Creighton Softball Uses Long Ball to Split Doubleheader

CONWAY, S.C. – The Creighton softball team used three long balls to split a twinbill with Purdue Fort Wayne and Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon during day two of the Kickin’ Chicken Classic in Conway, S.C. 
 
The Bluejays moved to 2-2 on the young season, earning a 10-2 win over Purdue Fort Wayne before falling to Coastal Carolina 6-0 in the night cap. 
 
Game 1: Creighton 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Creighton hit three home runs and sophomore Brooklyn Patchen limited the Mastadon’s to just three hits during the Bluejays eight-run victory in game one.
 
The Bluejays got things going early, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back singles from junior’s Ashley Smetter and Lily West set up sophomore Sydney Potter with the perfect scoring opportunity and she delivered with a three-run blast down the left field line to give Creighton a 3-0 lead. 
 
Purdue Fort Wayne cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom half of the frame, as they capitalized on a Bluejay throwing error. 
 
After a scoreless second inning, Creighton extended its lead with three runs in the top half of the third. Senior Sydra Seville led off the inning with her first career out of the park home run, extending her hitting streak to a Creighton best 19 straight games. Following a walk to West, junior Ella Dalton launched a two-run shot of her own to deep center to push the Bluejays advantage out to 6-1. 
 
Creighton tack on an addition run in the sixth on back-to-back doubles from senior Hannah Poole and sophomore Lynn Davis to make the score 7-1. Purdue Fort Wayne answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth after breaking up Patchen’s no-hitter bid with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-2. 
 
The Bluejays would add three insurance runs in the top half of the seventh on a two-run double by Poole and an RBI single from Davis to secure the 10-2 victory. 
 
Poole finished the game with three hits, including two doubles, two runs score and an RBI, while Seville, Potter, Dalton and Davis each collected two hits in the win. Patchen earned her first win of the season, striking out six in the three-hit complete game effort. 
 
Game 2: Coastal Carolina 6, Creighton 0
In game two, Coastal Carolina used a big third inning and limited the Bluejays to just one hit in a 6-0 win for the Chanticleer’s. 
 
Coastal Carolina did all of their damage in the third inning, using four hits, three walks, two stolen bases and two throwing errors to take a 6-0 lead. 
 
Creighton pitching settled in from there, but were unable to get the sticks rolling as Poole recorded the lone hit for the Jays in the top of the fifth inning. 
 
Sophomore Brooke Shifflett suffered her first loss of the season, allowing six runs (three earned) with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. Senior Kenzie Schopfer and freshman Abby Rusher also provided 3.2 innings of scoreless relief in the setback. 
 
Creighton wraps up play at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic with a game against Purdue Fort Wayne at 9 a.m. Central on Sunday morning.