Though they often receive less publicity than a weekend series, midweek games can determine what kind of a season a team will have. Last week, the Bluejays softball team played host to the Iowa State Cyclones. Creighton stayed within arm’s reach the entire game but ultimately fell to the Iowa State 6-2, dropping their record to 12-17.
“We had some hard hits that were just right at people,” head coach Krista Wood said. “It was a close game except for one inning, so we just have to keep playing hard.”
The Bluejays faced trouble on the base paths early. After striking out the first batter of the game, a Cyclone single followed by a walk resulted in runners at second and third with one out. However, the Bluejays responded with a strikeout and a flyout that left the two runners stranded.
After going three up, three down in the bottom of the inning, the Bluejays were back on defense in the top of the second. After walking the first batter of the inning, the Bluejays got three outs in a row including a strikeout with a full count for the second out.
“We’re telling our pitchers to throw strikes and limit walks,” Wood said. “That’s a good hitting team. They’re strong and got balls through and I think they did a good job with what we threw at them.”
After a scoreless first two innings, the third inning saw runs coming from both teams. In the top of the third, the Cyclones hit a solo home run with two outs to score the first run of the game. After securing the final out with a groundout, the Bluejays kickstarted some scoring of their own. With one out in the inning, senior Ella Dalton hit a single to center field that was followed up by a sac bunt. A double from junior Avery Barnard brought Dalton in to score to tie the game at one. Freshman Zoey Greenwood then roped a single into right field to bring Barnard home for the Bluejays. This gave Creighton their first lead of the game at 2-1.
“Our kids are scrappy, and I think we just had to get our swings off,” Wood said. “We were kind of hesitant with the change up early and we were getting a little jammed up. Then, they made a pitching change, and we were able to get on them and make a good adjustment.”
The lead did not last. The first batter of the fourth inning for the Cyclones hit a solo home run to tie the game at 2-2. Creighton responded defensively, securing a double play a few batters later to keep the score tied.
The fifth inning was when the Cyclones were able to open a lead. Iowa State started the inning with a double and a ground out that led to a runner on third with one out in the inning. The Cyclones capitalized on the scoring opportunity with four base hits in a row including a two RBI single. The Bluejays then made a pitching change and escaped without any more damage on the scoreboard.
Creighton was unable to respond to the monster inning from the Cyclones, as they would get three straight outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The top of the sixth went much smoother. Despite a two-out walk, the Bluejays shut down the scoring threat with a quick flyout. Offensively, they struggled to get on base, getting three quick outs to move on to the seventh and final inning.
The pitching for the Bluejays got off to a dominant start when junior Brooklyn Patchen struck out the first two batters. The Cyclones then put together another scoring run with back-to-back singles, loading runners on first and second. Creighton avoided a two-out rally with an infield popup, setting one last chance for a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, trailing 6-2. Once again, they were unable to put a runner on, and the final score remained 6-2.
Despite the loss, the Bluejays saw positives, particularly on defense. They were able to play a clean game with no errors. Strong fielding kept the game competitive and highlighted one of the team’s key strengths.
“We have a really strong defense,” Wood said. “We’ve got returners everywhere and the defensive player of the year. So, that’s one of our strengths and that’s why we told our pitchers to put the ball in play so our defense can work.”