffiel walked and Ashley Cantu reached on a fielding error to put runners at first and second with only one out for Crowley. Crowley sent the first pitch she saw into left field for her first double of the season to drive in both runners and tie the game. After a line out, Hope Moreno gave the Bluejays the lead with a double down the left-field line to plate Crowley for the third run of the inning.Â
Butler tied the game at 3-3 with a lead-off walk, stolen base and two-out single.
Creighton countered by scoring four runs with only one hit during the top of the sixth. The Bluejays loaded the bases before Crowley grounded out to the Bulldog shortstop to drive in pinch-runner Sydney Jenkins from third. Mileah McKelvy recorded Creighton's only hit of the inning and drove in three runs with one swing of the bat. The sophomore unloaded on a 2-2 delivery for a three-run home run to left field as the Bluejays built a 7-3 edge.
Butler put two runners on base during the bottom of the sixth, but Kiele Miller tallied her ninth strikeout of the afternoon during her fourth inning of work to end the threat.
Ashley Cantu singled home pinch-runner Courtney Sandell in the top of the 7th for Creighton's eighth run of the game.
Miller matched a season-high for strikeouts with her 10th to end the game with two runners on base during Butler's half of the final inning. The freshman pitched the first three innings and final two, and allowed five hits and two earned runs.
Bryana Clark recorded the victory with two innings of relief (fourth and fifth innings)Â as Creighton took the lead for the remainder of the game. The senior gave up one hit and one earned run while striking out three and walking one.Â
Crowley finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored, while McKelvy went 1-for-2 with three RBIs after coming on as a pinch hitter during the fifth inning.
Creighton used its late-game momentum from the opening game on Saturday to start off on the right foot during the second contest of the day. The Bluejays scored two runs on two hits during the opening frame of game No. 2 and led 2-0 before Butler recorded its first at-bat.Â
Mikaela Pechar drove in both runs with a double to right field.
Pechar continued to swing a hot bat as the sophomore tallied her second home run of the season with a two-run homer to left-center during the top of the third inning as the Bluejays built a 4-0 edge.
Crowley hit her team-leading fifth home run of the season with a solo shot to left field during the fourth inning to give Creighton an early 5-0 advantage.
Butler scored three times during the bottom of fourth inning to cut the deficit to two runs, 5-3, before Clark recorded a strikeout to end the inning with runners on the corners.
Clark pitched two innings and allowed one hit while walking one and striking out three to record her second victory of the afternoon, and Miller recorded her first save with 1.1 innings of work without allowing a run.Â
Pechar ended the second game 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Crowley and McKelvy each had two hits.Â
The Bluejays and Bulldogs conclude their weekend series with a contest on Sunday at 11 a.m. Central. Sunday's game will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Clark, Bryana (4-4)
L: DOUD, K. (5-4)
Batting:
2B: Crowley, Sam 1 ; Moreno, Hope 1
HR: McKelvy, Mileah 1
RBI: Cantu, Ashley 1 ; Crowley, Sam 3 ; McKelvy, Mileah 3 ; Moreno, Hope 1
SH: Crowley, Sam 1 ; Finan, Kelli 1 ; Alvarez, Victoria 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cantu, Ashley 2 ; Crowley, Sam 1 ; McKelvy, Mileah 1 ; Sandell, Courtney 1 ; Jenkins, Sydney 1 ; Coffiel, Tash 2
SB: Crowley, Sam 1
Batting:
3B: DOUD, K. 1
HR: THOMPSON, C. 1
RBI: LACH, A. 1 ; DOUD, K. 1 ; THOMPSON, C. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: FOREMAN, J. 1 ; LACH, A. 1 ; THOMPSON, C. 1
SB: FOREMAN, J. 1
