St. John's University Athletics
Saturday, May 6
Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Sports Complex)
2 p.m.
St. John's University
21-27, 7-13
5
at
7
Creighton
22-30, 6-17
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
St. John's
0
2
0
3
0
0
0
5
7
1
Creighton
1
0
2
4
0
0
X
7
10
1
St. John’s Falls in 7-5 Back-and-Forth Battle at Creighton
5/6/2023 4:08:00 PM | Softball
The Red Storm can clinch a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament with a win or DePaul loss on Sunday
Omaha, Neb. – The St. John's softball team dropped a nail-biter to the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday, 7-5 in five innings at Creighton Sports Complex.
With the loss, the Red Storm's (21-26, 7-12) magic number remains at one. A win tomorrow or a loss by DePaul will clinch a berth for the Johnnies. However, if the Red Storm win, and DePaul wins, the Johnnies would earn the fifth seed in next week's BIG EAST Tournament. Any other combination of a Red Storm victory or DePaul loss would result in the sixth seed for St. John's.
Katie Whittaker was the only Johnnie with a multi-hit game. One of those hits was her seventh home run of the season, driving in her 23rd run.
Unlike yesterday, the Bluejays held the Johnnies scoreless in the first inning and put up a run in the bottom half. A lead-off single and a sac bunt set up the third hitter to drive in the first run of the game on a single up the middle. Starter Loreley Francia was able to limit the damage at one and strike out the final Jay of the frame.
The Red Storm were quick to respond, scoring two runs of their own in the second inning. Back-to-back hits by Whittaker and Peyton Cody, set up a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. Anese Thompson took advantage of the opportunity and plated Whittaker on an RBI single. Amy Mallah stepped into the box next and lifted a sac fly to left center to give the Johnnies its first lead of the ballgame.
After holding the Johnnies scoreless in the top of the third, Creighton retook the lead in the bottom of the frame. The Jays led off the inning with a single. A few batters later Kailey Wilson belted her 11th round-tripper of the season, to make it a 3-2 game in favor of Creighton.
The lead would not last for long, as the Red Storm logged a three-spot to lead 5-3. Whittaker led off the inning with a solo-shot to left field, tying the game at three. The Johnnies loaded the bases once again, with a walk, single and error. Pinch-runner Madison Wallace scampered across the plate on a wild pitch to give the lead back to the Johnnies. Later in the plate appearance, Mallah drove in her second run of the day on another sac fly.
Once again, the Bluejays battled back in the bottom of the inning with a grand slam to take a 7-5 lead. With two outs, a walk and a pair of singles set the table for Cayla Neilsen to belt a grand slam and give the Jays the lead back.
The Red Storm were unable to create much traffic in the final three innings, and Creighton held on for the 7-5 victory.
The series will conclude with the rubber game on Sunday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. E.T. at Creighton Sports Complex.
With the loss, the Red Storm's (21-26, 7-12) magic number remains at one. A win tomorrow or a loss by DePaul will clinch a berth for the Johnnies. However, if the Red Storm win, and DePaul wins, the Johnnies would earn the fifth seed in next week's BIG EAST Tournament. Any other combination of a Red Storm victory or DePaul loss would result in the sixth seed for St. John's.
Katie Whittaker was the only Johnnie with a multi-hit game. One of those hits was her seventh home run of the season, driving in her 23rd run.
Unlike yesterday, the Bluejays held the Johnnies scoreless in the first inning and put up a run in the bottom half. A lead-off single and a sac bunt set up the third hitter to drive in the first run of the game on a single up the middle. Starter Loreley Francia was able to limit the damage at one and strike out the final Jay of the frame.
The Red Storm were quick to respond, scoring two runs of their own in the second inning. Back-to-back hits by Whittaker and Peyton Cody, set up a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. Anese Thompson took advantage of the opportunity and plated Whittaker on an RBI single. Amy Mallah stepped into the box next and lifted a sac fly to left center to give the Johnnies its first lead of the ballgame.
After holding the Johnnies scoreless in the top of the third, Creighton retook the lead in the bottom of the frame. The Jays led off the inning with a single. A few batters later Kailey Wilson belted her 11th round-tripper of the season, to make it a 3-2 game in favor of Creighton.
The lead would not last for long, as the Red Storm logged a three-spot to lead 5-3. Whittaker led off the inning with a solo-shot to left field, tying the game at three. The Johnnies loaded the bases once again, with a walk, single and error. Pinch-runner Madison Wallace scampered across the plate on a wild pitch to give the lead back to the Johnnies. Later in the plate appearance, Mallah drove in her second run of the day on another sac fly.
Once again, the Bluejays battled back in the bottom of the inning with a grand slam to take a 7-5 lead. With two outs, a walk and a pair of singles set the table for Cayla Neilsen to belt a grand slam and give the Jays the lead back.
The Red Storm were unable to create much traffic in the final three innings, and Creighton held on for the 7-5 victory.
The series will conclude with the rubber game on Sunday morning. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. E.T. at Creighton Sports Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jena Lawrence (2-2)
L: Francia, Loreley (5-6)
Batting:
2B: Cody, Peyton 1
HR: Whittaker, Katie 1
RBI: Whittaker, Katie 1 ; Thompson, Anese 1 ; Mallah, Amy 2
SH: Thompson, Anese 1
SF: Mallah, Amy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Whittaker, Katie 2 ; Cody, Peyton 1 ; Wallace, Madison 1 ; Stouffer, Cassidy 1
CS: Thompson, Anese 1
Batting:
3B: Ella Dalton 1
HR: Cayla Nielsen 1 ; Kailey Wilson 1
RBI: Cayla Nielsen 4 ; Kailey Wilson 3
SH: Lily West 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cayla Nielsen 2 ; Kailey Wilson 1 ; Alyssa Gappa 1 ; Ella Dalton 1 ; Ensley Frame 2
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballSt. John's Softball Highlights at UConn 5.4
Sunday, May 04
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Highlights Game 3 4.27.25
Sunday, April 27
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Game 2 Highlights 4.25.2025
Friday, April 25
St. John's Softball vs Villanova Game 1 Highlights 4.25
Friday, April 25