VILLANOVA, P.a. – The No. 2 seed UConn softball team defeated the No. 4 seeded Creighton Bluejays in the BIG EAST semifinal, 12-1 in a six inning run rule on Friday evening, advancing the Huskies to the BIG EAST championship game on Saturday, May 10 at 5:00pm. UConn advances to the championship series for the for the third time in the last five years.
Payton Kinney made her second consecutive start in the circle at the BIG EAST Tournament for the Huskies, marking her 25th start of the season. Kinney was sensational, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, adding three strikeouts. The right hander moves to 14-5 this season.
UConn got their offense going early, scratching a run across in the first inning, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead. UConn loaded the bases for Kaitlyn Breslin who was hit by a pitch, forcing in Grace Jenkins from third base.
In the third inning Grace Jenkins doubled the Huskies lead with a solo home run to center field, her 20th of the season, edging the UConn lead to 2-0.
In Jenkins' next plate appearance in the fifth inning, the BIG EAST Player of the Year took Creighton's starter deep once again, this time it was a towering two-run shot to right field, her 21st of the year, extending the Huskies lead to 4-0.
The two-run homer from Jenkins jump started the UConn offense, as the Huskies pushed across three more runs in the fifth inning, putting UConn in the driver's seat with a 7-0 lead.
Cat Petteys continued her hot hitting at the plate, homering in her fourth straight game, as the rookie hit a two-run shot to right center field, the 14th homer of the season for the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
Later on in the fifth inning, UConn manufactured another run with two outs on back to back base hits. Haley Coupal got it started with a single to left field. Kaitlyn Kibling followed with a double to left center, scoring Coupal all the way from first base.
Sydnee Koosh came on in relief for Kinney in the fifth inning, making her 26th appearance this season for the Huskies. Koosh went just 0.2 inning giving up one run on a pair of hits.
Creighton scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk, making it 7-1.
Hope Jenkins came on in relief for Koosh in the middle of the fifth inning, making her 31st appearance of the season for the Huskies. Jenkins closed out the game in the circle, keeping the Bluejay lineup hitless through her 1.1 innings, adding a strikeout.
UConn's offense put up another five spot in the sixth inning, putting the game out of reach for Creighton at 12-1. The Huskies once again loaded up the bases for the middle of the order to do damage. Petteys knocked in her third RBI of the game with sac fly to center field, scoring Grace Jenkins from third base. Breslin followed with a single to left field, scoring Kaiea Higa from second base.
Haley Coupal capped off the big inning with a three-run homer off the scoreboard in left field, her second of the season, securing the run rule victory in the BIG EAST semifinals.
News and Notes
- Three Huskies had three RBI in Grace Jenkins, Cat Petteys, and Haley Coupal.
- Grace Jenkins recorded her third multi-home run game this season and the fourth of her career. She notched her fourth three-hit game this year, and her team leading 18th multi-RBI game, giving her 67 RBI this season. Jenkins extended her on-base streak to 29 straight games.
- Cat Petteys has hit two home runs through her first two career postseason games. Petteys has homered in her last four straight games, the most by a Husky this season.
- Payton Kinney has started in five straight games for the Huskies. She retired 8 straight Bluejay hitters from the first to fourth innings.
- Haley Coupal has had back to back multi-hit games to begin her 2025 BIG EAST campaign. This is the fourth multi-RBI game for Coupal this season.
- Kaitlyn Breslin recorded her 14th multi-RBI games this season.
- Kaiea Higa recorded her 15th multi-hit game this season.
- UConn's offense scored double digit runs for the 14th time this season.
- UConn loaded the bases twice.
- UConn advances to the championship series for the for the third time in the last five years.
Up Next
UConn advances to the BIG EAST championship game on Saturday, May 10 at 5:00pm. UConn will play the winner of Creighton vs. Providence set to take place before the championship game at 1:30pm.
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