Softball Road Swing Continues at Creighton
4/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BIG EAST play rolls on for the Seton Hall University softball team as the Pirates head out to Omaha, Neb., for a three-game series this Saturday-Sunday, April 11-12, against the Creighton Bluejays. The squads will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. (ET), with the series finale to follow Sunday at 12 p.m. (ET).
By the end of the weekend, the Pirates will have played more than half their BIG EAST games, so it is a bit premature to take too detailed a look at the conference standings before reaching the middle of April. However, it seems safe to assume this series could go a long way toward determining who qualifies for one of the four BIG EAST Tournament spots.
Seton Hall currently sits in third place in the league standings with a 4-4 record, a half-game ahead of Villanova (4-5) and technically just a half game up on Providence (3-4).
Despite going 14-5 in non-conference games, Creighton has struggled during the start of BIG EAST play, and is currently 2-5 in the league, but like Seton Hall viewing every series as a must-win. The Bluejays were picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, but have seen their offensive output stall during league games.
Creighton is batting just .229 as a team in BIG EAST action, good for last in the league. Leading hitter Liz Dike in particular has had a tough time getting going, hitting .443 overall, but just .300 in the BIG EAST.
The Bluejays were swept in a three-game set at Villanova earlier in the month, and split a doubleheader with South Dakota on Wednesday. Seton Hall is coming off a 1-1 trip up to Providence, where the third game was rained out with SHU leading 2-1 in the top of the fourth.
After losing 2-1 on a walk off homer in the bottom of the eighth in game one against the Friars, Seton Hall saw its big bats take over for a 7-4 win in game two. Freshman Alexis Walkden belted two solo home runs, taking over the BIG EAST lead with 12 in the process. Senior Sara Haefeli added a three-run bomb, her 11th of the season.
In addition to all of the power productivity, leadoff Yasmin Harrell has been extremely tough to get out in conference action. During her current four-game hitting streak, she is batting .565 (13-of-23) with five runs scored and five steals, meaning she is doing a great job of setting the table for Walkden and Haefeli to go to work.
Creighton has yielded nearly a home run per game, with its pitchers combining to give up 24 in 26 games played. Overall, the Bluejays rank second in the league with a 3.23 team ERA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Pirates experienced mixed results in a doubleheader split at Providence College on Monday afternoon. After seeing game one slip away thanks to a Friar walkoff homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, Seton Hall saw its power hitting take over in a 7-4 victory in game two, with freshman Alexis Walkden belting a pair of solo shots. The rubber match was ultimately canceled due to rain, but Seton Hall had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning before the officials called for suspension of play.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
Creighton headed into conference play looking like one of the hottest teams in the league, but the Bluejays have most notably seen their offensive numbers take a significant dip. CU is 14-5 outside of the league but just 2-5 through the first three series of the year. Overall Creighton ranks fifth in the league with a .269 team average, but it is eighth in conference games with a .229 average. Liz Dike is batting .443 for the year, second in the league, but just .300 against BIG EAST competition. The Bluejays have seen their pitching mostly hold up, ranking third in BIG EAST play with a 3.96 earned run average.
HOME RUN RECORD WITHIN REACH
Heading into this weekend, Seton Hall sits just two home runs shy of tying the school single-season record of 40. Through just 34 games, Seton Hall has belted 38 home runs, with freshman Alexis Walkden (12) and senior Sara Haefeli (11) ranking first and second in the league respectively. The single-season record was set back in 2006. Seton Hall has six multi-homer performances this year, compared to just 13 in the history of the program heading into this season, as Walkden and Haefeli have boasted three apiece.
COMFORTABLE IN CONFERENCE
Senior Casey Moses has been very effective in a reliever role during conference play, and has been particularly sharp over her past three outings. Overall against BIG EAST foes, Moses boasts a 2.74 ERA in 7.2 innings, picking up a pair of saves. In her last three appearances, she has not given up an earned run, with just four hits and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
HARRELL HOT STREAK CONTINUES
Yasmin Harrell heads into this weekend's series with a seven-game hitting streak, the longest of the season for the Pirates; her career-best is a 14-game stretch during the 2013 season. Over the past seven games, Harrell is hitting .565 (13-of-23) with a .600 on-base percentage. She is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts as well. For the year, she leads Seton Hall with a .357 average and has been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll twice.
SMASH SISTERS
Seton Hall continues to boast a pair of players leading the league in home runs in Alexis Walkden and Sara Haefeli. Walken, in just her first collegiate season has homered 12 times, while Haefeli is enjoying a breakout campaign as a senior with 11 bombs, hitting just 10 total through her first three seasons. The two have also combined for six multi-home run games, with three apiece.
