Friday, February 23
Stockton, CA
6:45 P.M.
Creighton University
8-3
5
at
4
Pacific
1-10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R
H
E
Creighton
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
9
0
Pacific
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
8
0
Photo by: Catherine Grosdidier
Nielsen & Puchino Lead Softball Past Pacific in 10 Innings
2/23/2024 9:38:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays win program's longest game since 2021
STOCKTON, Calif. -- Cayla Nielsen first home run of the spring proved to be the difference as Creighton Softball topped host Pacific 5-4 in 10 innings on Friday night at the Libby Matson Tournament in Stockton, Calif. The game was Creighton's longest since a 2021 contest vs. Omaha.
Creighton is now 7-3 on the year, while Pacific is 1-10.
Nielsen's heroics were made possible by an outstanding relief outing from reigning BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Natalia Puchino, who retired the first 18 women she faced and threw 6.1 innings of relief.
Creighton wasted no time taking an early lead, scoring three times in the first inning against Pacific starter Vanessa Strong. Lily West and Madeline Vejvoda opened the one-out rally with singles, then each moved up a base after a wild pitch. One out later Ella Dalton's two-run triple gave CU its first runs of the game, and the lead would grow to 3-0 on Emma Rosonke's RBI single to right.
The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth, when Pacific chased Creighton starter Jena Lawrence after the first two Tiger hitters reached base. Kenzie Schopfer entered in relief, and a well-executed relay from right fielder Sydra Seville to Ensley Frame to West cut down a potential second run for Pacific at the plate after a double by Jordan Hayes. Hayes would score when Talissa Montez followed with a double, and Motnez tied it when she came home after a single by Kyla Eck. Puchino would come in one batter later to escape the jam as the score held at 3-3.
The teams managed one total runner in the next three innings, with that coming when pinch-hitter Erika Perez singled to open the seventh inning, but she would be stranded.
As the game headed to extra innings, a runner was placed on second base to start each frame. Creighton didn't score in the top half of either the eighth or ninth inning. Each time, Pacific bunted their runner over to third base, only to have Puchino escape the jam to send it to the 10th inning.
Pinch-runner Mikayla Chairez was placed at second to open Creighton's 10th inning. After she was bunted to third base, Nielsen crushed a 1-0 offering out to dead center for her 17th home run as a Bluejay but first of 2024, giving CU a 5-3 lead.
Pacific scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th but flew out to right with the tying runner on first base to end the game.
Puchino (4-1) threw 6.1 innings,allowing just one hit and an unearned run. Dalton and Ashten Pierson both had a pair of hits to lead the Bluejay offense.
Pacific was paced by a pair of hits from Montez, while Avery Croxall (0-1) suffered the loss after surrendering Nielsen's blast in the 10th.
The Bluejays are back in action with a pair of games on Saturday, meeting Nevada at 12 p.m. Central before another contest against Pacific scheduled for 2:15 p.m.
Â
Creighton is now 7-3 on the year, while Pacific is 1-10.
Nielsen's heroics were made possible by an outstanding relief outing from reigning BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Natalia Puchino, who retired the first 18 women she faced and threw 6.1 innings of relief.
Creighton wasted no time taking an early lead, scoring three times in the first inning against Pacific starter Vanessa Strong. Lily West and Madeline Vejvoda opened the one-out rally with singles, then each moved up a base after a wild pitch. One out later Ella Dalton's two-run triple gave CU its first runs of the game, and the lead would grow to 3-0 on Emma Rosonke's RBI single to right.
The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth, when Pacific chased Creighton starter Jena Lawrence after the first two Tiger hitters reached base. Kenzie Schopfer entered in relief, and a well-executed relay from right fielder Sydra Seville to Ensley Frame to West cut down a potential second run for Pacific at the plate after a double by Jordan Hayes. Hayes would score when Talissa Montez followed with a double, and Motnez tied it when she came home after a single by Kyla Eck. Puchino would come in one batter later to escape the jam as the score held at 3-3.
The teams managed one total runner in the next three innings, with that coming when pinch-hitter Erika Perez singled to open the seventh inning, but she would be stranded.
As the game headed to extra innings, a runner was placed on second base to start each frame. Creighton didn't score in the top half of either the eighth or ninth inning. Each time, Pacific bunted their runner over to third base, only to have Puchino escape the jam to send it to the 10th inning.
Pinch-runner Mikayla Chairez was placed at second to open Creighton's 10th inning. After she was bunted to third base, Nielsen crushed a 1-0 offering out to dead center for her 17th home run as a Bluejay but first of 2024, giving CU a 5-3 lead.
Pacific scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th but flew out to right with the tying runner on first base to end the game.
Puchino (4-1) threw 6.1 innings,allowing just one hit and an unearned run. Dalton and Ashten Pierson both had a pair of hits to lead the Bluejay offense.
Pacific was paced by a pair of hits from Montez, while Avery Croxall (0-1) suffered the loss after surrendering Nielsen's blast in the 10th.
The Bluejays are back in action with a pair of games on Saturday, meeting Nevada at 12 p.m. Central before another contest against Pacific scheduled for 2:15 p.m.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Puchino, Natalia (4-1)
L: Croxall, A (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Gappa, Alyssa 1
3B: Dalton, Ella 1
HR: Nielsen, Cayla 1
RBI: Nielsen, Cayla 2 ; Dalton, Ella 2 ; Rosonke, Emma 1
SH: Pierson, Ashten 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; West, Lily 1 ; Vejvoda, Madeline 1 ; Dalton, Ella 1 ; Chairez, Mikayla 1
SB: Rosonke, Emma 1
Batting:
2B: Hayes, J 1 ; Montez, T 1
RBI: Scully, D 1 ; Hayes, J 1 ; Montez, T 1 ; Eck, K 1
SH: Lee, A 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Enriquez, N 1 ; Hayes, J 1 ; Montez, T 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
2b/1b
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballCreighton Softball Hit-A-Thon 2025
Thursday, August 21
Creighton Baseball & Softball Fields Groundbreaking - 6/11/25
Wednesday, June 11
Creighton BET Postgame vs. St John's, 5/8/25
Thursday, May 08
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Seton Hall, 5/4/25
Sunday, May 04
