Creighton Softball Falls Short in Series Finale Loss to St. John’s

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Creighton softball team rallied from a three-run deficit and had the game-winning run at the plate but dropped the series finale to league-leading St. John’s, 5-4, on Saturday morning at the Creighton Sports Complex. 

The loss dropped the Bluejays to 9-9 in BIG EAST play and to 19-22 overall, while St. John’s moved back into sole possession of first place in the BIG EAST with a 14-4 league mark and a 34-13-1 overall record. 

The Red Storm opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning, using a leadoff walk from Jess Bianco and an RBI single into the right center field gap from London Jarrard to give St. John’s a 1-0 lead. 

Creighton countered with a run in the bottom half of the second to knot things up at 1-1. A leadoff 13-pitch walk to Kaelan Schultz and a hit-by-pitch from Sydney Potter set the tone as junior Erika Perez lined an RBI single back up the middle to put the Jays on the scoreboard. 

Following a scoreless third, St. John’s regained a 2-1 lead as Cassidy Stouffer doubled and scored on an RBI single to center field from SJU starter Ana Serafinko in the top of the fourth inning. The Johnnies would then extend their lead out to 3-1 in the top of the fifth innings as London Jarrard squeaked an RBI double just inside the right field foul line to score Bianco from first.

The Bluejays would cut into the Red Storms advantage in the bottom half of the frame as Ella Dalton doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before scoring on a throwing error to make the score 3-2.

The Red Storm, however, tacked on two additional runs in the top of the sixth to push their advantage out to 5-2. Serafinko and Melanie Santos opened the frame with back-to-back single before advancing to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from Natalie Casto. Pinch-hitter Sarah Post then delivered a sacrifice fly to left, which allowed Santos to advance to third before scoring on a wild throw from the Bluejays left fielder. 

Creighton answered with a run in the bottom half of the sixth when Potter blasted her team-leading 10th home run of the season over the right center field wall to cut the deficit down to 5-3. 

Down to their final at-bats, the Bluejays used a triple from Ella Dalton and a single and stolen base from Sydra Seville to put runners on second and third with one away. Sophomore Ashten Pierson then executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Schultz from third and cut the deficit to 5-4, before West ground out too short to end the game. 

The Bluejays offense managed just five hits and a walk, led by two hits from Dalton, while sophomore Brooke Shifflett suffered the loss in the circle, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks in 4.1 innings of work. 

Serafinko picked up her 17th win of the season, striking out four and allowing just five hits in 6.1 innings pitched, while Loreley Francia picked up her four save of the season retiring the final two Bluejays. 

Creighton returns to action on Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m. when they travel across town to battle Omaha at Connie Clausen Field.