PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Creighton posted its second come-from-behind win of the BIG EAST Championship on Friday, defeating St. John’s 2-1 to stave off elimination at Glay Field in Providence, R.I.
The win lifted the Bluejays to 35-21 on the year and into a winner-take-all elimination game with UConn for the final spot in tomorrow’s BIG EAST Tournament Title game. St. John’s on the other hand ended their season with a 31-27 overall record.
The fifth inning was the turning point. After a leadoff walk to Alyssa Gappa and a one-out single by Cayla Nielsen, the Bluejays tied the game at 1-1 on an RBI single to left by Lily West. Madeline Vejvoda followed with a single to left-center to give Creighton all the offense it would need.
The bottom of the fifth proved even more dramatic. Jess Bianco reached via a one-out single. She would steal second base, only to be called out after a replay review for leaving first base early. Undaunted, St. John’s compiled back-to-back singles. Another single from Sydney Totarsky that appeared to tie the game went for naught, as pinch-runner Paige Sterling was also deemed to have left first base early after a video review, ending the Red Storm threat.
St. John’s slugger London Jarrard started the scoring in the third inning with a solo homer to center.
Nielsen paced the Bluejays with a pair of hits, while sophomore Natalia Puchino improved to 26-7 in the circle, tossing her fourth consecutive complete-game.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior Alyssa Gappa went a perfect 3-for-3 with a Creighton single-game BIG EAST Tournament record six RBI to propel the third-seeded Creighton Softball team to a 10-6 win over second-seeded UConn on Friday night in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament presented by Jeep.
Creighton (36-21) advances to Saturday’s 3:00 p.m. Central final against top-seeded Villanova in a game that will air of FS2. Creighton will need to take down the Wildcats twice to advance the programs 13th NCAA Tournament in program history.
Trailing 4-0 after two complete innings, the Bluejays mounted a monumental comeback taking their first lead of the game on one swing of the bat from Gappa. Following a four-pitch walk by junior Sydra Seville and a wild pitch that advanced her to second, senior Madeline Vejvoda drove in the Bluejays first run of the game with an RBI single to right center. CU would then load the bases on a single to right by sophomore Lily West and a four-pitch walk to senior Emma Rosonke. Gappa then blasted the team first grand slam of the season over the left field wall to give the Bluejays a 5-4 lead as momentum shifted into the Bluejays favor.
The Huskies, however, responded quickly regaining a 6-5 lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. A one-out single and a wild pitch put Grace Jenkins on second, where she would come around to score on an RBI double down the right field line by Rosie Garcia. Garcia would then score on an RBI double to right center by Jana Sanden to take a 6-5 lead.
After retiring the side in the top half of the fifth, the Bluejays got back to work, tying the contest at 6-6 on an RBI single down the left field line by Gappa.
Following another scoreless inning from junior Kenzie Schopfer in the circle, the Bluejays used five hits and a UConn error to plate four runs to open up a 10-6 lead. Senior Cayla Nielsen opened the frame with her 41stdouble of her career before Seville beat out a bunt single to extend her hitting streak to 14 straight contests. Vejvoda then delivered a go-ahead RBI single double the left field line to give Creighton a 7-6 lead. Following a sacrifice bunt from West that moved the runners to second and third, Dalton lined a two-run single to center to extend the lead to 9-6. Gappa continued to stay hot, rocketing an RBI double down the right field line to secure the Bluejays 10-6 victory.
The Bluejays finished the contest with 10 combined hits, led by Gappa with three, including the Bluejays first grand slam of the season. Gappa finished with a Creighton single -BIG EAST Tournament game record six RBI while senior Madeline Vejvoda and sophomore Lily West each closed the contest with a pair of base knocks.
Junior Kenzie Schopfer picked up the victory in the circle, improving to 6-7 on the year after firing 3.0 hitless innings with three strikeouts.
UConn finished their season with a 31-24 overall record as Payton Kinney was the hard luck loser falling to 12-5 this season. Rosie Garcia paced the Huskies with two hits, while Hope Jenkins collected a trio of RBI in the loss.
