Softball Advances to BIG EAST Semifinals

DePaul 8, Syracuse 0 (5 innings)

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – After a 28-hour rain delay the DePaul softball team kicked off the 2006 BIG EAST Softball Championship with some offensive flare.  The No. 5 seeded Blue Demons combined for eight hits to defeat No. 4 seeded Syracuse 8-0 in five innings, Friday at Ivy Field.

DePaul received an offensive boost from junior left fielder Kate Sheaks, who tied a BIG EAST Championship record with five-RBI. The last time a player recorded five RBI was in 1997 tournament and it was done twice.  Sheaks went 2-for-3 at the plate, recording a double, triple and a run.

The Blue Demons posted five runs in the bottom of the first frame.  Freshman third baseman Amber Patton started the Blue Demon's offensive explosion with an infield single.  Freshman catcher Jackie Tarulli-Fisher reached on an error and junior Linda Secka took a walk to load the bases before Sheaks drilled a ball off the left center field fence to clear the bases. 

DePaul's offense continued to produce runs in first as sophomore Marcy Wilus pushed Sheaks across the plate on a sacrifice fly to left field.  Freshman Stephanie Blagaich heated up the base path on single to left field and scored on senior Sara Bandauski's dump over the short stops head.

Tarulli-Fisher led off the DePaul second with a walk and Secka doubled to right field to place runners on second and third for Sheaks. 

Sheaks' again came through with a  bomb, sending her second ball of the game to the left field fence for double and two-RBI.

The Blue Demons final run of the game came in fourth inning on Blagaich's infield single.

Secka, batting in the four slot before Sheaks, also tied a BIG EAST Championship record by crossing the plate three times. Four previous players accomplished that feat with the last three-run game was in 2000.

Junior Tracie Adix (12-8) earned the shutout victory for the Blue Demons, throwing her 13th complete game of the season.  Adix gave up just one hit and struck out two.

Erin Downey (20-17) suffered the loss, scattering five-hits and gave up five-earned runs in 1.1 innings of work before being relieved by Alexis Switenko.   The loss eliminates Syracuse from the BIG EAST Championship.

The Blue Demons are slated to play the winner of the No. 1 Louisville/ No. 8 St. John's game on Sunday.  The Louisville/St. John's game was suspended on Friday after a 30-minute rain delay.  The game was called with St. John’s leading 1-0, in the bottom of the first with runners on first and second with no outs. The game between the Cardinals and Red Storm will resume Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Sunday game times and sites have yet to be determined and will be announced Saturday evening.

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