Tournament MVP Tara Oltman went the distance and struck out six as Creighton topped Southern Illinois, 3-2, in the championship game of the State Farm MVC Softball Championship at Buel Field in Des Moines, Iowa on the campus of Drake University.
With the game tied at one in the top of the fourth inning, MVC Player of the Year Renae Sinkler hit an opposite field home run with one runner on to stake the Bluejays to a two-run lead. The homer was Sinkler's 24th of the season, extending her MVC single-season record.
Southern Illinois put a pair of runners on in the bottom of the seventh and cut the lead to one on a passed ball. Creighton third baseman Michelle Graner ended the game on a running catch against the fence on a foul ball from Katie Wilson.
All-Tournament Team
- Tara Oltman, Creighton - MVP
- Renae Sinkler, Creighton
- Amy Baker, Creighton
- Lauren Larson, Creighton
- Danielle Glosson, Southern Illinois
- Cristina Trapani, Southern Illinois
- Allie Hanson, Southern Illinois
- Natalie Rose, Missouri State
- Jenna Schwark, Missouri State
- Abby Olson, Illinois State
- Beth Current, Illinois State
- Eranne Daugharthy, UNI
- Lindsie Mitts, Wichita State
- Brynne Dordel, Drake
- Jen Stahlhut, Evansville
Southern Illinois (20-5 MVC) is the tournament's top seed, followed by Illinois State (19-5). The Salukis and Redbirds earn double-byes and will begin play on Friday. Creighton (18-7) earned the third seed and an opening round bye.
UNI (13-12) claimed the fourth seed and the tournament's final bye with its series win over Missouri State (13-12) during the final regular-season weekend to claim the head-to-head tiebreaker. Tournament host Drake (12-13) is the sixth seed and Wichita State (10-14) and Evansville (10-16) are the seventh and eighth seeds, respectively.
Missouri State will take on Evansville in the tournament's opening game on Thursday at 11 a.m., followed by Wichita State and Drake at 1:30 p.m. The first nine tournament games will be available for viewing on MVC Live, the league's video streaming platform. The championship game will air live on Saturday on Fox Sports Midwest at 2:30 p.m.
Drake to Host MVC Championship
Drake University will serve as host for the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship for the first time since 1992 and for the second time in school history, from May 13-15. The 2010 event will be played at Ron Buel Field on the Drake campus in Des Moines, Iowa.
Renovations to Buel Field completed in 2005 included a Musco lighting system, press box, sound system and internet access, along with a low brick wall backstop and netting system and a state-of-the-art drainage system.
In 2009, Bradley became the only team in the 27-year history of the conference softball tournament to win the title as the host institution.
New Format
In 2010, the State Farm MVC Softball Championship will unveil a new bracket after two years under the double-bye, single-elimination format. Three games have been added to this year's bracket, allowing teams losing games five, six and eight the opportunity to play their way into the winner-take-all championship game in the modified double-elimination set-up.
Tune In
Fans can now follow the State Farm MVC Softball Championship on MVC Live, the conference's new video streaming program. MVC Live is a partnership between the Missouri Valley Conference and WebStream Productions - the creators of the highly-acclaimed Horizon League Network. Live game action from a television-like production including multiple cameras, graphics and professional announcers will be available the banner below for all games leading into the televised final.
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2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship Schedule
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Thursday - Saturday • May, 13-15 • Buel Field, Des Moines, Iowa • Drake, host
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Thursday, May 13
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Gm
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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R
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H
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E
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1
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No. 8 Evansville
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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4
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1
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No. 5 Missouri State
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2
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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x |
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3
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6
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0
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2
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No. 7 Wichita State
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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1
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2
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2
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No. 6 Drake
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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3 |
0
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Gm
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Teams
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9 |
10 |
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3
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No. 5 Missouri State
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0
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0
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2
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2
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0
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0
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0
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4
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6
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2
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No. 4 UNI
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0
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1
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0
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0
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0
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1
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1
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3
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8
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3
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4
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No. 7 Wichita State
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0
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2
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0
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0
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1
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1
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0
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0
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4
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7
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1
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No. 3 Creighton
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0
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0
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0
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2
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1
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1
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0
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1 |
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5
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6
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2
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Friday, May 14
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Gm
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10
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5
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No. 5 Missouri State
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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0
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1 |
1
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No. 1Southern Illinois
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0
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0 |
0 |
2 |
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2
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5 |
0 |
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6
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No. 3 Creighton
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2
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0
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0 |
0
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0
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0 |
0
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2 |
5 |
1
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No. 2 Illinois State
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1
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0 |
0
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0
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0
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0
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0 |
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1 |
5 |
0 |
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7
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No. 5 Missouri State
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2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
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6 |
9 |
0 |
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No. 2 Illinois State
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0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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1 |
6 |
0 |
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8
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No. 3 Creighton
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0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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2 |
4 |
1 |
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No. 1 Southern Illinois
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0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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1 |
5 |
1 |
| Saturday, May 15 |
| Gm |
Teams |
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8 |
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10 |
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| 9 |
No. 5 Missouri State
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2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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3 |
5 |
0 |
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No. 1 Southern Illinois
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2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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4 |
7 |
2 |
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No. 3 Creighton
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0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
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3 |
6 |
3 |
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No. 1 Southern Illinois
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0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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2 |
4 |
1 |