Friday, February 27
Greeley, Colo.
2:00 PM
Creighton University
5-11
4
at
6
Northern Colorado
7-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Creighton
0
0
0
3
0
0
1
4
9
1
Northern Colorado
0
2
2
0
2
0
X
6
9
0
Photo by: Creighton Athletics
Mayhue’s Career Day Carries Bluejay Softball to Doubleheader Split at Northern Colorado
2/27/2026 10:01:00 PM | Softball
GREELEY, Colo. – Powered by two home runs and six RBI from freshman Keegan Mayhue and a school-record tying 22 hits, the Creighton softball team salvaged a doubleheader split at Northern Colorado on the opening day of the Colorado Classic.
The Bluejays dropped the opener to the Bears, 6-4, before responding with a 20-11 win over the host in the night cap. The Jays 20 runs scored in game two, were tied for the second-most runs in a single game in program history, while the 22 total hits tied the school record for most hits in a single contest.
With Friday's results, Creighton moved to 6-11 on the year, while Northern Colorado jumped to 7-10 overall.
Game 1: Northern Colorado 6, Creighton 4
In game one, the Bears broke open a scoreless game early, taking a 4-0 lead with two runs in both the second and third innings.
Ella Gonzales led off the second with a single and advanced to third on a double from Katie Walling, before coming in to score the first run of the game on a pass ball. Krista Francia would then deliver an RBI groundout to make it 2-0, before using back-to-back RBI singles from Gonzales and Walling in the third to take a 4-0 advantage.
Creighton would respond in the fourth with back-to-back singles from Lily West and Kaelan Schultz and a three-run home run from Mayhue, her second of the season, to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Northern Colorado, however, would tack on two addition runs in fifth on an RBI single from Walling and a sacrifice fly from Francia to push the lead back out to 6-3.
Down to their final three outs, Creighton got a leadoff single from Erika Perez and an RBI double from Avery Barnard to make the score 6-4, but it wasn't enough as Northern Colorado held on for the victory.
The Bluejays collected nine hits in the contest, led by West with two base knocks. Junior Brooklyn Patchen suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work.
GAME 2: Creighton 20, Northern Colorado 11
Game two saw the Bluejays offense explode, rallying from an early deficit with a program-record tying 22 hits in a historic 20-11 victory.
UNC took control early, sending 11 batters to the plate in the opening frame to grab an 9-0 lead. Wallin got the scoring started with a two-run double to left, before Hayden Nelson delivered a two-run single through the right side to give the Bear a 4-0 lead. Emma Harring followed with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 5-0, before Jazzy Longo blasted a grand slam off the foul pole in left to push the advantage to 9-0 in the first inning.
Creighton rally would start in the top of the second with the third home run of the season from Tara Vandewater, a solo shot to left center field to make the score 9-1.
Following a scoreless inning from relief pitcher Ava Drehs, the Bluejays went back to work, plating eight runs on six hits and a pair of walks in the top of the third to level the contest at 9-9. Junior Ashten Pierson led off the frame racing to third on a throwing error from the Bears catcher, before coming in to score on an RBI single to right from Ella Dalton. Dalton then stole second and scored two-pitches later as Barnard laced an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to 9-3. Zoey Greenwood followed with a single to right and West drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Kaelan Schultz then drew a walk of her own to make the score 9-4, before Mayhue blasted her first collegiate grand slam to cut the deficit to 9-8 and force a second Northern Colorado pitching change. Following a flyout to left, Perez lined her second triple of the season into the right field corner to represent the game-tying run. Pierson then singled on a bunt but was tagged out in a rundown that allowing pinch-runner Emma Bailey to score from third to tie the game at 9-9.
Creighton would keep it rolling with four runs in the top of the fourth as West gave the Jays its first lead the day at 10-9 with an RBI single off the Bears third baseman. Schultz then followed with a two-run double, pushing the Jays advantage to 12-9. Vandewater then drew a walk and advanced to third on a single to right from Perez, before the duo executed a double delayed steal to take a 13-9 lead.
Northern Colorado would answer with a sacrifice fly from Gonzalez and an RBI double from Walling in the home half of the fourth to cut the lead in half at 13-11.
The Bluejays would then tack on four additional runs in the top of the fifth as Schultz launched a three-run shot to right center and Mayhue followed it up with her second home run of the game to extend the lead to 17-11.
The Jays were not done there as they scored three insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from Mayhue and a two-run single from Vandewater to cap off the 20-11 victory.
Creighton recorded a school-record tying 22 hits in the win with seven different Bluejays recorded multiple hits in the contest, led by three hits from Barnard, Greenwood, Schultz, Mayhue and Vandewater. In addition, the Jays recorded 18 RBI, tied for the second-most in a single game in program history, with Schultz and Mayhue each recorded a career-high six runs batted in. Creighton also recorded seven stolen bases in the victory, tying the second-most in a single game ever.
Creighton will continue play at the Colorado Classic on Saturday when they take on Northern Colorado at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 4:30 p.m. game against Colorado State in Fort Collins.
The Bluejays dropped the opener to the Bears, 6-4, before responding with a 20-11 win over the host in the night cap. The Jays 20 runs scored in game two, were tied for the second-most runs in a single game in program history, while the 22 total hits tied the school record for most hits in a single contest.
With Friday's results, Creighton moved to 6-11 on the year, while Northern Colorado jumped to 7-10 overall.
Game 1: Northern Colorado 6, Creighton 4
In game one, the Bears broke open a scoreless game early, taking a 4-0 lead with two runs in both the second and third innings.
Ella Gonzales led off the second with a single and advanced to third on a double from Katie Walling, before coming in to score the first run of the game on a pass ball. Krista Francia would then deliver an RBI groundout to make it 2-0, before using back-to-back RBI singles from Gonzales and Walling in the third to take a 4-0 advantage.
Creighton would respond in the fourth with back-to-back singles from Lily West and Kaelan Schultz and a three-run home run from Mayhue, her second of the season, to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Northern Colorado, however, would tack on two addition runs in fifth on an RBI single from Walling and a sacrifice fly from Francia to push the lead back out to 6-3.
Down to their final three outs, Creighton got a leadoff single from Erika Perez and an RBI double from Avery Barnard to make the score 6-4, but it wasn't enough as Northern Colorado held on for the victory.
The Bluejays collected nine hits in the contest, led by West with two base knocks. Junior Brooklyn Patchen suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work.
GAME 2: Creighton 20, Northern Colorado 11
Game two saw the Bluejays offense explode, rallying from an early deficit with a program-record tying 22 hits in a historic 20-11 victory.
UNC took control early, sending 11 batters to the plate in the opening frame to grab an 9-0 lead. Wallin got the scoring started with a two-run double to left, before Hayden Nelson delivered a two-run single through the right side to give the Bear a 4-0 lead. Emma Harring followed with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 5-0, before Jazzy Longo blasted a grand slam off the foul pole in left to push the advantage to 9-0 in the first inning.
Creighton rally would start in the top of the second with the third home run of the season from Tara Vandewater, a solo shot to left center field to make the score 9-1.
Following a scoreless inning from relief pitcher Ava Drehs, the Bluejays went back to work, plating eight runs on six hits and a pair of walks in the top of the third to level the contest at 9-9. Junior Ashten Pierson led off the frame racing to third on a throwing error from the Bears catcher, before coming in to score on an RBI single to right from Ella Dalton. Dalton then stole second and scored two-pitches later as Barnard laced an RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to 9-3. Zoey Greenwood followed with a single to right and West drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Kaelan Schultz then drew a walk of her own to make the score 9-4, before Mayhue blasted her first collegiate grand slam to cut the deficit to 9-8 and force a second Northern Colorado pitching change. Following a flyout to left, Perez lined her second triple of the season into the right field corner to represent the game-tying run. Pierson then singled on a bunt but was tagged out in a rundown that allowing pinch-runner Emma Bailey to score from third to tie the game at 9-9.
Creighton would keep it rolling with four runs in the top of the fourth as West gave the Jays its first lead the day at 10-9 with an RBI single off the Bears third baseman. Schultz then followed with a two-run double, pushing the Jays advantage to 12-9. Vandewater then drew a walk and advanced to third on a single to right from Perez, before the duo executed a double delayed steal to take a 13-9 lead.
Northern Colorado would answer with a sacrifice fly from Gonzalez and an RBI double from Walling in the home half of the fourth to cut the lead in half at 13-11.
The Bluejays would then tack on four additional runs in the top of the fifth as Schultz launched a three-run shot to right center and Mayhue followed it up with her second home run of the game to extend the lead to 17-11.
The Jays were not done there as they scored three insurance runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from Mayhue and a two-run single from Vandewater to cap off the 20-11 victory.
Creighton recorded a school-record tying 22 hits in the win with seven different Bluejays recorded multiple hits in the contest, led by three hits from Barnard, Greenwood, Schultz, Mayhue and Vandewater. In addition, the Jays recorded 18 RBI, tied for the second-most in a single game in program history, with Schultz and Mayhue each recorded a career-high six runs batted in. Creighton also recorded seven stolen bases in the victory, tying the second-most in a single game ever.
Creighton will continue play at the Colorado Classic on Saturday when they take on Northern Colorado at 11:30 a.m., followed by a 4:30 p.m. game against Colorado State in Fort Collins.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Anna Wilming (4-2)
L: Patchen, Brooklyn (2-4)
S: Grace Algrim (1)
Batting:
2B: Barnard, Avery 1
HR: Mayhue, Keegan 1
RBI: Barnard, Avery 1 ; Mayhue, Keegan 3
Base Running:
RUNS: West, Lily 1 ; Schultz, Kaelan 1 ; Mayhue, Keegan 1 ; Davis, Lynn 1
Batting:
2B: Katie Walling 1 ; Hayden Nelson 1
RBI: Katie Walling 2 ; Krista Francia 2
SF: Krista Francia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Amailee Morales 1 ; Katie Thomson 1 ; Kk Christie 2 ; Ella Gonzales 1 ; Katie Walling 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ Softball
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Northern Colorado (Game 2), 2/27/26
Saturday, February 28
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Northern Colorado (Game 1), 2/27/26
Saturday, February 28
Creighton Softball vs. UT Arlington, 2/22/26
Monday, February 23
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. UT Arlington, 2/20/26
Saturday, February 21
