Creighton University
Niagara
Softball Continues Florida Trip With Six Games In Madeira Beach
3/10/2020 3:00:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays play six games in four days
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Creighton heads to Florida for THE Spring Games. The Bluejays will play five games in three days in Longwood.
Game Schedule
Games #1 & 2 • Wednesday, March 11 • Creighton vs. Niagara • 11:00 a.m. (DH)
Game #3 • Thursday, March 12 • Creighton vs. Indiana • 11:00 a.m.
Game #4 • Thursday, March 13 • Creighton vs. Central Michigan • 1:30 p.m.
Game #5 • Friday, March 14 • Creighton vs. Merrimack College • 8:00 a.m.Â
Game #6 • Saturday, March 15 • Creighton vs. Quinnipiac • 8:00 a.m.
*All times listed are Central Standard Time
Follow The Games
Live video will be available for each of the games via FloSoftball. A subscription is required to view the games.Â
Links to live stats and video can be found on the  Creighton Softball schedule page.
Scoring updates and infographics will be provided throughout the weekend via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.
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Scouting Creighton (11-10)
The Bluejays opened their trip to Florida with a 3-2 record during five games in Longwood, Florida.
Creighton scored more than two runs only once and lost a pair of one-run games.
Ashley Cantu leads the Bluejays and ranks second in the BIG EAST with a .429 batting average. Cantu also paces the team with 27 hits. Mikaela Pechar leads Creighton with a .604 slugging percentage with six doubles and two homers.
Five different players have hit a home run, while Mileah McKelvy paces the team with 18 RBIs, Kiara Mills owns 14 RBIs and Pechar has 12.Â
Creighton leads the BIG EAST with a .300 team-batting average and averages 4.95 runs per game.Â
Kiele Miller ranks second in the conference with 85 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched. Miller owns a 2.51 ERA and is holding opponents to a .225 batting average.
Mikayla Santa Cruz holds a 2.66 ERA during 50 innings of work with 33 strikeouts. Santa Cruz leads the Bluejays with six victories (6-3).
Both Miller and Santa Cruz have each appeared in 13 games and recorded nine starts a piece.
The Bluejays rank second in the conference with a 2.77 team-ERA.Â
Head coach Brent Vigness, Creighton's winningest coach across all sports, is in his 27th season at the helm of the Bluejays.
Scouting Niagara (2-5)
The Purple Eagles enter Wednesday's contest on a four-game losing streak and only two victories to start the year.
Niagara claimed one-run victories against Penn (10-9) and Detroit Mercy (5-4). The Purple Eagles average 3.57 runs per game, but have allowed more than 10 runs three times this season.
Shayna Myshrall leads the Niagara offense with a .364 batting average, with eight hits, including three triples and a home run. Myshrall is also tied with Maggie Vesneske for the team lead with five RBIs.
Emily Johnston leads the pitching staff with only one earned run allowed during 9 2/3 innings pitched (four relief appearances), while Karsen Cotton has started three games and has a 10.50 ERA (17 ER in 11 1/3 IP).
Larry Puzan is in his eight year as head coach of Niagara.
Series History Against Purple Eagles
Creighton leads the all-time series against Niagara, 2-0.
The Bluejays defeated the Purple Eagles, 10-1, during the most previous meeting in 2016 at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida.
Scouting Indiana (9-9)
The Hoosiers head to Florida after a 3-2 showing at the Wildcat Invitational (victories over South Dakota (twice) and Boise State) and their home opener on Tuesday afternoon against Miami (Ohio).
Gabby Jenkins leads the offense with a .411 batting average (23 hits). Jenkins is also 11-of-13 for stealing bases.Â
As a team, Indiana owns 44 stolen bases and ranks fifth nationally with 2.44 stolen bases per game. Including Jenkins, six different players have at least four steals and four have at least six.Â
Grayson Radcliffe and Annika Baez have each hit four homers for Indiana.
Emily Goodin leads the Hoosiers' pitching staff with a 2.11 ERA in 89 2/3 innings of work (15 appearances, 14 starts). Goodin also owns 86 strikeouts to 24 walks and is holding the opposition to a .183 batting average.Â
Three other pitchers have logged a combined 25 innings, led by Josie Wood with 17 innings of work and a 5.76 ERA.
Head coach Shonda Stanton is in her third year at the helm of Indiana.
Series History Against Hoosiers
Creighton holds a 5-4 edge in the all-time series against Indiana.
The Bluejays and Hoosiers last met in 2000 at the War Eagle Classic in Auburn, Alabama with Creighton claiming a 3-1 victory.Â
Scouting Central Michigan (4-11)
The Chippewas continue their trip in Florida after a 3-2 performance last weekend in Madeira Beach. Central Michigan earned victories against Loyola-Chicago, St. Bonaventure and Quinnipiac.
Thursday will mark CMU's 11th game in Florida this spring as the team also played five games in Clermont (Feb. 14-16).
Tala Dean paces the team with 12 hits and a .308 average, while Morgan Gardner leads the Chippewas with two homers and seven RBIs.
CMU has attempted only six stolen bases (three successful), but has allowed 30 steals in 33 tries by its opponents.
Three different pitchers have carried the load for Central Michigan.
Kaitlyn Bean owns a 6.28 ERA in 38 2/3 innings (six starts), Cloe Mallory has pitched 26 innings (9.69 ERA) and Haley John owns a 6.63 ERA in 19 innings.Â
Head coach McCall Salmon is in her first year at the helm of CMU.
Series History Against Chippewas
Creighton leads the all-time series, 3-2.
The Bluejays defeated Central Michigan, 5-1, in the last meeting between the two programs during the Rebel Spring Games in 2004 in Florida.
Scouting Merrimack College (2-9)
The Warriors picked up their first two wins of the season this past weekend in Madeira Beach against St. Bonaventure and Quinnipiac.Â
Abigail Amato paces the offense with a .379 average, five extra-base hits and eight RBIs. Lucy Colarusso is hitting .370 (10 hits) and Tiffany Mangiameli leads Merrimack with eight runs scored.Â
Bridget Soraghan leads the Warriors with 25 2/3 innings pitched as the team holds a 7.89 ERA this season.Â
Elaine Schwager is in her 12th season as the head coach of Merrimack.Â
Series History Against Warriors
Friday is the first meeting between Creighton and Merrimack.Â
Scouting Quinnipiac (1-8)
The Bobcats opened the year with seven losses before picking up a 1-0 nine-inning victory against Holy Cross on Sunday.
Kayla Jensen leads Quinnipiac with nine hits and a .333 batting average. The Bobcats have scored only 14 runs through nine games.
Tiffany Kennedy-Cummings paces the squad with 25 innings pitched. Quinnipiac holds a 13.33 team-ERA and opponents are hitting .413.Â
Head coach Hillary Smith is in her second season at Quinnipiac.Â
Series History Against Bobcats
Creighton and Quinnipiac have met once previously.
The Bluejays defeated the Bobcats, 6-0 at the 2004 Rebel Spring Games.Â
Miller Earns Third Honor Roll Selection
Kiele Miller earned her third BIG EAST Weekly Honor selection of the season.
Miller posted a 1-1 record in the circle for the Bluejays at the Spring Games in Longwood, Florida.Â
The junior recorded 14 strikeouts in 14 innings of work and allowed only seven hits holding opponents to a .140 opposing batting average. Â
Miller tallied a one-hit shutout against LIU during Creighton's first game of weekend before allowing just two runs in a complete game against then-No. 12 Florida State.
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Small-Ball Bluejays
Creighton ranks first nationally with 37 sacrifice bunts.
Sam Alm leads Division I with 11 sacrifices, while Cayla Nielsen has six and both Victoria Alvarez and Kaitlynn Hunt have five.Â
Alm ranks second nationally with 0.55 sacrifice bunts per game.Â
Creighton owned 48 sacrifice bunts in 44 games last season, which led the BIG EAST.Â
Kaitlynn Hunt paced the Bluejays with 13, while Jayci Foster had 11 and Sam Alm tallied 10.
Hunt ranked fourth nationally with 0.31 sacrifice bunts per game.
Creighton also led the BIG EAST with 49 sacrifice bunts in 2018, while the Bluejays' Sam Crowley led Division I with 0.41 sac bunts per game. Â
2020 NCAA Sacrifice Bunt Leaders
(as of 3/10)
Rk Team              SAC Bunts
1. Creighton 37
2. Nicholls State 32
3. Presbyterian 31
4. UT Martin 28
5. Louisiana Tech 27
6. UT Arlington 25
7. Texas 24
8. Cal State Fullerton 22
Chattanoga 22
Iowa 22
Ole Miss 22
UConn 22
Miller Reaches 300 Career Strikeouts
Kiele Miller reached the 300 strikeout plateau with three strikeouts in the first inning against Southern Illinois on Feb. 29 to become the seventh player in program history with 300 or more strikeouts.
The junior now ranks sixth in program history with 326 strikeouts after posting 14 in 14 innings this past weekend in Florida.
Creighton Career Strikeouts
Rk Ks Player Years
1. 1,086 Tara Oltman 2007-10
2. Â 914 Tammy Nielsen 2003-05
3. Â 860 Becca Changstrom 2011-14
4. Â 495 Shelli Mellegaard 1999-02
5. Â 458 Kandy Foust 1983-85
6. Â 326 Kiele Miller 2018-Pr.
7. Â 308 Holly Hesse 1979-82
8. Â 294 Marcia Jacobsen 1981-84
9. Â 289 Kelly Brookhart 1988-91
10. 282 Sydnee Eck         2015-16
Alm and McKelvy Make All-Classic Team
Sam Alm and Mileah McKelvy each earned spots on the Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team.
Alm led the Bluejays with four sacrifice hits and posted a .429 batting average with three hits. She also scored twice, drove in two and stole a base.
McKelvy led the Bluejays with five hits (.556 average) and six RBIs.Â
The senior went 2-for-2 with three RBIs, a walk and sacrifice fly against Rider on Feb. 22 before going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a pair of doubles.Â
McKelvy and Miller Nab Spots on Honor Roll
Mileah McKelvy and Kiele Miller each made the BIG EAST weekly honor roll, the league announced on Feb. 24.
McKelvy ended the Tiger Classic with a .556 batting average (5-for-9) with six RBIs, a walk and a sacrifice fly.Â
Miller posted a career-high 14 strikeouts during a complete-game effort against Central Connecticut State on Sunday.Â
Miller's 14 strikeouts were the most by a Creighton pitcher since Micaela Whitney had 15 against Butler during 8 2/3 innings of work on April 24, 2016, and the most in just seven innings of work since Amanda Hess had 15 against Central Arkansas on Feb. 17, 2007.
The Creighton record for strikeouts in a game is 19 by Tammy Nielsen in 9 innings of work against Southern Illinois (March 29, 2003).
Abby Johnson owns the program record for strikeouts in a seven inning game with 17 against UMKC on March 30, 2005.Â
McKelvy Up To 7th on HBP List
Senior Mileah McKelvy moved into sole possession of seventh place on Creighton's career hit by pitch list after being plunked during the Bluejays game against Bethune-Cookman on March 6 in Longwood, Florida.
McKelvy was hit by the pitch nine times in 2019, which is tied for sixth in a single season for a Creighton player. Â
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. Mileah McKelvy, 19 (2016-Present)Â
8. Liz McKewon, 18 (2008-11)
9. Renae Sinkler, 16 (2007-10)
10. Tash Coffiel, 13 (2015-18)Â
Cantu Cracks Top 10 List For Runs Scored
Senior Ashley Cantu moved into the top 10 of Creighton's career runs scored list after crossing home plate against Cleveland State on March 7 for her 112th run as a Bluejay. Cantu has scored nine times this season.
In 2018, Cantu scored 45 times, which ranks fourth on Creighton's single-season charts.Â
Creighton Career Runs Scored
Rk  R Player Years
1. Â 132 Stacey Rybar 2001-04
2. Â 130 Jean Tierney 1980-83
3. Â 129 Heidi Geier 1996-99
4. Â 128 Sue Frederick 1986-89
5. Â 122 Christy Lunceford 1994-97
6. Â 120 Renae Sinkler 2007-10
7. Â 119 Bailey Dawson 2006-09
8. Â 118 Liz Dike 2012-15
9. Â 113 Lauren Cisnernos 2003-06
10. 112 Melanie Dorsey 2002-05
112 Ashley Cantu 2017-Pr.
