Friday, March 28
Omaha, Neb.
2:00 P.M.
Creighton University
12-16, 2-5
7
vs
6
Connecticut
16-12, 5-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Connecticut
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
0
6
11
2
Creighton
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
1
7
9
0
Kaelan Schultz
Photo by: Justin Kreutzian
Historic Comeback Leads Softball in Series Opener vs. UConn
3/28/2025 4:45:00 PM | Softball
Bluejays trailed 6-0 heading to the bottom of the 7th
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton Softball team pulled off a comeback for the ages on Friday as the Bluejays scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and another in the eighth to knock off the league-leading Huskies, 7-6, to open a three-game series on Friday afternoon at the CU Sports Complex.
The victory matched Creighton's largest comeback in a win since since 1994, having also overcome a 6-0 deficit with a nine-run seventh frame to defeat Weber State on Feb. 25, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif.
Creighton (12-16, 2-5 BIG EAST) snapped a five-game win streak in BIG EAST play for the Huskies (16-12, 5-2 BIG EAST), who had entered the day tied for first in the league standings.
UConn took a 2-0 lead when Cat Petteys lofted a two-run homer with one out in the sixth to score pinch-runner Rayah Snyder, who was in after Kaiea Higa's hard-hit single ricocheted off Bluejay starter Kenzie Schopfer. The Huskies had a chance to extend the lead after loading the bases, only to have Schopfer strike out Kaitlyn Kibling to escape further damage.
The Huskies tacked on four runs in the top of the seventh when Lexi Hastings singled, stole second, and scored on an RBI double by Higa. Higa and Petteyes then circled the bases on Kaitlyn Breslin's sixth homer of the season, a deep drive to left-center, stretching the UConn lead to 6-0.
CU's rally started with the fourth homer of the season by Kaelan Schultz, a solo shot that snuck inside the left-field line. Ashley Smetter and Avery Barnard singled and Kenzie Nakasawa walked to load the bases. Ella Dalton then delivered a two-run single to right-center to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs and the top of the Bluejay order coming up. Kinney earned a strikeout before Ashten Pierson reached via a bunt single to load the bases and bring up Lily West. After issuing a ball to open the count, UConn turned to reliever Hope Jenkins. Jenkins' second pitch went to the backstop to score Nakasawa, and West doubled to center to knot the game. UConn ace Payton Kinney re-entered and got a strikeout before Schultz was issued a walk. Smetter then hit a two-hopper to third as West was tagged out to send the game into extra innings.
Schopfer struck out five batters while throwing the first seven innings for CU before giving way to Brooklyn Patchen to open the eighth inning. Patchen (5-6) hit the first batter she faced but worked through the top of the UConn lineup to hold the Huskies scoreless and give CU the chance it needed to snap a seven-game losing streak.
The Huskies used Sydnee Koosh (5-7) to pitch the eighth inning. She issued a walk to Barnard, who moved to second when Koosh booted a sacrifice bunt attempt from Nakasawa. Dalton bunted both runners into scoring position to bring up its hottest hitter, Sydra Seville. Seville's smash bounced over the glove of a drawn-in Petteys at shortstop, driving home Barnard with the winning run.
Kinney escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and retired the next 16 women she faced in what started as a pitcher's duel. Kinney allowed just two hits in the first six shutout innings before allowing she surrendered six runs and six hits in the seventh as she crossed the 100-pitch plateau. She threw 117 pitches on the day, including 35 in the seventh frame.
The Bluejays and Huskies will play the second game of today's doubleheader at approximately 5:15 p.m.
The victory matched Creighton's largest comeback in a win since since 1994, having also overcome a 6-0 deficit with a nine-run seventh frame to defeat Weber State on Feb. 25, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif.
Creighton (12-16, 2-5 BIG EAST) snapped a five-game win streak in BIG EAST play for the Huskies (16-12, 5-2 BIG EAST), who had entered the day tied for first in the league standings.
UConn took a 2-0 lead when Cat Petteys lofted a two-run homer with one out in the sixth to score pinch-runner Rayah Snyder, who was in after Kaiea Higa's hard-hit single ricocheted off Bluejay starter Kenzie Schopfer. The Huskies had a chance to extend the lead after loading the bases, only to have Schopfer strike out Kaitlyn Kibling to escape further damage.
The Huskies tacked on four runs in the top of the seventh when Lexi Hastings singled, stole second, and scored on an RBI double by Higa. Higa and Petteyes then circled the bases on Kaitlyn Breslin's sixth homer of the season, a deep drive to left-center, stretching the UConn lead to 6-0.
CU's rally started with the fourth homer of the season by Kaelan Schultz, a solo shot that snuck inside the left-field line. Ashley Smetter and Avery Barnard singled and Kenzie Nakasawa walked to load the bases. Ella Dalton then delivered a two-run single to right-center to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs and the top of the Bluejay order coming up. Kinney earned a strikeout before Ashten Pierson reached via a bunt single to load the bases and bring up Lily West. After issuing a ball to open the count, UConn turned to reliever Hope Jenkins. Jenkins' second pitch went to the backstop to score Nakasawa, and West doubled to center to knot the game. UConn ace Payton Kinney re-entered and got a strikeout before Schultz was issued a walk. Smetter then hit a two-hopper to third as West was tagged out to send the game into extra innings.
Schopfer struck out five batters while throwing the first seven innings for CU before giving way to Brooklyn Patchen to open the eighth inning. Patchen (5-6) hit the first batter she faced but worked through the top of the UConn lineup to hold the Huskies scoreless and give CU the chance it needed to snap a seven-game losing streak.
The Huskies used Sydnee Koosh (5-7) to pitch the eighth inning. She issued a walk to Barnard, who moved to second when Koosh booted a sacrifice bunt attempt from Nakasawa. Dalton bunted both runners into scoring position to bring up its hottest hitter, Sydra Seville. Seville's smash bounced over the glove of a drawn-in Petteys at shortstop, driving home Barnard with the winning run.
Kinney escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and retired the next 16 women she faced in what started as a pitcher's duel. Kinney allowed just two hits in the first six shutout innings before allowing she surrendered six runs and six hits in the seventh as she crossed the 100-pitch plateau. She threw 117 pitches on the day, including 35 in the seventh frame.
The Bluejays and Huskies will play the second game of today's doubleheader at approximately 5:15 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Patchen, Brooklyn (5-6)
L: Koosh, Sydnee (5-7)
Batting:
2B: Higa, Kaiea 1 ; Petteys, Cat 1 ; Coupal, Haley 1
HR: Petteys, Cat 1 ; Breslin, Kaitlyn 1
RBI: Higa, Kaiea 1 ; Petteys, Cat 2 ; Breslin, Kaitlyn 3
SH: Hastings, Lexi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hastings, Lexi 1 ; Higa, Kaiea 1 ; Snyder, Rayah 1 ; Petteys, Cat 2 ; Breslin, Kaitlyn 1
SB: Hastings, Lexi 1 ; Kibling, Kaitlyn 1
CS: Coupal, Haley 1
HBP: Kibling, Kaitlyn 1
Batting:
2B: West, Lily 1
HR: Schultz, Kaelan 1
RBI: Seville, Sydra 1 ; West, Lily 2 ; Schultz, Kaelan 1 ; Dalton, Ella 2
SH: Pierson, Ashten 1 ; Nakasawa, Kenzie 1 ; Dalton, Ella 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pierson, Ashten 1 ; Schultz, Kaelan 1 ; Smetter, Ashley 1 ; Barnard, Avery 2 ; Nakasawa, Kenzie 1 ; Dalton, Ella 1
HBP: Potter, Sydney 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
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