INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Creighton used two strong pitching performances and a power-packed offense to hand Butler a pair of setbacks in the opening BIG EAST doubleheader for both teams on Saturday, March 22.  The visiting Blue Jays captured the opener, 6-0, and then completed the sweep with a 10-0 decision in six innings in the nightcap.

Becca Changstrom and Alexis Cantu paved the way in the circle for the Blue Jays.  Changstrom (10-5) blanked the Bulldogs on just four hits in the first game.  She recorded 14 strikeouts, while walking just two.  Cantu (4-3) was just as impressive in the second contest.  She held Butler in check on just three hits.  She had six strikeouts and one walk in her six-inning stint.

Liz Dike provided the power.  The junior shortstop slugged four home runs and drove in nine runs in the two contests.  She had two home runs and drove in four to Creighton's six runs in the opener, and then she added two more round-trippers and drove in five more runs in the nightcap.  The power display left her with 10 home runs on the season.

Creighton (18-10, 2-0 BIG EAST) put its potent offense on full display in the sixth inning of the second game when Dike, Cantu and Blake Ringle slammed back-to-back-to-back home runs to stretch the lead to 10-0.

Butler (8-19, 0-2 BIG EAST) had a late scoring opportunity in each game.  In the opener, Sarah Gronowski led off the sixth inning with a walk and Alex Kotter followed with a double to left field.  But Changstrom retired the next three Butler hitters to end the threat.

In the second game, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning, but Cantu stopped the rally with back-to-back strikeouts.

Junior Alex Boros was the lone Butler player with more than one hit on the day.  She had single in her first at bat in the opening game, and then she started the fifth-inning rally in the second game with her second single.

Sophomore Kristin Gutierrez (5-8) started the first game in the circle for the Bulldogs, while freshman Allie Tarrant (0-5) was given the starting nod in the second.  Senior Callie Dennison, who had not pitched since her freshman season, came on in relief for the injury-plagued Bulldogs in both games.

The two teams will wrap up their three-game conference series at the Butler Softball Field with a single game on Sunday, March 23, at 11 a.m.