Friday, February 14
Kennesaw, Ga.
9:00 A.M.
Creighton University
3-3
0
vs
3
Northern Kentucky
5-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Creighton
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
1
Northern Kentucky
0
0
0
0
3
0
X
3
2
0
Photo by: Lara Zuk
Strong Pitching Guides Bluejay Softball to Split at Kennesaw State Tournament
2/14/2025 2:23:00 PM | Softball
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Creighton softball team used strong pitching and a late inning rally to split a pair of contests during the first day of competition at the Kennesaw State Tournament on Friday in Kennesaw, Ga.
The Bluejays fell to Northern Kentucky in the opener, 3-0, before rallying for a 3-1 win over Morehead State in the afternoon. The split moved Creighton to 4-3 on the year, while Northern Kentucky improved to 5-1 overall and Morehead State fell to 0-6 on the young season.
Game 1: Northern Kentucky 3, Creighton 0
Despite a solid pitching performance from sophomore Brooklyn Patchen, Creighton dropped a 3-0 decision to Northern Kentucky in the Bluejays first game of the Kennesaw State Tournament.
Patchen struck out four but allowed three runs (all unearned) on just two hits in 4.1 innings of work, ending the games as the hard-luck loser. Freshman Abby Rusher also fired 1.2 hitless innings of relief. Junior Lily West led the Bluejays offense with a pair of hits, while five other Bluejays recorded a hit in the setback.
The Bluejays put pressure on the Norse early, threatening to push across runs in both the fourth and fifth innings after recording a pair of hits in each frame, but a pair of double plays kept the Bluejays from doing any sort of damage.
Locked into a scoreless pitcher's duel entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Northern Kentucky was able to break through plating three unearned runs to secure the 3-0 victory. A leadoff walk by Brooke Keltner put things in motion, as the Norse pushed across their first run of the game on a fielding error and a pair of fielder's choices. Olivia Pastin followed with a two-run double to center, pushing Northern Kentucky's advantage out to 3-0.
Down to their final three outs, Creighton got a leadoff double from junior Erika Perez and a single from sophomore Lynn Davis, before NKU's Brooklyn Ballis closed the door on the Bluejays offense to earn her third win of the season.
Ballis improved to 3-0 on the year, striking out two in the complete-game shutout, while Pastin recorded the only two hits of the contest for the Norse in the win.
Game 2: Creighton 3, Morehead State 1
In game two, the Bluejays used another strong performance in the circle and a late offensive surge to claim a 3-1 victory over Morehead State.
Bluejays starter Kenzie Schopfer worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, before Morehead State opened the scoring with their lone run of the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Back-to-back singled to open the frame, forced the Bluejays to make a pitching change before an RBI single from Ilencian Lightbody gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Creighton quickly answered with a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth to take its first lead of the day. Redshirt freshman Kenzie Nakasawa led off the inning with a double, the first of her career, before pinch runner Meghan McCutcheon came around to score on a bunt single from Davis. Seville followed with a single of her own, placing runners on second and third after advancing to second on the throw from the right fielder. West then lined an RBI single back up the middle to give Creighton a 2-1 lead.
The Bluejays would tack on an insurance run in the top half of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Sydney Potter after a walk to Seville and back-to-back singled by Ashley Smetter and West loaded the bases.
Sophomore Brooke Shifflett would keep the Eagles at bay in the bottom half of the seventh, closing the game with a career-high tying 4.0 scoreless inning of relief and a career-high four strikeouts to earn her second win of the season.
Seville and West continued their hot hitting, each collecting a pair of hits in the win.
Creighton continues play at the Kennesaw State Tournament on Saturday at 9 a.m. against Northern Kentucky, before a matchup with host Kennesaw State at 3 p.m.
The Bluejays fell to Northern Kentucky in the opener, 3-0, before rallying for a 3-1 win over Morehead State in the afternoon. The split moved Creighton to 4-3 on the year, while Northern Kentucky improved to 5-1 overall and Morehead State fell to 0-6 on the young season.
Game 1: Northern Kentucky 3, Creighton 0
Despite a solid pitching performance from sophomore Brooklyn Patchen, Creighton dropped a 3-0 decision to Northern Kentucky in the Bluejays first game of the Kennesaw State Tournament.
Patchen struck out four but allowed three runs (all unearned) on just two hits in 4.1 innings of work, ending the games as the hard-luck loser. Freshman Abby Rusher also fired 1.2 hitless innings of relief. Junior Lily West led the Bluejays offense with a pair of hits, while five other Bluejays recorded a hit in the setback.
The Bluejays put pressure on the Norse early, threatening to push across runs in both the fourth and fifth innings after recording a pair of hits in each frame, but a pair of double plays kept the Bluejays from doing any sort of damage.
Locked into a scoreless pitcher's duel entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Northern Kentucky was able to break through plating three unearned runs to secure the 3-0 victory. A leadoff walk by Brooke Keltner put things in motion, as the Norse pushed across their first run of the game on a fielding error and a pair of fielder's choices. Olivia Pastin followed with a two-run double to center, pushing Northern Kentucky's advantage out to 3-0.
Down to their final three outs, Creighton got a leadoff double from junior Erika Perez and a single from sophomore Lynn Davis, before NKU's Brooklyn Ballis closed the door on the Bluejays offense to earn her third win of the season.
Ballis improved to 3-0 on the year, striking out two in the complete-game shutout, while Pastin recorded the only two hits of the contest for the Norse in the win.
Game 2: Creighton 3, Morehead State 1
In game two, the Bluejays used another strong performance in the circle and a late offensive surge to claim a 3-1 victory over Morehead State.
Bluejays starter Kenzie Schopfer worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, before Morehead State opened the scoring with their lone run of the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Back-to-back singled to open the frame, forced the Bluejays to make a pitching change before an RBI single from Ilencian Lightbody gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Creighton quickly answered with a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth to take its first lead of the day. Redshirt freshman Kenzie Nakasawa led off the inning with a double, the first of her career, before pinch runner Meghan McCutcheon came around to score on a bunt single from Davis. Seville followed with a single of her own, placing runners on second and third after advancing to second on the throw from the right fielder. West then lined an RBI single back up the middle to give Creighton a 2-1 lead.
The Bluejays would tack on an insurance run in the top half of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Sydney Potter after a walk to Seville and back-to-back singled by Ashley Smetter and West loaded the bases.
Sophomore Brooke Shifflett would keep the Eagles at bay in the bottom half of the seventh, closing the game with a career-high tying 4.0 scoreless inning of relief and a career-high four strikeouts to earn her second win of the season.
Seville and West continued their hot hitting, each collecting a pair of hits in the win.
Creighton continues play at the Kennesaw State Tournament on Saturday at 9 a.m. against Northern Kentucky, before a matchup with host Kennesaw State at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ballis, Broo (3-0)
L: Patchen, Brooklyn (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Perez, Erika 1
Batting:
2B: Pastin, Oliv 2
RBI: Rhoads, Jena 1 ; Pastin, Oliv 2
SH: Loudermilk, 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rhoads, Jena 1 ; Keltner, Bro 1 ; Brow, Mack 1
CS: Rhoads, Jena 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
rf/cf
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
2b/rf
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
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