WICHITA -- The Wichita State softball team (27-16, 9-6) needed extra innings but rallied in the ninth to take a 2-1, win over Creighton (27-13, 6-2) Sunday afternoon at Wilkins Stadium, handing the Bluejays their first MVC series loss of the season.

Senior Ashly Bright (17-10) tied the WSU single-season for strikeouts with 247 in 2008, and set the new standard with her 248th strikeout of the season when she set down Michelle Koch on three-straight pitches to lead off the third. Bright finished the afternoon with 12 strikeouts, two shy of the school record, giving her 255 for the season. The senior gave up just three hits and one run and did not walk a batter on the afternoon.

Katie McGeeney recorded the first hit of the day for either team with a two-out single to left in the bottom of the third but the Shockers' rally was short lived after a groundout by Kara L'Huillier ended the inning, sending the game to the fourth scoreless.

Creighton posted its first hit of the day on a wind-aided fly ball to shallow right-center, that swirled in the wind with no Shocker able to make a play, allowing TJ Eadus to advance to second with a two-out double. CU's rally was just as unsuccessful as Wichita State's however, as Renae Sinkler popped out to end the threat.

WSU posed its first real threat to score in the fourth with a pair of one-out singles by Cynthia Verhulst and Heather Gerritse, but Creighton starter Tara Oltman (18-6) answered with back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and the fourth. Oltman took the loss, her second of the series, giving up two earned runs on eight hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.

Kara L'Huillier's two-out single through the left side provided the first run of the day, sending pinch-runner Brianna Smet home to give the Shockers a 1-0 lead. Smet was running for Jamie Stanclift, who led the inning of with a single up the middle. McGeeney then came out and grounded out to the right side, allowing Smet to slide under the tag at third safely, giving L'Huillier the chance to come through with the RBI single.

The Bluejays rallied in the top of the sixth after Jessica Wakasugi led the inning off with an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice. Bright responded yet again with runners in scoring position however, positing back-to-back strikeouts to keep Creighton off the board through six innings.

A solo home run by Sinkler in the seventh tied the game, 1-1, sending the contest to extra innings, WSU's second Valley game of the season to go beyond regulation.

The Shockers won it in the ninth after Bright ripped a two-out triple to right-center falling in between two Creighton outfielders. Bright got into third standing up after stopping at second, but gave WSU a chance with a runner on third and two outs. Jamie Stanclift reached after being hit by an Oltman pitch bringing up Kiersten Dixon who had not reached base all weekend. The freshman came through in the clutch though, looping a single just past the glove of Sinkler at first to score Bright and give the Shockers a thrilling victory and a series win over the league leading Bluejays.

WSU returns to action when they begin an 11-game road swing at Tulsa on Wednesday. The doubleheader with the Golden Hurricane begins at 3 p.m.