Sunday, April 2
Omaha, Neb.
12:00 P.M.
Creighton University
14-21, 1-8
9
vs
1
Butler
14-20, 8-1
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Butler
0
0
1
0
0
1
4
1
Creighton
7
2
0
0
X
9
11
0
Photo by: Chelsea Nicholson
Softball’s Offense Erupts In Run-Rule Victory Over Butler
4/2/2023 3:09:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. – The hot hitting Creighton softball team launched three home runs and racked up 11 hits as the Bluejays run-ruled Butler, 9-1, on Sunday afternoon at the Creighton Sports Complex to earn their first BIG EAST win of the season.
The win snaps a 10-game losing streak and lifts the Bluejays to 14-21 on the season and 1-8 in BIG EAST play, while Butler suffered their first loss in league play, falling to 13-20 overall and 8-1 in the BIG EAST. The win was also Krista Wood's first BIG EAST win as the Creighton head coach.
The Bluejays captured the win after scoring seven in the first and two in the second to storm out to a 9-0 lead. The first five Bluejays reach base safely in the top of the first forcing Butler to make their first pitching change.
Junior Cayla Nielsen opened the game with a walk, while freshman Lily West singled to left for Creighton's first hit of the game. Senior Kailey Wilson then launched her seventh home run of the season down the right field line to give Creighton a 3-0 lead. Junior Madeline Vejvoda followed with a single to left center before classmate Alyssa Gappa belted her team-leading eighth home run of the season over the center field wall to push the Creighton advantage out to 5-0.
Senior Saren Croker, freshman Ensley Frame and sophomore Sydra Seville then loaded the bases with three straight singles before a seven-pitch walk to Nielsen pushed across the Bluejays sixth run of the inning. Creighton was not done yet as West delivered an RBI single to centerfield to extend the Bluejays advantage out to 7-0.
The Bluejays seven run first was the most runs scored in an inning by a Creighton team since the Bluejays scored 10 runs in the first inning against Purdue Fort Wayne back on Feb. 28, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill.
Creighton continued their hot start with two addition runs in the second inning as Croker launched the second home run of her career over the left field wall to give Creighton a 9-0 lead.
Butler would answer with a run in the top half of the third inning but could not push across any more as freshman Natalia Puchino closed the door.
Puchino (8-9) earned the win after allowing one run on four Butler hits while striking out three. West paced the Bluejays offense with three hits, all singles, while Croker and Frame each finished with two hits. With a three-run home run Wilson jumped into a tie for sixth on the career home run list with 33, while climbing into a tie for eighth with 110 career RBI.
Creighton returns to the diamond on Friday, April 7 for a doubleheader at DePaul in the windy city. The first pitch for game one of the Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. in Chicago, Ill.
The win snaps a 10-game losing streak and lifts the Bluejays to 14-21 on the season and 1-8 in BIG EAST play, while Butler suffered their first loss in league play, falling to 13-20 overall and 8-1 in the BIG EAST. The win was also Krista Wood's first BIG EAST win as the Creighton head coach.
The Bluejays captured the win after scoring seven in the first and two in the second to storm out to a 9-0 lead. The first five Bluejays reach base safely in the top of the first forcing Butler to make their first pitching change.
Junior Cayla Nielsen opened the game with a walk, while freshman Lily West singled to left for Creighton's first hit of the game. Senior Kailey Wilson then launched her seventh home run of the season down the right field line to give Creighton a 3-0 lead. Junior Madeline Vejvoda followed with a single to left center before classmate Alyssa Gappa belted her team-leading eighth home run of the season over the center field wall to push the Creighton advantage out to 5-0.
Senior Saren Croker, freshman Ensley Frame and sophomore Sydra Seville then loaded the bases with three straight singles before a seven-pitch walk to Nielsen pushed across the Bluejays sixth run of the inning. Creighton was not done yet as West delivered an RBI single to centerfield to extend the Bluejays advantage out to 7-0.
The Bluejays seven run first was the most runs scored in an inning by a Creighton team since the Bluejays scored 10 runs in the first inning against Purdue Fort Wayne back on Feb. 28, 2020, in Carbondale, Ill.
Creighton continued their hot start with two addition runs in the second inning as Croker launched the second home run of her career over the left field wall to give Creighton a 9-0 lead.
Butler would answer with a run in the top half of the third inning but could not push across any more as freshman Natalia Puchino closed the door.
Puchino (8-9) earned the win after allowing one run on four Butler hits while striking out three. West paced the Bluejays offense with three hits, all singles, while Croker and Frame each finished with two hits. With a three-run home run Wilson jumped into a tie for sixth on the career home run list with 33, while climbing into a tie for eighth with 110 career RBI.
Creighton returns to the diamond on Friday, April 7 for a doubleheader at DePaul in the windy city. The first pitch for game one of the Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m. in Chicago, Ill.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Puchino, Natalia (8-9)
L: GRIMAN, Mackenzie (7-8)
Batting:
RBI: CARTER, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MOXLEY, Olivia 1
HBP: DORSETT, Paige 1 ; O'RILLEY, Teagan 1 ; BOYER, Ellie 1
Batting:
HR: Wilson, Kailey 1 ; Gappa, Alyssa 1 ; Croker, Saren 1
RBI: Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; West, Lily 1 ; Wilson, Kailey 3 ; Gappa, Alyssa 2 ; Croker, Saren 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; West, Lily 1 ; Wilson, Kailey 1 ; Vejvoda, Madeline 1 ; Gappa, Alyssa 2 ; Croker, Saren 2 ; Frame, Ensley 1
HBP: Gappa, Alyssa 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
C
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
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