Creighton Softball Rallies for 10-7 Victory Over Butler

OMAHA, Neb. -- Junior Erika Perez homered in the third and then blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth to rally Creighton softball to a 10-7 win over Butler on Saturday, April 12, in its Strikeout Cancer game. 
 
Creighton’s fifth straight BIG EAST win lifted the Bluejays to 17-20 on the season and 7-7 in BIG EAST play, while Butler fell to 21-17 overall and 10-7 in league action. 
 
Perez and junior Lily West led the way offensively with a pair of hits, while Perez collected a career-high five RBI in the victory. Senior Kenzie Schopfer (4-6) earned her fourth win of the season, limiting Butler to three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work, while sophomore Brooklyn Patchen collected her second save of the season, striking out five in 4.2 innings pitched. 
 
Creighton quickly built a 4-0 lead, plating one run in the first, two in the second and one more in the third. A bases loaded single from sophomore Sydney Potter put the Jays on the board in the first, before back-to-back bases loaded walks from West and sophomore Kaelan Schultz gave the Bluejays a 3-0 edge in the second. Perez then belted her first home run of the day over the left field walk to extend CU’s lead out to 4-0. 
 
Butler responded with a four-run fourth, leveling the contest a 4-4. Back-to-back one-out walks to Makena Alexander and Olivia Moxley set things into motion as Sydney Carter delivered an RBI single up the middle to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Kieli Ryan followed with an RBI double of her own, cutting the deficit in half, before an RBI single from Cate Lehner made it a 4-3 ball game. Following a walk to Hailey Conger that loaded the bases, Ella White earned a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 4-4. 
 
Following a scoreless fifth, Butler plated three runs on a pair of hits to take a 7-4 lead. A leadoff single from Lehner and a four-pitch walk to Conger put a pair of runners on first and second with no one out. A sacrifice bunt from White advanced the runners to second and third, before a perfectly executed squeeze bunt gave Butler a 5-4 lead. Alexander then launched a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Bulldogs a 7-4 lead and set up the Bluejays for a dramatic finish to the sixth. 
 
Nakasawa opened the frame with a double off the center field wall, before a bunt single from Dalton and a walk from Seville loaded the bases for Pierson. The Wamego, Kan. native came through with an RBI sacrifice fly to left, scoring Nakasawa from third, cutting the deficit to 7-5. West followed with an RBI double into the right center field gap, making it a 7-6 game, before Perez launched a game-winning grand slam over the right field wall to secure the 10-7 come-from-behind victory for the Bluejays. 
 
Creighton will wrap up its three-game set against Butler on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.