Saturday, March 2
Edwardsville, Ill.
9:30 A.M.
Creighton University
9-5
13
vs
1
Loyola (Chicago)
6-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Creighton
1
0
0
0
4
2
6
13
16
0
Loyola
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
Photo by: Justin Kreutzian
Softball Offense Erupts in Pair of Wins at Cougar Invite
3/2/2024 4:43:00 PM | Softball
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Senior Madeline Vejvoda recorded a career-high tying three hits and three RBI in a 13-1 win over Loyola Chicago, while sophomore Lily West collect a career-high four hits, four runs and three RBI as the Creighton softball team earned a 16-8 victory over St. Thomas to open the Cougar Invite on Saturday afternoon.
The pair of victories lifted the Bluejays to 10-5 on the season, scoring the program most runs in a single day since scoring 32 runs in a doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on opening day of the 2012 season. Loyola Chicago fell to 6-8 while St. Thomas fell to 2-16 overall with the losses.
Game 1: Creighton 13, Loyola Chicago 1
Creighton opened the day with a 13-1 victory over Loyola Chicago, scoring one in the first, four in the fifth, two in the sixth and six more in the seventh, while sophomore Natalia Puchino struck out six in five innings of work to record her sixth win of the season.
The Bluejays jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a half inning of play as senior Emma Rosonke reached on a fielding error and classmate Alyssa Gappa was hit by a pitch for the 17th time in her Bluejay career to place runners on first and second. Vejvoda then delivered her first of three RBI in the game, lining a single into right field to put Creighton out in front 1-0.
Creighton added to its lead in the top of the fifth, pushing its advantage out to 5-0 after plating four additional runs with two-outs. Freshman Ashten Pierson got things started with a single to left before recording her first collegiate stolen base to get into scoring position. Following a flyout, West drove in Pierson with an RBI single to right, before scoring herself on a fielding error by the Ramblers shortstop. Gappa then collected a single to right center while pinch runner Elly Beeson stole second to put runners back on second and third. Vejvoda followed with a two-run single to right, pushing the Jays advantage out to 5-0.
The Bluejays would tack on two addition runs in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with a single from Ella Dalton, a walk by Sydney Potter and the first hit of the season by Ensley Frame. Piersen then delivered an RBI single through the left side, extending the lead to 6-0. Following another flyout, West recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to center to make the score 7-0.
The Bluejays were not done yet, scoring six more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Vejvoda started things off with a doubled to left for her third hit of the afternoon and Dalton reached on an error before Potter launched her first home run of her Bluejay career to left to give Creighton a 10-0 lead. West then drove in her third run of the game with a single to center after Frame and Nielsen each recorded singles of their own to left. Rosonke then capped off the Bluejays scoring with a two-run triple to right center making the score 13-0.
The Ramblers would get on the scoreboard in the seventh with a solo home run from Sydney Barnett, but senior Jena Lawrence closed the door securing the 13-1 victory for the Jays.
Creighton recorded a season-high 16 hits in the win with all nine Bluejay starters recording at least one base knock. Vejvoda and West led the way with three hits and three RBI, while Dalton, Frame and Pierson each collected a pair of hits.
GAME 2: Creighton 16, St. Thomas 8
Game two saw Creighton and St. Thomas duke it out in a slugfest, with the Bluejays earning a 16-8 victory over the Tommies.
Creighton scored in five of the seven innings, recording a pair of five-runs frames while collecting 15 total hits. West paces the Bluejays with a career-high four hits while scoring a career-high four runs and driving in another three. Nielsen also collected a trio of hits, while Rosonke and Potter each added multi-hit performances. Puchino recorded her second win of the day and her seventh of the season, striking out five in 3.2 innings of relief. Starter Kenzie Schopfer also recorded three strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.
St. Thomas took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to have the Bluejays erupt for five runs in the top of the second as Nielsen, West and Rosonke drove in all five runs on three straight RBI singles.
Potter pushed the Bluejays advantage out to 6-1 in the top of the third with a solo shot down the left field line, but the Tommies answered with a two-run homer of their own to cut the deficit down to 6-3.
Creighton's lead grew to 9-3 in the top of the fourth as the Jays scored three runs on a wild pitch and a Tommies fielding error, but once again St. Thomas launched a two-run home run to cut into the Bluejays lead.
With the Bluejays going down in order in the top of the fifth, the Tommies answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to make the score 9-7.
Creighton, however, used a sacrifice fly by Vejvoda, an RBI single from Dalton, a two-run double by Potter and an RBI single from Frame to open up a 13-7 advantage.
St. Thomas would not go away, adding an addition run in the bottom half of the sixth, before Creighton put the game out of reach with an RBI double from West and another sacrifice fly from Vejvoda in the seventh to secure the 16-8 victory for the Bluejays.
Creighton returns to the field tomorrow afternoon when they close out the Cougar Invite with contests against Illinois State (12 p.m.) and host SIU Edwardsville (2:30 p.m.)
NOTES
The Bluejays 29 combined runs scored are the most runs scored on the same day since the Bluejays scored 32 runs against in a doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the opening day of the 2012 season … With her three runs scored the second game against St. Thomas, Cayla Nielsen moved into 10th on Creighton's all-time runs scored list with 115 career runs scored … Natalia Puchino recorded the 150th strikeout of her Bluejay career with the first strikeout in the second innings of the Bluejays' 13-1 win over Loyola Chicago … Lily West recorded a career-high four hits and four runs scored, while tying her career-high with three RBI in the win over St. Thomas.
The pair of victories lifted the Bluejays to 10-5 on the season, scoring the program most runs in a single day since scoring 32 runs in a doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on opening day of the 2012 season. Loyola Chicago fell to 6-8 while St. Thomas fell to 2-16 overall with the losses.
Game 1: Creighton 13, Loyola Chicago 1
Creighton opened the day with a 13-1 victory over Loyola Chicago, scoring one in the first, four in the fifth, two in the sixth and six more in the seventh, while sophomore Natalia Puchino struck out six in five innings of work to record her sixth win of the season.
The Bluejays jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a half inning of play as senior Emma Rosonke reached on a fielding error and classmate Alyssa Gappa was hit by a pitch for the 17th time in her Bluejay career to place runners on first and second. Vejvoda then delivered her first of three RBI in the game, lining a single into right field to put Creighton out in front 1-0.
Creighton added to its lead in the top of the fifth, pushing its advantage out to 5-0 after plating four additional runs with two-outs. Freshman Ashten Pierson got things started with a single to left before recording her first collegiate stolen base to get into scoring position. Following a flyout, West drove in Pierson with an RBI single to right, before scoring herself on a fielding error by the Ramblers shortstop. Gappa then collected a single to right center while pinch runner Elly Beeson stole second to put runners back on second and third. Vejvoda followed with a two-run single to right, pushing the Jays advantage out to 5-0.
The Bluejays would tack on two addition runs in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with a single from Ella Dalton, a walk by Sydney Potter and the first hit of the season by Ensley Frame. Piersen then delivered an RBI single through the left side, extending the lead to 6-0. Following another flyout, West recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to center to make the score 7-0.
The Bluejays were not done yet, scoring six more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. Vejvoda started things off with a doubled to left for her third hit of the afternoon and Dalton reached on an error before Potter launched her first home run of her Bluejay career to left to give Creighton a 10-0 lead. West then drove in her third run of the game with a single to center after Frame and Nielsen each recorded singles of their own to left. Rosonke then capped off the Bluejays scoring with a two-run triple to right center making the score 13-0.
The Ramblers would get on the scoreboard in the seventh with a solo home run from Sydney Barnett, but senior Jena Lawrence closed the door securing the 13-1 victory for the Jays.
Creighton recorded a season-high 16 hits in the win with all nine Bluejay starters recording at least one base knock. Vejvoda and West led the way with three hits and three RBI, while Dalton, Frame and Pierson each collected a pair of hits.
GAME 2: Creighton 16, St. Thomas 8
Game two saw Creighton and St. Thomas duke it out in a slugfest, with the Bluejays earning a 16-8 victory over the Tommies.
Creighton scored in five of the seven innings, recording a pair of five-runs frames while collecting 15 total hits. West paces the Bluejays with a career-high four hits while scoring a career-high four runs and driving in another three. Nielsen also collected a trio of hits, while Rosonke and Potter each added multi-hit performances. Puchino recorded her second win of the day and her seventh of the season, striking out five in 3.2 innings of relief. Starter Kenzie Schopfer also recorded three strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched.
St. Thomas took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, only to have the Bluejays erupt for five runs in the top of the second as Nielsen, West and Rosonke drove in all five runs on three straight RBI singles.
Potter pushed the Bluejays advantage out to 6-1 in the top of the third with a solo shot down the left field line, but the Tommies answered with a two-run homer of their own to cut the deficit down to 6-3.
Creighton's lead grew to 9-3 in the top of the fourth as the Jays scored three runs on a wild pitch and a Tommies fielding error, but once again St. Thomas launched a two-run home run to cut into the Bluejays lead.
With the Bluejays going down in order in the top of the fifth, the Tommies answered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to make the score 9-7.
Creighton, however, used a sacrifice fly by Vejvoda, an RBI single from Dalton, a two-run double by Potter and an RBI single from Frame to open up a 13-7 advantage.
St. Thomas would not go away, adding an addition run in the bottom half of the sixth, before Creighton put the game out of reach with an RBI double from West and another sacrifice fly from Vejvoda in the seventh to secure the 16-8 victory for the Bluejays.
Creighton returns to the field tomorrow afternoon when they close out the Cougar Invite with contests against Illinois State (12 p.m.) and host SIU Edwardsville (2:30 p.m.)
NOTES
The Bluejays 29 combined runs scored are the most runs scored on the same day since the Bluejays scored 32 runs against in a doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the opening day of the 2012 season … With her three runs scored the second game against St. Thomas, Cayla Nielsen moved into 10th on Creighton's all-time runs scored list with 115 career runs scored … Natalia Puchino recorded the 150th strikeout of her Bluejay career with the first strikeout in the second innings of the Bluejays' 13-1 win over Loyola Chicago … Lily West recorded a career-high four hits and four runs scored, while tying her career-high with three RBI in the win over St. Thomas.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Puchino, Natalia (6-1)
L: Hickey (0-1)
Batting:
2B: West, Lily 1 ; Vejvoda, Madeline 1
3B: Rosonke, Emma 1
HR: Potter, Sydney 1
RBI: West, Lily 3 ; Rosonke, Emma 2 ; Vejvoda, Madeline 3 ; Potter, Sydney 3 ; Pierson, Ashten 1
SF: West, Lily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nielsen, Cayla 1 ; West, Lily 2 ; Rosonke, Emma 1 ; Chairez, Mikayla 1 ; Beeson, Elly 1 ; Vejvoda, Madeline 1 ; Dalton, Ella 2 ; Potter, Sydney 1 ; Davis, Lynn 1 ; Frame, Ensley 1 ; Pierson, Ashten 1
SB: Beeson, Elly 1 ; Dalton, Ella 1 ; Pierson, Ashten 1
HBP: Gappa, Alyssa 2
Batting:
HR: Barnett 1
RBI: Barnett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barnett 1
CS: Bieneman 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
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