Creighton closed out a three-game conference series against Georgetown with an 8-4 win Saturday night, taking two of three.  

The win gave Creighton a more comfortable finish after two days of close games, schedule changes and shifting conditions. Weather earlier in the week forced the series into a Friday doubleheader and a single game under the lights to close it. 

“We knew we were going to be in for it,” head coach Krista Wood said following Saturday night’s game. “They have some of the best pitchers in the conference right now. It was a battle back-and-forth every single game.” 

Friday showed that right away. Creighton needed a walk-off to win 6-5 the opener, but dropped the second game 4-6, with neither team able to create much distance. The margins stayed small into Saturday. 

Creighton led, then lost the lead in the fifth when Georgetown tied it with a three-run home run. Before that, senior Erika Perez had already given Creighton a lift. 

With one runner on in the fourth, Perez turned on a pitch and sent it over the fence. The lights shifted blue as she circled the bases, and along the first-base line, her family held signs with her number, 12. A Bad Bunny song picked up over the speakers as she rounded third, and by the time she reached the plate, her teammates were waiting, pulling her into a quick celebration before she headed back to the dugout. 

After Georgetown pulled even in the fifth, Creighton responded quickly. 

A walk started the inning. Then a single. Creighton kept runners moving, forcing Georgetown to make plays under pressure. When freshman Keegan Mayhue came up with the bases loaded, she drove a ball to center that cleared the wall for a grand slam. It was the biggest swing of the series and gave Creighton the first real cushion it had all weekend. It was one of Mayhue’s six hits that earned her Big East Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season. 

The dugout reacted right away, and the game settled from there. 

Freshman Audrey Gilman showed growth in the circle as the weekend went on. After a tougher outing on Friday, she looked more in control on Saturday, mixing speeds and keeping hitters off balance. 

“She was on: spinning the ball, changing speeds,” Wood said. “I thought she did a great job.” 

Creighton also found ways to contribute beyond the box score. Pinch runners created pressure in key spots, turning routine plays into close ones and helping extend innings. 

The win closed out a weekend that doubled as senior day, with four players recognized after the game: Perez, Ashley Smetter, Ella Dalton and Lily West. 

“They’ve helped us set the standard on what we’re trying to build here, on and off the field,” Wood said of the senior class. “They’ve put their mark on this program, whether it’s offensively, defensively or as leaders.” 

Each arrived at that point differently. 

Perez, who primarily plays third base, built her career on consistency. Along with her 138 starts, she set a single-game program record earlier this season with three walks, showing the kind of approach the staff has come to expect. 

“Everyone pushes you to be better, not just as a player, but as a person,” she said. “Even when your time ends here, being a Creighton Bluejay is something that stays with you forever.” 

Smetter, an infielder, transferred from Nebraska for her final two seasons after being recruited by Wood out of high school. She has filled a variety of roles, including a pinch-hit grand slam earlier this season that stands as one of Creighton’s biggest hits. 

“I would tell my freshman self that everything happens for a reason,” Smetter said. “That I’m going to meet my best friends and grow into someone stronger and more determined.” 

Dalton, a center fielder, has made 165 starts and earned First Team All-Big East honors in 2024. Her defensive range and versatility have helped Creighton adjust when needed, especially on a weekend that required lineup flexibility. 

“Stats and trophies don’t follow you,” Dalton said. “The lessons learned and the people you meet are what last a lifetime.” 

Behind the plate, West has been a constant. A catcher and the first recruit under Wood in 2022, she started all 209 games of her career and ranks sixth in program history with a .336 batting average. 

“I knew from the moment I stepped foot on campus at 18 years old that this was the place I was meant to be at,” West said. 

She said the group’s identity comes from the work behind the scenes. 

“These girls are some of the most hardworking and kind people I’ve met,” West said. “We’ve worked really hard to build this program up.” 

That work has started to show results. This senior class has been part of the program’s first back-to-back 31-win seasons since 2009, and expectations have shifted along with it. 

Last season’s run to the Big East championship game played a role in that. Creighton entered as a No. 5 seed but reached the final, a result that changed how the group approached this year. 

“It was a great run for us,” Smetter said. “Just getting there and proving everyone wrong was something that was nice … but it’s a really good motivator to have a different outcome this year.” 

Wood said that mindset is now part of the standard. 

“We’re trying to be the Big East champs,” she said. “It’s not okay to just get to the tournament; we want to win it.” 

Creighton will play next away against St. John’s for a three-game series. The first matchup will be Friday at 2 p.m.