Saturday, May 12
Rosemont, Ill.
1 PM
Creighton University
28-15
2
vs
6
DePaul
35-15
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4
5
6
7
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H
E
Creighton
2
0
0
0
0
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2
6
0
DePaul University
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1
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1
X
6
9
1
Photo by: BIG EAST Conference
Softball Falls To DePaul, 6-2, In BIG EAST Championship, Three Named to All-Tournament Team
5/12/2018 5:13:00 PM | Softball
Ashley Cantu, Kiele Miller and Hope Moreno each represented Creighton on the All-Tournament Team
ROSEMONT, ILL. – The Creighton softball team gained an early 2-0 lead before falling 6-2 to DePaul during the 2018 BIG EAST Championship on Saturday afternoon at The Ballpark at Rosemont.
The Bluejays concluded their season at 28-15. DePaul moved to 35-15 and will represent the BIG EAST with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Senior first baseman Hope Moreno, sophomore outfielder Ashley Cantu and freshman pitcher Kiele Miller each earned recognition on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Moreno finished 3-for-8 with two RBIs during Creighton's two games in Rosemont, Cantu went a combined 6-for-7 with four runs scored, and Miller allowed only one run during the Bluejays' 8-1 semifinal win on Friday against St. John's before pitching five innings during the championship.
Creighton jumped out to an early lead with two runs during the top of the first inning on Saturday against top-seeded DePaul. Cantu led off the game with a double into left field before Kelli Finan singled into left-center field to drive in the first run of the game. Moreno sent a ball over the DePaul center fielder for an RBI double to make it 2-0 in favor of the Bluejays.
DePaul countered with two runs of its own during the bottom of the opening frame. An RBI triple and RBI single tied the game at 2-2.
The Blue Demons took their first lead of the game during the bottom of the second inning. A sacrifice fly drove in the third DePaul run of the game, as the BIG EAST regular-season champions gained a 3-2 lead.
At 1:51 p.m., a lightning and rain delay stopped the game during the top of the third inning with Sam Crowley at first base after one-out walk, and Kelli Finan due up for the Bluejays.
Play resumed after a one hour and 41 minute delay.
After play resumed, Crowley advanced to third base as Jordyn Sturgeon reached on an error, but a ground out ended the frame.
The Bluejays had another opportunity during the fourth inning with the bases loaded. Cantu hit a two-out single to third base to set the stage for Crowley. The senior worked a 2-2 count before popping out as Creighton left the bases loaded.
During the bottom of the fourth, Miller, starting her second game of the weekend in the circle for the Bluejays, worked around a lead-off walk with a full-count fly out to strand a runner at third base.
Finan led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the Bluejays did not score in the frame.
For the second time in three innings, Creighton loaded the bases during the top of the sixth inning with two walks and a single but did not score.
DePaul added to its lead during the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single.
The Bluejays led off the seventh inning with a walk but did not score.
Creighton left 11 runners on base during Saturday's championship.
Cantu led the Bluejay offense by going 3-for-4 with a run scored against the Blue Demons, and ended the season with a Bluejay-high .401 batting average. Creighton ended the year with a .316 team-batting average for the second-best mark in program history and best under coach Brent Vigness.
2018 BIG EAST Most Outstanding Tournament Player
Megan Leyva, DePaul, CF
BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Megan Leyva, DePaul, CF
Kate Palucha, DePaul, LF
Angela Scalzitti, DePaul, RF
Missy Zoch, DePaul, P
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, RF
Kiele Miller, Creighton, P
Hope Moreno, Creighton, 1B
Krystal Puga, St. John's, 1B
Dana Morris, Villanova, INF
The Bluejays concluded their season at 28-15. DePaul moved to 35-15 and will represent the BIG EAST with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Senior first baseman Hope Moreno, sophomore outfielder Ashley Cantu and freshman pitcher Kiele Miller each earned recognition on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Moreno finished 3-for-8 with two RBIs during Creighton's two games in Rosemont, Cantu went a combined 6-for-7 with four runs scored, and Miller allowed only one run during the Bluejays' 8-1 semifinal win on Friday against St. John's before pitching five innings during the championship.
Creighton jumped out to an early lead with two runs during the top of the first inning on Saturday against top-seeded DePaul. Cantu led off the game with a double into left field before Kelli Finan singled into left-center field to drive in the first run of the game. Moreno sent a ball over the DePaul center fielder for an RBI double to make it 2-0 in favor of the Bluejays.
DePaul countered with two runs of its own during the bottom of the opening frame. An RBI triple and RBI single tied the game at 2-2.
The Blue Demons took their first lead of the game during the bottom of the second inning. A sacrifice fly drove in the third DePaul run of the game, as the BIG EAST regular-season champions gained a 3-2 lead.
At 1:51 p.m., a lightning and rain delay stopped the game during the top of the third inning with Sam Crowley at first base after one-out walk, and Kelli Finan due up for the Bluejays.
Play resumed after a one hour and 41 minute delay.
After play resumed, Crowley advanced to third base as Jordyn Sturgeon reached on an error, but a ground out ended the frame.
The Bluejays had another opportunity during the fourth inning with the bases loaded. Cantu hit a two-out single to third base to set the stage for Crowley. The senior worked a 2-2 count before popping out as Creighton left the bases loaded.
During the bottom of the fourth, Miller, starting her second game of the weekend in the circle for the Bluejays, worked around a lead-off walk with a full-count fly out to strand a runner at third base.
Finan led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, but the Bluejays did not score in the frame.
For the second time in three innings, Creighton loaded the bases during the top of the sixth inning with two walks and a single but did not score.
DePaul added to its lead during the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single.
The Bluejays led off the seventh inning with a walk but did not score.
Creighton left 11 runners on base during Saturday's championship.
Cantu led the Bluejay offense by going 3-for-4 with a run scored against the Blue Demons, and ended the season with a Bluejay-high .401 batting average. Creighton ended the year with a .316 team-batting average for the second-best mark in program history and best under coach Brent Vigness.
2018 BIG EAST Most Outstanding Tournament Player
Megan Leyva, DePaul, CF
BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Megan Leyva, DePaul, CF
Kate Palucha, DePaul, LF
Angela Scalzitti, DePaul, RF
Missy Zoch, DePaul, P
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, RF
Kiele Miller, Creighton, P
Hope Moreno, Creighton, 1B
Krystal Puga, St. John's, 1B
Dana Morris, Villanova, INF
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ZOCH, M. (16-5)
L: Miller, Kiele (14-8)
S: MOORE, P. (3)
Batting:
2B: Cantu, Ashley 1 ; Moreno, Hope 1
RBI: Finan, Kelli 1 ; Moreno, Hope 1
SH: Crowley, Sam 1 ; Sturgeon, Jordyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cantu, Ashley 1 ; Finan, Kelli 1
SB: Crowley, Sam 1 ; Jenkins, Sydney 1
HBP: Crowley, Sam 1
Batting:
3B: LEYVA, M. 1
HR: LEYVA, M. 1
RBI: POLUCHA, K. 1 ; COTHERN, J. 1 ; LEYVA, M. 3 ; SCALZITTI 1
SH: CHRISTENSEN 1
SF: POLUCHA, K. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: COTHERN, J. 1 ; JIMENEZ, C. 1 ; LEYVA, M. 2 ; RODRIGUEZ, A 1 ; CHRISTENSEN 1
CS: GUTIERREZ 1
HBP: RODRIGUEZ, A 1 ; HILGER, S. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
dp/ph
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
C
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