Creger's No-Hitter Highlights Friday College Softball Action

Creger's No-Hitter Leads No. 21 Tulsa to Sweep of Creighton

TULSA, Okla. – Senior Aimee Creger pitched and no-hitter a set a single game school record with 17 strikeouts in a 3-0 Game 1 win, and No. 21 Tulsa claimed an 8-0 Game 2 victory to sweep Friday's doubleheader over Creighton in the Tulsa Invitational at the Collins Family Softball Complex.

It was the fifth career no-hitter for Creger (7-0), who walked just one batter, and strung together strikeout streaks of six and seven consecutive batters during the contest. The four remaining outs in the game were fly or pop outs. All of the scoring for the Golden Hurricane (15-2) occurred in the fifth inning – second baseman Shelby Blanton drove home two runs with a triple, and Kaitlin Allen added an RBI single.

The Hurricane totaled nine hits in Game 1, five of which came in the fifth frame. Right fielder Haley Henshaw hit a one-out single down the left field line and Barrett singled back to the pitcher, before Blanton grounded a triple through the infield to plate both baserunners. Allen, who pinch-hit for Roye in the fourth, then singled through the left side, scoring Blanton to make the score 3-0.

Alexis Cantu (2-2) struck out seven in the complete-game loss for the Bluejays (4-8).

Creger now owns all three major Tulsa strikeout records – single game, season and career. She set the single season record with 286 strikeouts in 2013, and has now totaled 813 strikeouts in her career.

In Game 2, shortstop Jill Barrett went 4-for-4 with a home run and scored three times, and designated player Jill Roye drove in three runs to lead the Hurricane to an 8-0 (6 inn.) win. Caitlin Sill (4-2) scattered two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4.0 innings to earn the victory in the circle.

After two scoreless innings, Tulsa broke through with a run in the third. Barrett led off with a single and moved around to score on a throwing error following a base hit by Sampson.

The Golden Hurricane added four runs in the fourth inning, led by a three-run double by Roye. Walks to left fielder Jodi Edmiston and Henshaw, and a bunt single by Barrett loaded the bases. Blanton reached on a fielding error by the pitcher, allowing Edmiston to score. Roye then laced a bases-clearing double to the gap in left center, extending the TU lead to 5-0.

Three Tulsa runs in the bottom of the sixth ended the game an inning early. Barrett led off with an opposite field solo home run toward the scoreboard in left. It was her second homer of the season. Blanton then reached on an error at second and first baseman Julie Kernen drew a two-out walk. Hughes singled toward third base to score Blanton, and a walk to Edmiston loaded the bases. Third baseman Maggie Withee hit a single to plate Kernen and the game-ending run.

Junior Bailey Erwin completed the shutout for TU, pitching the final 2.0 innings and giving up one hit with two strikeouts.

Creighton threatened in the third inning when it loaded the bases with one out after a walk, a base hit and a hit-by-pitch. Sill retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a fielder's choice to end the CU half of the inning.

The third inning represented Creighton's biggest scoring threat in the game. The Bluejays did not record another hit until a single by the designated player Cantu in the sixth inning.

Becca Changstrom (2-4) went the distance for the Bluejays in the defeat. She tallied nine strikeouts and allowed nine hits. Third baseman Blair Lowe had two of the Bluejays' three hits in the contest.

The Tulsa Invitational concludes Saturday. The Golden Hurricane plays Northwestern State at approximately 12 p.m. Saturday, following the Creighton vs. Northwestern State game, which will begin at 10 a.m.

Chamberlain Set Home Run Record In Sooners' Doubleheader Sweep

NORMAN, Okla. – Oklahoma (12-5) swept Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-8) in a doubleheader Friday, winning both games via run-rule in five innings. In game one, the Sooners defeated the Golden Lions 10-0, and then scored a school-record 35 runs in a 35-1 win in game two.

In the first game, Lauren Chamberlain set the OU and Big 12 record by hitting the 62nd home run of her career, breaking a tie she shared with former Sooner Jessica Shults. Chamberlain finished 2-2 with two runs scored and a walk.

Six different OU players drove in a run, nine different players scored a run and seven different players collected a hit in the win.

Jessica Vest tied a career high with two hits as she was 2-2 with an RBI.

Leslie Miller improved to 2-0 with the win. She struck out two and allowed two hits but no runs or walks in 3.0 innings of work.

In the second game, the Sooners smashed the school record for runs scored with a 35-1 win in game two. The previous record was set last year on April 26 against Iowa State in a 24-1, five-inning win.

The 35 runs tied for the seventh-most in NCAA Division I history and it's the highest run total in Division I softball since College of Charleston scored 42 runs against Savannah State on Feb. 11, 2004.

OU scored nine runs in the first inning, nine more in the second and then scored 17 in the fourth inning.

The 24 hits tied a school record, as did the six doubles. The team's 14 walks drawn were two off of the school record.

Shelby Pendley was 4-4 at the plate with four runs scored and a school-record 10 RBI. She hit two doubles and two home runs, one of which was a grand slam.

Chamberlain tied a school record with five runs scored and drove in four more, while Javen Henson had a career-high six RBI.