Huskies Capture Back-to-Back BIG EAST Tournament Titles

Saturday, May 9

Chicago, IL

5:00 PM

University of Connecticut

31-26

Creighton

32-27

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UConn	3	0	0	0	0	5	0	8	11	0
Creighton	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	9	2

Photo by: Steve Woltmann

5/10/2026 1:37:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

CHICAGO, Ill. – The UConn softball team claimed its second straight BIG EAST Tournament Championship on Saturday afternoon with an 8-3 victory over the Creighton Bluejays. The title marks the program's ninth conference tournament championship and sends the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

Graduate Jessica Walter got the nod in the winner-take-all championship game, making her 18^th start of the season for the Huskies. Walter went the distance in the circle, tossing her second complete game of the tournament against Creighton. Despite giving up nine hits to the potent Bluejay lineup, Walter only gave up three runs, stranding eight Creighton runners on base. The Delaware native picked up her eighth win of the season en route to being named the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

UConn jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1^st inning, chasing Creighton's starter Audrey Gilman out of the game after just 27 pitches. The BIG EAST Player of the Year Cat Petteys got the Huskies offense going with a double to left field, scoring Savannah Ring all the way from first base. Kaitlyn Breslin continued her hot hitting at the dish, bringing home Petteys on a double off the top of the center field wall, pushing UConn's lead to 2-0. The next batter, Emma Willers, scored Breslin from third base on a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Huskies an early three-run advantage.

Creighton responded with a run in the bottom of the 1^st inning to make it 3-1.

Both team's pitchers settled in after the 1^st inning, tossing three straight scoreless innings.

Creighton tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the 5^th inning on a two-run double. Walter managed to keep the game knotted at three, securing two crucial outs to strand the go-ahead run at third base.

UConn's offense responded in a big way in the top of the 6^th inning, erupting for five runs on six hits, putting the game out of reach for Creighton. Heidi Barber delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit, recording her first career triple, and scoring the go-ahead run, Bella Cruz all the way from first base, giving UConn the lead for good.

The Huskies kept their foot on the gas as Ring plated pinch runner Isabella Lundquist on a sacrifice fly to left field from third base, doubling the UConn lead, 5-3. Petteys stayed re-hot at the plate, launching her fourth hit of the game over the right field wall for her team-leading 19^th home run of the season to make it 6-3. UConn's offense continued to string together hits with Breslin reaching base ahead of Willers who lined a double down the right field line to score Breslin all the way from first base and push the lead to 7-3. Kaitlyn Kibling capped off the Huskies explosive inning at the plate with a single to center field, scoring Willers from third base, extending the advantage to 8-3.

Walter shut the door on Creighton's offense, retiring six of the final eight batters she faced, securing the title for UConn.

News and Notes

Jessica Walter was named the 2026 BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Walter becomes the seventh player in program history to receive the award.
Kaitlyn Breslin, Cat Petteys, Jessica Walter, and Emma Willers were named to the All-Tournament team.
Cat Petteys extended her on base streak to 15 straight games, going 4-5, posting her second four-hit game of the season. She now has 20 multi-hit and 15 multi-RBI games this season.
Jessica Walter logged her second complete game at the BIG EAST Tournament. She limited Creighton to go 2-9 with runners in scoring position.
Kaitlyn Breslin recorded her third multi-hit game at the BIG EAST Tournament, giving her 15 multi-hit games this season. She totaled five RBI across four games at the tournament.
Emma Willers recorded her second multi-RBI game at the BIG EAST Tournament, giving her 12 multi-RBI games on the year. She drove in eight RBI in four games at the tournament.
Heidi Barber extended her on base streak to nine straight games, recording her fourth multi-hit game this season.
Ava Calciano extended her on base streak to 11 straight games.
UConn has posted double digit hits in five of their last seven games.
UConn's defense did not commit an error for the third straight game and 26^th time this season.