Creighton Stays Alive with Extra-Inning Win

Lincoln -- Sixth-seeded Creighton upset No. 5 seed Iowa, 8-4, with a four-run 10th inning to extend its season in the final game of the day Friday in the NCAA Regional at Bowlin Stadium.

Creighton advanced to face Florida Atlantic in a 2:30 p.m. game on Saturday, and improved to 43-16-1 on the season. The Iowa Hawkeyes closed the season with a 39-24 record and were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after going 1-2 and staying alive with a 2-0 win over Maine in the first game of the day.

The Bluejays got the bats going early, posting three runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a long home run by Abby Johnson. Stacey Rybar led off with a double to right center and scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by Christine Funkomoto. Johnson's home run scored Funkomoto and marked her 100th career RBI.

Creighton's Katie Ayers scored the fourth run of the game by stealing home in the fifth inning. Ayers singled to get on base before stealing second. She moved to third on a single by Rybar. Rybar set up Ayers run after stealing second and advancing to third on the throw, which allowed Ayers to steal home plate for the score.

Iowa struggled offensively to open the game, going 2.1 without a hit before Natalie Johnson singled to center in the third. The Hawkeyes weren't able to get a run across the plate until the bottom of the sixth, when Stacy May knocked in a short ball that dropped in right field for a single to score one run. Sami Baugh scored IU's second run on a Creighton error, cutting the Bluejay lead to 4-2 with only one out. The Bluejays got out of the inning by retiring the next two hitters.

Laura Chipman put the Hawkeyes in striking distance when she scored their third run with one out in the bottom of the seventh on an error by Creighton's shortstop. Chipman walked to get on base and advanced to second on a single by Emily Gerlick. Amanda Hentges drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to cente, making it 4-4 on a run by Gerlick.

Creighton exploded in the 10th inning, reclaiming the lead on an RBI by Melanie Dorsey, who drove in Ayers with one out. Jamie Reiss added run number six on a passed ball, and Abby Johnson doubled to bring home Fukomoto and Dorsey, giving the Bluejays a four-run lead. Iowa eventually loaded the bases in the 10th, but Tammy Nielsen fanned Laura Chipman to end the game.

In the circle, Nielsen picked up the win for the Jays, improving to 27-12 on the year. Nielsen pitched the final three and two-thirds innings, holding Iowa to no runs on one hit. She struck out three and walked two. Abby Johnson opened the game on the mound for CU, putting in six and a third innings for the Bluejays and allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits. She threw seven strikeouts and walked two.

Ali Arnold opened the game for Iowa, allowing three earned run on three hits through two innings. She was replaced by Lisa Birocci, who allowed five runs, one earned, on five hits in eight innings of work to take the loss.

Notes
Creighton has scored 75 runs in the first inning, including three against Iowa, to its opponents' 12... Creighton improved to 27-1 when it scores in the first inning... the Bluejays also improved to 24-2 when they score a home run... Abby Johnson's two-run home run in the top of the first marked her 100th career RBI, and she added two more for 102 in her career... Stacey Rybar set the Creighton school record at 131 career runs scored with her run in the first inning, surpassing Jean Tierney's mark of 130 from 1980-83. Iowa dropped to 0-8 when giving up four or more runs ... Creighton improved to 47-1 when they score 4 or more runs... CU's Katie Ayers is now 11-for-11 on stolen bases on the season... This game marked Creighton's longest of the season. The Jays have played two nine-inning games in 2004, most recently in a 1-0 loss to Wichita State on May 9... Abby Johnson has 42 RBIs on the season, which ties the Creighton single-season record.