Creighton University
South Dakota State
Softball Journeys To Brookings For Midweek Doubleheader Against South Dakota State
4/22/2019 5:15:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays and Jackrabbits split a pair of games in Kansas City on March 16 and 17
Up Next
Creighton heads to Brookings, South Dakota for a midweek afternoon doubleheader against South Dakota State.
Game Schedule
Games #37 and 38 • Tuesday, April 23 • Creighton (17-19) at South Dakota State (29-12) • 2 p.m. (DH)
Follow The Games
A live stream will be available at GoJacks.com/Watch, but a subscription is required to view the events.Â
Live stats will be available via StatBroadcast.
Links to the live stats and video can be found on the Creighton Softball schedule page.
Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.
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Scouting Creighton (17-19)
The Bluejays head to South Dakota with wins during six out of their last eight games,  including a BIG EAST series win against Butler in Omaha this past weekend and a road BIG EAST series victory at Villanova (April 13-14).Â
Lead-off hitter and center fielder Ashley Cantu leads the Bluejays with a .368 batting average (6th in BIG EAST) and .489 on-base percentage (3rd in BIG EAST). The junior paces the Bluejays in hits (39), runs (23) and walks (25 -- 2nd in BIG EAST).Â
Kiara Mills holds the team-lead in home runs (7 -- 7th in BIG EAST), RBIs (23) and slugging percentage (.647 -- 5th in BIG EAST). The freshman ranks second on the team with a .318 average.
Mileah McKelvy ranks second on the Bluejays in home runs (6) and is tied for the team-lead in RBIs (22) while hitting .287. She has also been hit by the pitch a BIG EAST-high nine times and claims a .415 on-base percentage.Â
Kaitlynn Hunt and Jayci Foster lead the BIG EAST with 10 sacrifice bunts are tied for fifth nationally with 0.29 sacrifice bunts per game.
Creighton owns a .268 team-batting average and averages 4.81 runs per game.Â
Logan Black paces the Bluejay pitching staff with 86.2 innings pitched (19 appearances, 15 starts) and owns a 3.63 ERA with 71 strikeouts.
Laura Roecker leads Creighton with 22 appearances, including 12 times in relief (81.1 innings pitched), and is the team-leader with a 3.01 ERA, including a 1.48 mark during her last five starts.Â
Kiele Miller ranks eighth nationally with 10.1 strikeouts per seven innings (77 in 53.1 innings) and is 6-3 with three shutouts during 12 appearances, including 10 starts.Â
The Creighton pitching staff claims a 3.65 ERA with 197 strikeouts and holds the opposition to a .243 batting average.Â
Head coach Brent Vigness, Creighton's winningest coach across all sports, is in his 26th season at the helm of the Bluejays.
Scouting South Dakota State (29-12)
The Jackrabbits enter Tuesday's contest on a four-game winning streak, which includes a weekend sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne at home.Â
South Dakota State is currently in third place in the Summit League standings with an 8-4 mark during conference action.Â
Ali Herdliska paces the Jackrabbit offense and leads the Summit League in on-base percentage (.529) and slugging percentage (.737). She owns a league-best 11 homers and ranks third with 36 RBIs and a .377 batting average. Herdliska ranks ninth nationally with 0.90 walks per game (37 in 41 contests). The senior is SDSU's program leader in home runs (43) and walks (117).
Herdliska went 0-for-4 but walked three times when Creighton and South Dakota State met twice in Kansas City earlier this year(March 16 and 17).
Yanney Ponce, this week's Summit League Player of the Week, ranks second on the team in batting average (.328) and RBIs (29). Ponce went 6-for-10 with eight RBIs during the Jackrabbits sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne. She finished 2-for-3 with a RBI single against the Bluejays on March 16.Â
South Dakota State is hitting .282 as a team and has drawn 172 walks (4.2 per game), which is 15 shy of its school record set last year (187).Â
The Jackrabbits recorded five hits during two games against the Bluejays earlier this season, but recorded nine walks, including seven during their 5-0 victory.Â
South Dakota State's pitching staff owns a 3.28 ERA.Â
Kendra Conard leads the team and ranks second in the Summit League with a 2.26 ERA during 71.1 innings. Conard pitched a three-hit shutout against the Bluejays in March.Â
Taylor Compton paces the Jackrabbits with 79.2 innings pitched and ranks fifth nationally with five saves.Â
Head coach Krista Wood is in her fifth season at the helm of South Dakota State.Â
Series History Against Jackrabbits
Creighton leads the all-time series against South Dakota State, 14-9-1.
The Bluejays and Jackrabbits split a pair of games earlier this season in Kansas City. SDSU claimed a 5-0 victory on March 16 before Creighton earned a 1-0 win on March 17.
Tuesday marks the first meeting between the two schools in Brookings since April 15, 2015 when the two teams split a doubleheader.Â
Miller Named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Kiele Miller earned BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors, the league announced on Monday morning.
Miller pitched a three-hit shutout on Friday during the Bluejays' first game of their series against Butler. The Dripping Springs, Texas native struck out 10 batters during 7.0 innings of work -- her longest outing since March 17 against South Dakota State.Â
She tallied her third shutout of the season and seventh career game with 10 or more strikeouts.Â
This week's accolade marks Miller's third pitcher of the week honor this season.
The sophomore leads the Bluejays with 77 strikeouts during 53.1 innings of work to rank eighth nationally with 10.1 strikeouts per seven innings.Â
Alm Earns Spot on Conference Weekly Honor Roll
Sam Alm claimed a spot on the weekly honor roll, the league announced on Monday morning.
Alm helped Creighton earn a doubleheader sweep of Butler with a walk-off infield single during the second game of the day on Friday. The freshman finished the contest 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and her game-winning RBI. She ended Friday's pair of games by going 4-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI.Â
Alm also walked during the series finale on Saturday to finish the weekend with a .625 on-base percentage.
The freshman leads the team with six doubles, is second on the squad in hits (29) and ranks third on the Bluejays with a .293 batting average.Â
Walking Off With Victories
The second game of Friday's doubleheader against Butler marked Creighton's first walk-off victory of 2019.Â
Sam Alm delivered an infield-single to drive in the winning run with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the seventh.Â
The Bluejays owned seven walk-off wins last season, including five walk-off home runs, and two during the final games of the regular season.
Below is a list of Creighton's walk-off wins during 2018. Â
Score Play (player) Date
9-1 vs. SUU 2-RBI single (McKelvy) Feb. 10
6-3 vs. SEMO 3-run HR (Finan) March 9
12-11 vs. Wichita St. RBI single (Finan) March 17
7-6 vs. PC Solo HR (McGill) March 28
13-12 vs. UMKC Solo HR (Moreno) April 17
6-5 vs. Villanova Solo HR (Moreno) May 5
9-0 vs. Villanova 3-run HR (Crowley) May 6
Creighton's Close Contests
Since March 17, Creighton has played nine games decided by two or less runs including eight during BIG EAST play. The Bluejays are 2-7 during those contests with all seven losses coming in league games.
Creighton is 4-9 overall (1-7 in BIG EAST play) during games decided by two runs or less this season.Â
The Bluejays claimed a 4-3 walk-off victory against Butler on Friday for Creighton's first win during a game decided by two runs or less since March 17 against South Dakota State (1-0).Â
Small-Ball Bluejays
Creighton owns 39 sacrifice bunts through 36 games, which leads the BIG EAST.Â
Jayci Foster and Kaitlynn Hunt each own 10 sac bunts to lead the team and pace the conference. Foster and Hunt are also tied for fifth nationally with 0.29 sacrifice bunts per game.Â
Last season, Creighton led the BIG EAST with 49 sacrifice bunts, while the Bluejays' Sam Crowley led Division I with 0.41 sac bunts per game. Â
Cantu's Hitting Streak
Junior lead-off hitter Ashley Cantu held a 13-game hitting streak that was snapped during the first game of Friday's doubleheader against Butler.Â
Cantu has recorded one or more plate appearances during 35 games this season. The junior lead-off hitter owns at least one hit during 27 of those contests, including eight with two and two with three.
She has also reached base via hit, walk or hit by pitch in 33 out of 35 games. Cantu had a streak of reaching base in 21 consecutive games snapped on Friday. Â
Cantu's streak of reaching base was the longest by a Creighton player since 2013 when Amy Baker reached in 37 straight.Â
The junior's 13-game hitting streak matched Jayci Foster's 2018 season-high hitting streak.
Liz Dike held a 14-game hitting streak in 2015, but no Bluejay has hit in 15 straight since 2008 when current assistant coach Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman tallied a 17-game hitting streak.Â
Since 1999, Sinkler-O'Gorman's 17-game hitting steak is the longest by a Bluejay.Â
Below is a list of Creighton's top hitting streaks since 1999.
Hit Streak Player Year
17 Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman 2008
17 Jamie Reiss 2007
14 Liz Dike 2015
14 Marie Gieron 2001
13 Ashley Cantu 2019
13 Jayci Foster 2018
13 Ellen Homan 2012
Roecker Makes BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Senior Laura Roecker earned a spot on last week's BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (April 15). She did not allow an earned run during 12.0 innings of work for a pair of complete-game victories against Villanova (April 13 and 14) and allowed only one during 5.0 innings against Nebraska (April 9).
Roecker, a transfer from UNO, is 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA during her last five starts (four complete games). She has allowed eight runs (six earned), struck out 17, walked seven and held the opposition to a .222 batting average over 28.1 innings in those starts.
During her first five starts of the season, Roecker posted a 2-3 record with a 5.49 ERA. The senior recorded 21.2 innings during those five starts and allowed 29 runs (17 earned) and a .306 opponents' average, while posting 15 strikeouts and 14 walks.Â
Overall, Roecker leads the Bluejays with a 3.10 ERA and eight victories (8-8) during a team-high 22 appearances (10 starts). In BIG EAST play, Roecker owns a BIG EAST-best 1.37 ERA during 46.0 innings of work (10
appearances, five starts).
Roecker In Relief
In addition to her late surge as a starter, Laura Roecker leads Creighton with 12 relief appearances. She owns a 2.68 ERA during 31.1 innings of relief work and holds the opposition to a .216 batting average.Â
The senior pitched 7.1 innings of relief during Creighton's extra-inning loss against Providence on March 30. She posted five consecutive scoreless innings before the Friars tallied the winning run during the 12th inning.Â
Roecker faced only 16 batters while not allowing a hit or run during 5.0 innings of relief during Creighton's trip to Carbondale, Illinois (Feb. 22-24).Â
She hit one batter but did not allow a hit or run and left three runners stranded in 2.0 frames while earning the victory against Saint Louis (Feb. 22).
The UNO transfer also walked one and struck out two while not allowing a hit or run during 3.0 innings against Southern Illinois (Feb. 24) to earn her first save as a Bluejay.
Recent Power Surge
Creighton hit only four home runs during the first 18 games of the season, but the Bluejays have launched 25 homers during their past 18 games, including 14 during 15 BIG EAST games.Â
Kiara Mills leads the team with seven, while Mileah McKelvy has six, including a team-best four during league play.
Kelli Finan has four, while Mikaela Pechar and Ashley Cantu each have three. Two of Cantu's round-trippers have been inside-the-park home runs.Â
Creighton Ties Program Record For Homers
The Bluejays hit six home runs on March 27 against South Dakota to tie a program record.Â
Creighton set its single-game record for homers in a game with six last season against UMKC (April 17).
Kiara Mills hit two long balls on against the Coyotes, Ashley Cantu tallied an inside-the-park homer and Mileah McKelvy, Kelli Finan and Mikaela Pechar each launched one.
McKelvy Moves Into Top 10 on HBP List
Junior Mileah McKelvy earned a pair of free passes being hit by the pitch against Villanova (April 13 and 14) and now has been hit nine times this season to lead the Bluejays, which is tied for sixth-most in a single season at Creighton.Â
McKelvy currently ranks eighth on Creighton's career record list for times hit by pitch with 17.Â
The junior was hit by the pitch three times in Kansas City (March 15-17) including twice with the bases loaded.
Creighton Career Hit By Pitch List
1. Jen Daro, 39 (2014-17)
2. Michelle Graner, 34 (2007-10)
3. Alexis Cantu, 29 (2012-14)
4. Michelle Koch, 25 (2007-10)
Lauren Cisneros, 25 (2003-06)
6. Sami Herbster, 21 (2000-03)
7. Liz McKewon, 18 (2008-11)
8. Mileah McKelvy, 17 (2016-Present)
9. Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman, 16 (2007-10)
10. Tash Coffiel, 13 (2015-18)Â
RPI Update
Creighton is ranked No. 186 in the latest RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday (297 Division I schools ranked).Â
The Bluejays own the sixth-best RPI among BIG EAST teams.
BIG EAST Teams in Division I RPI
75. DePaul
91. St. John's
125. Providence
153. Villanova
180 Seton Hall
186. Creighton
224. ButlerÂ
233. GeorgetownÂ
South Dakota State is listed at No. 103.
