Saturday, February 9
Las Cruces, N.M.
11:00 a.m.
Creighton University
0-3
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New Mexico
2-0
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4
5
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H
E
Creighton
0
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New Mexico
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Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Softball Secures First Victory of 2019, Splits During Day Two Of NM State Invitational
2/9/2019 3:49:00 PM | Softball
Creighton downed UTEP 13-5 after falling 8-0 to New Mexico
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- The Creighton softball team bounced back from a shutout for its first victory of the 2019 season on Saturday at the New Mexico State Invitational. The Bluejays secured a 13-5 win against UTEP just hours after falling 8-0 against New Mexico.
Creighton moved to 1-3 with the Saturday split.
Four different Bluejays recorded two RBIs during the second game of the day to spark the eight-run victory against the Miners.
Pinch-hitter Nikki McNeil delivered the first run of the game during the second inning with a single through the left side to drive in Victoria Alvarez from third. Creighton added three more runs in the second frame to take a 4-0 lead with a two-RBI single by Sam Alm for her first two RBIs as a Bluejay, and Kelli Finan was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded to drive in another run.
UTEP cut into the Jays' lead with a three-run homer in the top of the third and had another player reach with a single, but relief pitcher Laura Roecker limited the damage by inducing a fielder's choice and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.
Creighton countered the Miners' minor rally by adding to its lead during the bottom of the third. The Bluejays loaded the bases before Ashley Cantu drew a walk to force home a run, making it 5-3.
Mileah McKelvy added to the lead in the fourth with a single through the right side to drive home Finan for Creighton's sixth run of the game.
UTEP trimmed its deficit to a single run with two runs in the top of the fifth.
The Bluejays ended the game by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.
McKelvy reached after being hit by the pitch to send home the first run, Jayci Foster singled into left field to drive home two runs and Kiara Mills posted a two-RBI double into right-center for her first hit and RBIs as a Bluejay, as Creighton extended its lead to 11-5. Three consecutive free passes produced the 12th Bluejay run and Cantu sprinted home on a wild pitch to end the game.
McKelvy and Foster each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Cantu and Finan each scored twice.
Roecker recorded the victory with 3.2 innings of relief work.
During Creighton's first game of the day, the Bluejays tallied three hits, drew five walks and left nine on base during a five-inning loss.
New Mexico scored five runs in the second and three in the fourth.
Creighton left two on base in the first and loaded the bases with only one out in the second before consecutive pop outs ended the frame without a run crossing the plate. The Bluejays also put two on base during the fourth with only one out but did not score.
Alm went 2-for-2 with her first two collegiate hits to lead the Creighton offense against the Lobos.
The Bluejays conclude their stay in Las Cruces with a game against New Mexico State at 11 a.m. Central on Sunday morning.
Creighton moved to 1-3 with the Saturday split.
Four different Bluejays recorded two RBIs during the second game of the day to spark the eight-run victory against the Miners.
Pinch-hitter Nikki McNeil delivered the first run of the game during the second inning with a single through the left side to drive in Victoria Alvarez from third. Creighton added three more runs in the second frame to take a 4-0 lead with a two-RBI single by Sam Alm for her first two RBIs as a Bluejay, and Kelli Finan was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded to drive in another run.
UTEP cut into the Jays' lead with a three-run homer in the top of the third and had another player reach with a single, but relief pitcher Laura Roecker limited the damage by inducing a fielder's choice and recorded a strikeout to end the threat.
Creighton countered the Miners' minor rally by adding to its lead during the bottom of the third. The Bluejays loaded the bases before Ashley Cantu drew a walk to force home a run, making it 5-3.
Mileah McKelvy added to the lead in the fourth with a single through the right side to drive home Finan for Creighton's sixth run of the game.
UTEP trimmed its deficit to a single run with two runs in the top of the fifth.
The Bluejays ended the game by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.
McKelvy reached after being hit by the pitch to send home the first run, Jayci Foster singled into left field to drive home two runs and Kiara Mills posted a two-RBI double into right-center for her first hit and RBIs as a Bluejay, as Creighton extended its lead to 11-5. Three consecutive free passes produced the 12th Bluejay run and Cantu sprinted home on a wild pitch to end the game.
McKelvy and Foster each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Cantu and Finan each scored twice.
Roecker recorded the victory with 3.2 innings of relief work.
During Creighton's first game of the day, the Bluejays tallied three hits, drew five walks and left nine on base during a five-inning loss.
New Mexico scored five runs in the second and three in the fourth.
Creighton left two on base in the first and loaded the bases with only one out in the second before consecutive pop outs ended the frame without a run crossing the plate. The Bluejays also put two on base during the fourth with only one out but did not score.
Alm went 2-for-2 with her first two collegiate hits to lead the Creighton offense against the Lobos.
The Bluejays conclude their stay in Las Cruces with a game against New Mexico State at 11 a.m. Central on Sunday morning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SPENCER, Kiana (1-0)
L: Miller, Kiele (0-1)
Base Running:
SB: Jenkins, Sydney 1
HBP: Hunt, Kaitlynn 1
Batting:
2B: DeFLORA, D'Andra 1
3B: O'GRADY, Cameryn 1
HR: O'GRADY, Cameryn 1
RBI: DeFLORA, D'Andra 3 ; O'GRADY, Cameryn 4 ; WILMERT, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOWARD, Andrea 2 ; DeFLORA, D'Andra 2 ; O'GRADY, Cameryn 2 ; SALAS, Monica 1 ; KLITZKE, Bailey 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
P
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