NEW YORK – Two Creighton Bluejays have been recognized as this week’s BIG EAST Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week after going 3-1 this past weekend at the Mean Green Classic. Pitcher Kiele Miller picked up a no-hitter in her start versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while outfielder Ashley Cantu batted .727 during the Bluejays’ four games. DePaul moved to 8-1 with their first and only loss coming against Samford over the weekend.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Ashley Cantu, Creighton, Jr., OF (Frisco, Texas)
Cantu led the league in batting average (.727), on-base percentage (.750), hits (8) and runs scored (6) over the past week as Creighton notched wins against Arkansas-Pine Bluff twice and Northwestern State. The junior recorded multiple hits in three out of the four games and went 3-for-3 in the Bluejays’ first game versus the Golden Lions.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Kiele Miller, Creighton, So., P (Dripping Springs, Texas)
Miller secured her first career no-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The sophomore also tied a career-high 12 strikeouts in the game as she allowed only three base runners (one error, two hit by pitches). This was the program’s first solo no-hitter since April 2, 2016.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jenna Foreman, Butler, Sr., OF (Winfield, Ill.)
Foreman led the Bulldogs’ offensive attack last weekend at the Madeira Beach Invitational with a .389 batting average. She went a perfect 7-of-7 on stolen bases, had seven hits and scored four runs as Butler defeated Holy Cross and Drexel.
Natalie Halvorson, DePaul, So., P (Ely, Iowa)
Halvorson went 2-0 in the circle over the weekend, picking up wins in the Samford Tournament against Eastern Illinois and host Samford to move to 5-0 on the season. She allowed four runs on five hits versus the Panthers and just two runs on seven hits against the Bulldogs.
Darby Pandolfo, Seton Hall, Jr., UT (Massapequa, N.Y.)
Pandolfo hit .444 along with a slugging percentage of 1.000 during the Pirates’ 3-1 weekend at the Mean Green Classic. Seton Hall was triumphant over Northwestern State twice along with a win versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff. She went 4-for-5 with a home run over two games against the Demons.
Madison Morris, St. John’s, Sr., P (Hampton, Va.)
Morris went 2-1 on the mound over the weekend at the Gamecock Invitational. She pitched a shutout in her first outing versus UNC Greensboro, allowing just two hits and striking out six. Morris then struck out 11 against Campbell in a 4-3 win, fanning a league second-best 17 batters on the weekend.
Paige Rauch, Villanova, So., INF (Windsor, N.Y.)
Rauch guided the Wildcats to three wins with an ERA of 1.21 at the Citrus Blossom Tournament, taking down Iowa, LIU Brooklyn and Bethune Cookman. She collected 13 strikeouts and held her opponents to just five funs as Villanova outscored their opponents 21-6 in their three victories. Rauch also boosted the offense with three home runs, which led the league this past weekend.