The University of Connecticut softball team won its second straight BIG EAST Tournament Championship on May 10 with an 8-3 victory over the Creighton Bluejays. The win marks the program’s ninth conference tournament title and secures a return to the NCAA Tournament for the Huskies.
This achievement is significant as it highlights UConn’s continued success in collegiate softball and its ability to maintain strong performance across seasons.
Graduate pitcher Jessica Walter started for UConn in the championship game, making her eighteenth start of the season. Walter pitched a complete game, allowing three runs on nine hits while stranding eight Creighton runners. Her performance earned her the title of BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, becoming only the seventh player in program history to receive this honor.
UConn established an early lead by scoring three runs in the first inning, including contributions from Cat Petteys, Kaitlyn Breslin, and Emma Willers. Although Creighton narrowed the gap and tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning, UConn responded with five runs in the sixth inning to secure their advantage. Key moments included Heidi Barber’s go-ahead triple and Petteys’ home run—her nineteenth of the season.
Walter closed out Creighton’s offense by retiring six of their last eight batters. In addition to Walter’s recognition as Most Outstanding Player, Breslin, Petteys, Walter, and Willers were named to the All-Tournament team. Notable performances included Petteys extending her on-base streak to fifteen games with four hits during this match and Breslin achieving her third multi-hit game at this year’s tournament.
Looking ahead, UConn will prepare for participation in this year’s NCAA Tournament after their successful defense of their conference title.
