Friday, February 17
Stephenville, Texas
9:30 A.M.
Creighton University
2-3
0
vs
4
Akron
1-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Creighton
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
Akron
0
0
0
0
4
0
X
4
6
0
Softball Falls Twice During First Day of Texan Invitational
2/17/2023 4:44:00 PM | Softball
STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The Creighton softball team dropped a pair of contests to Akron and Tarleton State on the first day of the Texan Invitational in Stephenville, Texas. The Bluejays fell in the opener to Akron, 4-0, before falling 3-1 to host Tarleton State.
The pair of losses moved the Bluejays to 2-4 on the season, while Akron improved to 1-0 and Tarleton State moved to 5-3 overall.
In game one, Creighton managed just one hit and three walks as Akron's Haley Croyle struck out a career-high 12 batters in the shutout for the Zips.
The Zips threatened to score in each of the first two innings but left runners stranded as sophomore starting pitcher Alexis Wiggins worked out of the early jam.
Wiggins would settle in over the next two innings, before Akron unleashed for four runs on three hits and three Bluejay errors in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Kalli Macintosh-Houlder led off the fifth inning with a single to right, advancing to second on a fielding field. She would come around to score the first run of the game as Meagan Lee and Madison each reached on Bluejay errors. Brooke Sivek then delivered an RBI single to left before scoring on a two-run double by Alexis Campbell as Akron took a 4-0 lead.
Down to their final three out, Creighton looked to rally with the heart of their lineup due up. Croyle was able to retire the first two batters of the inning before junior Madeline Vejvoda beat out an infield single for the Bluejays lone hit of the game as Akron claimed the victory 4-0.
In game two, Tarleton State got off to a strong start scoring once in the bottom of the first inning as Kelci Hill came around to score on an RBI single off the right field wall by Austin Germain to give the Texans a 1-0 lead.
The Texas threatened to tack on addition runs in the bottom half of the second inning as the first three Texans reached on a walk and two singles to load the bases and force a Creighton pitching change. Junior Payton Akers came in for the Bluejays and retired the side to keep the early deficit to 1-0.
Tarleton State, however, extended its lead to 2-0 with a run in the third inning. Following a 6-4-3 double play by the Bluejays, the Texans used a double from Brady Rowland and an RBI single to left by Tristyn Trull to push their advantage out to 2-0.
Creighton would answer with a run of their own in the fourth inning as Vejvoda blooped a single into center to led off the inning. Juniors Cayla Nielsen and Emma Rosonke then loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and a walk before Alyssa Gappa delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to the right field wall to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Tarleton State responded with a run in the bottom half of the sixth inning to secure a 3-1 win for the Texans. MacKenzie Peterson got things rolling with a single to open the inning before Morgan Medford reached on a fielder's choice. Following a single back up the middle by Hill, Katy Schaefer laced an RBI single into left to push across the Texans third run of the afternoon.
Sophomore Sydra Seville and freshman Lily West led the Bluejays offense with a pair of hits against Tarleton State while freshman Natalia Puchino suffered her first loss of the season, allowing one run on five hits and just two strikeouts.
Schaefer led Tarleton State's offense with three hits, while Medford and Germain each collected two hits apiece. Senior Tristan Bridges picked up the win in the circle for the Texans', allowing just one run on six hits while striking out nine Bluejays.
Creighton returns to the field tomorrow afternoon when they take on Northern Colorado at 2:00 p.m., followed by a rematch against Akron at 6:30 p.m.
The pair of losses moved the Bluejays to 2-4 on the season, while Akron improved to 1-0 and Tarleton State moved to 5-3 overall.
In game one, Creighton managed just one hit and three walks as Akron's Haley Croyle struck out a career-high 12 batters in the shutout for the Zips.
The Zips threatened to score in each of the first two innings but left runners stranded as sophomore starting pitcher Alexis Wiggins worked out of the early jam.
Wiggins would settle in over the next two innings, before Akron unleashed for four runs on three hits and three Bluejay errors in the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Kalli Macintosh-Houlder led off the fifth inning with a single to right, advancing to second on a fielding field. She would come around to score the first run of the game as Meagan Lee and Madison each reached on Bluejay errors. Brooke Sivek then delivered an RBI single to left before scoring on a two-run double by Alexis Campbell as Akron took a 4-0 lead.
Down to their final three out, Creighton looked to rally with the heart of their lineup due up. Croyle was able to retire the first two batters of the inning before junior Madeline Vejvoda beat out an infield single for the Bluejays lone hit of the game as Akron claimed the victory 4-0.
In game two, Tarleton State got off to a strong start scoring once in the bottom of the first inning as Kelci Hill came around to score on an RBI single off the right field wall by Austin Germain to give the Texans a 1-0 lead.
The Texas threatened to tack on addition runs in the bottom half of the second inning as the first three Texans reached on a walk and two singles to load the bases and force a Creighton pitching change. Junior Payton Akers came in for the Bluejays and retired the side to keep the early deficit to 1-0.
Tarleton State, however, extended its lead to 2-0 with a run in the third inning. Following a 6-4-3 double play by the Bluejays, the Texans used a double from Brady Rowland and an RBI single to left by Tristyn Trull to push their advantage out to 2-0.
Creighton would answer with a run of their own in the fourth inning as Vejvoda blooped a single into center to led off the inning. Juniors Cayla Nielsen and Emma Rosonke then loaded the bases with a hit by pitch and a walk before Alyssa Gappa delivered an RBI sacrifice fly to the right field wall to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Tarleton State responded with a run in the bottom half of the sixth inning to secure a 3-1 win for the Texans. MacKenzie Peterson got things rolling with a single to open the inning before Morgan Medford reached on a fielder's choice. Following a single back up the middle by Hill, Katy Schaefer laced an RBI single into left to push across the Texans third run of the afternoon.
Sophomore Sydra Seville and freshman Lily West led the Bluejays offense with a pair of hits against Tarleton State while freshman Natalia Puchino suffered her first loss of the season, allowing one run on five hits and just two strikeouts.
Schaefer led Tarleton State's offense with three hits, while Medford and Germain each collected two hits apiece. Senior Tristan Bridges picked up the win in the circle for the Texans', allowing just one run on six hits while striking out nine Bluejays.
Creighton returns to the field tomorrow afternoon when they take on Northern Colorado at 2:00 p.m., followed by a rematch against Akron at 6:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: CROYLE (1-0)
L: Wiggins, Alexis (1-2)
Batting:
2B: CAMPBELL 1 ; MACINTOSH-HO 1
RBI: SIVEK 1 ; CAMPBELL 2
Base Running:
RUNS: SIVEK 1 ; AUTEN 1 ; LEE 1 ; DUDEK 1
SB: SIVEK 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
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