Creighton University
13-11, 3-4
Providence
18-9, 5-4
Softball Drops Series Finale To Providence, 10-7
3/27/2022 4:28:00 PM | Softball
The Bluejays fall to 13-11 on the year and 3-4 in BIG EAST play, while the Friars improved to 18-9 overall and 5-4 in conference action.
Providence wasted no time taking an 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as the first five Friar batters reached base. Jacque Harrington drew a leadoff walk before Rachael Petrarca, Kari Shedrick and Tori Grifone each singled to plate the first run of the game. Jessica Tomaso then drove in two with a double to right center to push the early advantage out to 3-0. The Firars lead grew to 4-0 as Kaelyn Loncharich reached on an error which allowed Grifone to score.
The Bluejays responded and cut the lead down to two with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Madeline Vejvoda singled through the left side before sophomore Cayla Nielsen launched her fourth home run of the season over the right centerfield wall.
Providence scored a run in each of the next three innings to push their lead out to 7-2 after the top of the fourth.
Vejvoda plated Creighton's third run of the game with a sacrifice fly deep into the left centerfield gap to make the score 7-3.
The Friars then tacked on two additional runs in the fifth as Kosinski and Tomaso drew back-to-back walks and scored on a single by Lauren Nunez and a double by Micaela Abbatine to extend the lead out to 9-3.
Junior Kiara Mills led off the bottom half of the fifth with a triple, her second triple of the season, before scoring on an RBI groundout by sophomore Emma Rosonke.
Providence scored once more in the sixth on a RBI single from Petrarca to lift the Friars to a 10-4 lead.
Down to their final three outs, the Bluejays showed no quit. Junior Kailey Wilson drew a six-pitch walk to open the bottom half of the seventh, while Mills singled to left center to place runners on first and second. With the BIG EAST leader in RBI at the plate, Rosonke hit a towering three-run home run over the right field wall to record her 12th RBI of the weekend cut the lead down to 10-7. Alyssa Gappa followed with a double to the right centerfield wall before the Firars ended the game with three straight outs.
Gappa led the Bluejays offense by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Vejvoda and Mills each recorded two hits. Rosonke drove in four runs for the third straight game and extended her BIG EAST leading RBI total out to 33 RBI.
The Bluejays are back in action on Tuesday night as Creighton travels to Lincoln, Nebraska to face in-state rival Nebraska. First pitch at Bowlin Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jessica Walter (4-3)
L: Santa Cruz, Mikayla (5-6)
Batting:
2B: Jessica Tomaso 1 ; Micaela Abbatine 1
HR: Jacque Harrington 1
RBI: Jacque Harrington 1 ; Rachael Petrarca 2 ; Tori Grifone 1 ; Jessica Tomaso 2 ; Lauren Nunez 1 ; Micaela Abbatine 1 ; Kaelyn Loncharich 1 ; Gianna Magrino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jacque Harrington 2 ; Mariead O'Sullivan 1 ; Rachael Petrarca 1 ; Kari Shedrick 1 ; Tori Grifone 1 ; Lea Kosinski 1 ; Jessica Tomaso 2 ; Micaela Abbatine 1
SB: Mariead O'Sullivan 1 ; Micaela Abbatine 1
Batting:
2B: Gappa, Alyssa 2
3B: Mills, Kiara 1
HR: Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; Rosonke, Emma 1
RBI: Vejvoda, Madeline 1 ; Nielsen, Cayla 2 ; Rosonke, Emma 4
SF: Vejvoda, Madeline 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vejvoda, Madeline 1 ; Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; Miklesh, Megan 1 ; Mills, Kiara 2 ; Rosonke, Emma 1 ; Gappa, Alyssa 1
