Providence friars coach encourages fans to embrace future after…..
Softball maintains its momentum, defeating Providence 8-2 to win the series.
Omaha, Nebraska – With an 8-2 victory over Providence on Saturday afternoon, the Creighton softball team won its eighth straight game and its sixth BIG EAST series of the year. With their eighth straight victory, the Bluejays advanced to 16-7 in BIG EAST play and 33-19 overall. Meanwhile, Providence’s loss dropped them out of the running for the BIG EAST Tournament, dropping them to 21-23-1 overall and 10-13 in league play. After UConn’s rout of Georgetown this past weekend, Creighton needs to triumph on Sunday in order to guarantee the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament the following week. The Jays will be the third seed if they lose.
With four runs on four singles in the bottom of the second, Creighton got things started in a major way. Emma Rosonke, a senior, led off the frame with a single to left. Sydra Seville then singled and a wild pitch placed runners on the corners with one out. Erika Perez, a sophomore, drew a walk to load the bases after Seville stole second. The opening run of the game for the Bluejays was subsequently scored by rookie Ashten Pierson, who slipped an RBI single through the right side. The Bluejays took a 4-1 lead after senior Cayla Nielsen followed with a bases-clearing double into the left center field gap.
Quickly responding, the Friars scored two runs in the top half of the third to reduce the Bluejays’ lead in half. After Tori Grifone and Elisa Smith each singled once, Gabriella Lee loaded the bases due to a Bluejay error. Rachael Petrarca hit a two-run single into center field to take advantage of the error and trimmed the score to 4-2. But the Bluejays responded with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings off of sacrifice flies to left by sophomore Ella Dalton and an RBI double to center by senior Alyssa Gappa, giving Creighton a four-run lead again at 6-2.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Pierson committed a throwing error in the middle of a pickle, which allowed Creighton to score two more runs to make the score 7-2. The Bluejays went on to win 8-2 thanks to a sacrifice fly to left by senior Madeline Vejvoda. With two hits apiece, Pierson and Nielsen led the Bluejays’ attack. Nielsen also got her 40th career double, pushing her into a tie for fourth place on the Creighton all-time career doubles chart with Kelly Brookhart.
With 2.2 flawless innings of one hit ball, sophomore Natalia Puchino got her 24th victory of the year. In 3.1 innings of work, rookie starter Brooklyn Patchen gave up two runs on just four hits while striking out three batters. On Sunday afternoon, senior day, Creighton and Providence will wrap off their three-game series. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
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