Blue Demons Fall at Northwestern
5/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | SOFTBALL
#7 Northwestern 7, #14 DePaul 4
EVANSTON
Both game were riddled with home runs as Northwestern (43-10) registered three in each games. DePaul's Marcy Wilus blasted a home run to straight center in game two for the Blue Demons.
After striking out Northwestern's first batter in game one, DePaul starter Tracie Adix put a 0-2 count on Tammy Williams before she gave Northwestern a 1-0 lead with a home run over the left field fence.
Northwestern catcher Erin Dyer put together the finals pieces of offense for the Wildcats in the second and fourth innings connecting on a pair of solo home runs. Her first long ball sailed over the left field fence, while her second flew over the opposite field wall.
Adix (15-2) took the loss for the Blue Demons. She struck out seven and walked three.
Eileen Canney gave up just one hit – an infield single by Sandy Vojik in the fourth inning. Canney struck out eight and walked one.
The Blue Demons (36-10) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two. Left fielder Kate Sheaks took one for the team when Wildcat starter Lauren Delaney hit Sheaks on the second pitch of the ballgame. Jess Evans entered the game to pinch run for Sheaks and took second on Linda Secka' sacrifice bunt. Evans would eventually score on Vojik's single down the left field line.
Nicole Pauly evened the score at one a piece in the second inning with a solo home run to left field. She repeated that feat in the fourth frame, becoming the second Wildcat batter to knock multiple home runs on the day.
Following Pauly's second home run in the fourth inning, Jessica Rigas hit a soaring ball to center field that popped in-and-out of Linda Secka's glove allowing Rigas to reach second. Heteniak walked the next three batters which scored Rigas as the Wildcats took a 3-1 lead.
Northwestern extended its lead to 5-1 on Dyer's third homer of the day – a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
The Blue Demons posted three runs in the sixth inning to close in on the Wildcats. Jackie Tarulli-Fisher led off the inning with a double to right field, and Becca Heteniak followed with a RBI single. With Heteniak on first, Wilus smashed her seventh home run of the season off the flag pole in center field.
Northwestern added two additional runs in the sixth. The Wildcats used a double, two singles and a Blue Demon error to close out the scoring in game two.
Lauren Daleny (18-2) threw the first six and two-thirds innings before Canney replaced her. Daleny scattered seven hits and struck out nine.
Heteniak took the loss for the Blue Demons. She struck out 10 Wildcats batters, walked five and was charged with five of Northwestern's seven runs.
The Blue Demons close out the regular season with BIG EAST Conference doubleheaders at Villanova and